Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Serbia Heads of State
Srbija was under Osman Rule from 1389, gained autonomy 1815, and became Independent 1878 and a Kingdom 1881, after world war an autonomous republic in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Also see  Serbia Ministers and Female Presidents of Unterstate Entities

1254-63 Dowager Duchess Anna of Macva

1280-82 Dowager Duchess Erszebet of Macva

 
1355-56 Regent Dowager Tsarina Helena of Bulgaria of Serbia
1355-59 Reigning Dowager Lady of The Ser Region (between the lower Vardar and the Mesta) and the Chalcidic Peninsula
On the death of her husband, Stefan Uroš IV Dušan, she was regent and reigned her dowries in the Southeastern part of the former Serian Empire until she became a nun under the religious name Elisaveta in 1359, but continued to play an active role in politics. She was the daughter of Sratsimir of Kran and Petritsa and the sister of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria. She (d. 1374).


1372-89 Dowager Despotess Milica Eugenia Vratkovic of Rudnik
1389-97 De-facto Ruler
Regent for son Stefan Lazarevic. She was very wise and tactical in the difficult times during the Turkish invasion.

1397-1412 De-Facto Ruler Mara Brankovic of Kosovo
Together with her sons.

1458 Regent Dowager Queen Jelena Palailologina of Serbia
Together with other regents. Died as nun in 1473

1458-59 Politically Influential Dowager Despotess Helena Palailogina of Serbia
Attemted to assume power together with her brother-in-law Stefan III Brankovic after the death of her husband Prince Lazar II Branković, as local Serbs rebelled after Ottomans seized Smederevo in March 1458, taking Michael Andjelović prisoner. She arranged the marriage of her daughter to the King of Bosnia in an attempt to gather support for her position, but the Ottomans captured Smederevo during a major assault 20 June 1459 which marked the final end of the Serbian state. She fled with her two younger daughters to the island of Leukas, where she converted to Catholicism and became a nun as Hypomone. The daughter of Thomas Palaiologos, Ruler of Morea, and Catherine Zaccaria of the Principality of Achaea, she lived (1431-73).

1463-86 Pretender Dowager Queen Katarina of Bosnia-Serbia
The state was under Osman occupation. She inherited the claim after her son, Stjepan Tomasevic, who died 1461. She died 1486 in Rome.

1502-04 Despina Jelena Jaksić of Serbia
1514-20 Regent Dowager Despina
After the death of her first husband was Jovan Brankovic, despot of Sebia in 1493–1502, she was named as "Helena, Serbiæ despotissa" in a charter. They had 5 daughters and the post of despot was inherited by her second husband was Ivanis Berislavic in 1504. After his death, she conducted the affairs of state in place of her minor son, Stjepan Berislavic (1514 – 35).