King Emeric

Emeric
Emeric's royal seal
King of Hungary and Croatia
Reign	1196–1204
Coronation	16 May 1182
Predecessor	Béla III
Successor	Ladislaus III
Born	1174
Died	30 November 1204 (aged 29–30)
Burial	Eger
Spouse	Constance of Aragon
Issue	Ladislaus III of Hungary
Dynasty	Árpád dynasty
Father	Béla III of Hungary
Mother	Agnes of Antioch
Religion	Roman Catholic

Emeric, also known as Henry or Imre (Hungarian: Imre, Croatian: Emerik, Slovak: Imrich; 1174 – 30 November 1204), was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1196 and 1204. In 1184, his father, Béla III of Hungary, ordered that he be crowned king, and appointed him as ruler of Croatia and Dalmatia around 1195. Emeric ascended the throne after the death of his father. During the first four years of his reign, he fought his rebellious brother, Andrew, who forced Emeric to make him ruler of Croatia and Dalmatia as appanage.

Emeric cooperated with the Holy See against the Bosnian Patarenes, whom the Catholic Church considered to be heretics. Taking advantage of a civil war, Emeric expanded his suzerainty over Serbia. He failed to prevent the Republic of Venice, which was assisted by crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, from seizing Zadar in 1202. He also could not impede the rise of Bulgaria along the southern frontiers of his kingdom. Emeric was the first Hungarian monarch to use the "Árpád stripes" as his personal coat of arms and to adopt the title of King of Serbia. Before his death, Emeric had his four-year-old son, Ladislaus III, crowned king.