[2][3] She was born as in Poland, the daughter of prince Peter IV Rareș and Elena Ecaterina Rareș ( the daughter of Jovan Branković),[4] and married prince Mircea the Shepherd in 1545.

[7] Chiajna, Mircea, and their children were forced to flee, seeking succour with family in Giurgiu.

[8] After the death of her spouse in 1559, she became regent in Wallachia on behalf of her son, Peter the Younger.

[9] She is described as an energetic, intelligent and gifted politician, who fiercely defended her son's throne.

[10][11][8] Legend holds that in 1575 she was abducted by the Ottomans and deported to Aleppo in Syria.