Béla III of Hungary

Béla III
Bela III from the Illuminated Chronicle
King of Hungary and Croatia
Reign	1172–1196
Coronation	13 January 1173
Predecessor	Stephen III
Successor	Emeric
Born	c. 1148
Died	23 April 1196 (aged 47–48)
Burial	Székesfehérvár Basilica reburied at Matthias Church
Spouse	Agnes of Antioch Margaret of France
Issue	Emeric of Hungary Margaret, Byzantine Empress Andrew II of Hungary Constance, Queen of Bohemia
Dynasty	Árpád dynasty
Father	Géza II of Hungary
Mother	Euphrosyne of Kiev
Religion	Roman Catholic

Béla III (Hungarian: III. Béla, Croatian: Bela III, Slovak: Belo III; c. 1148 – 23 April 1196) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1172 and 1196. He was the second son of King Géza II and Géza's wife, Euphrosyne of Kiev. Around 1161, Euphrosyne granted Béla a duchy, which included Croatia, central Dalmatia and possibly Sirmium. In accordance with a peace treaty between his elder brother, Stephen III, who succeeded their father in 1162, and the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, Béla moved to Constantinople in 1163. He was renamed to Alexios, and the emperor granted him the newly created senior of despotes. He was betrothed to the Emperor's daughter, Maria. Béla's patrimony caused armed conflicts between the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary between 1164 and 1167, because Stephen III attempted to hinder the Byzantines from taking control of Croatia, Dalmatia and Sirmium. Béla-Alexios, who was designated as Emperor Manuel's heir in 1165, took part in three Byzantine campaigns against Hungary. His betrothal to the emperor's daughter was dissolved after her brother, Alexios, was born in 1169. The emperor deprived Béla of his high title, granting him the inferior rank of kaisar.