See also
| Husband: | Geza II + (1130-1162) | |
| Wife: | Euphrosyne + of KIEV (1130-1193) | |
| Children: | Elisabeth of HUNGARY (c. 1140- ) | |
| Bela III + (1148-1196) | ||
| Marriage | 1146 | |
| Name: | Geza II + | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | Bela II + (1108-1141) | |
| Mother: | Helena + of RASKA (1115-1146) | |
| Birth | 1130 | Tolna, Hungary |
| Occupation | King of Hungary | |
| Title | frm 13 Feb 1141 to 31 May 1162 (age 10-32) | King of Hungary |
| Death | 3 May 1162 (age 31-32) | |
| Name: | Euphrosyne + of KIEV | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | Vladimirovich + (1076-1132) | |
| Mother: | Lyubava + DMITRIEVNA (1100-1168) | |
| Birth | 1130 | Kiev, Ukraine |
| Occupation | Queen Consort of Hungary | |
| Title | Princess of Kiev | |
| Death | 1193 (age 62-63) | Byzantium, Istanbul, Turkey |
| Name: | Elisabeth of HUNGARY | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Spouse: | Frederick (c. 1135-1189) | |
| Birth | 1140 (est) | |
| Name: | Bela III + | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Spouse: | Agnes + Maria Anne of CHATILLON (1154-1184) | |
| Title | frm 1131 to 1141 (age -18--7) | King of Hungary |
| Birth | 1148 | Esztergom, Korarom-Esztergom, Hungary |
| Occupation | King of Hungary | |
| Death | 23 Apr 1196 (age 47-48) | |
Géza II (Hungarian: II. Géza, Slovak: Gejza II, Croatian: Gejza II), (1130, Tolna – 31 May 1162), King of Hungary, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama (1141–1162).[1][2][3] He ascended the throne as a child and during his minority the kingdom was governed by his mother and uncle. As ruler, he was one of the most powerful monarchs of Hungary, and intervened successfully in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries.
Géza was the eldest son of King Béla II of Hungary and his wife, Helena of Raška. He was only a baby when his mother introduced him and his brother Ladislaus to the barons assembled in Arad in order to persuade them to massacre her husband's opponents.
He was crowned three days after his father's death on 13 February 1141. As he was still a minor, his mother served as regent of the kingdom, helped by her brother (his uncle), Beloš. She faced challenges from Boris, the son of King Coloman's adulterous queen, who disputed Géza's claim to the throne.
In April 1146, Boris managed to occupy the fortress of Pozsony. Hungarian troops eventually reoccupied the fortress, but Henry II, Duke of Austria, intervened in the struggles on behalf of the pretender. Géza personally led his armies against the Austrian troops and defeated them on 11 September.
[edit] King of HungaryAs an adult, Géza had a reputation as a well-respected king, whose nobles did not dare to scheme against him. The power and valor of his army was also commented upon, and Géza did not hesitate to involve himself in politics.
In 1146, Géza married Euphrosyne, sister of Grand Prince Iziaslav II of Kiev.
In June 1147, the Crusader Army of King Conrad III of Germany passed through Hungary without major conflicts, then King Louis VII of France arrived in the country, followed by the pretender Boris, who had secretly joined the French Crusaders. Although King Louis VII refused to extradite the pretender to Géza, he did promise to take him abroad under close custody.
In 1148, Géza sent troops to his brother-in-law Iziaslav II against Prince Vladimir of Chernihiv. In 1149, he assisted his maternal uncle, Duke Uroš II of Raška against the Byzantine Empire. In 1150, Géza sent new troops to Iziaslav, who had been struggling against Prince Yuri I of Suzdal, but his brother-in-law was not able to maintain his rule in Kiev. In the same year, the Serbian and Hungarian armies were defeated by the Byzantine troops, therefore Duke Uroš II had to accept Byzantine rule over Raška.
In the autumn of 1150, Géza led his armies against Prince Vladimirko of Halicz (son-in-law of the late King Coloman), but the prince managed to persuade Géza's advisors to convince their king to give up the campaign. It can be found in a Ruthenian chronicle Hypatian Codex, where at the date of 1150 one can read: The Hungarian King Géza II crossed the mountains and seized the stronghold of Sanok with its governor as well as many villages in Przemysl area. In 1152, Géza and Iziaslav II joined together against Halych, and defeated Volodymyrko's armies at the San River. Géza had to return to his kingdom because, during his campaign, Boris attacked the southern territories of Hungary supported by Byzantine troops. However, Géza would defeat the pretender and made a truce with the Byzantine Empire.
In 1154, he supported the rebellion of Andronikos Komnenos against Emperor Manuel I and laid siege to Barancs[disambiguation needed], but the emperor had overcome his cousin's conspiracy and liberated the fortress.
In 1157, Géza's younger brother, Stephen conspired against him supported by their uncle, Beloš. After Géza defeated their conspiracy, Stephen fled to the court of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. Géza sent envoys to the emperor and promised to assist him with troops against Milan prompting Frederick to refuse any support from Stephen, who then fled to Constantinople. Stephen was followed, in 1159, by Géza's other brother, Ladislaus, who had also conspired against Géza.
In 1161, inspired by the new Archbishop of Esztergom, Lukács, Géza not only acknowledged the legitimacy of Pope Alexander III instead of Antipope Victor IV[disambiguation needed], who had been supported by Emperor Frederick I, but he also renounced the right of investiture.
He was buried in Székesfehérvár.
[edit] Marriage and children# 1146: Euphrosyne of Kiev (c. 1130 – c. 1193), daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and his second wife, Liubava Dmitrievna
King Stephen III of Hungary (1147 – 4 March 1172).
King Béla III of Hungary (1148 – 23 April 1196).
Elisabeth (c. 1149 – after 1189), wife of Duke Frederick of Bohemia.
Duke Géza (c. 1150 – before 1210).
Arpad, died young.
Odola (1156 – 1199), wife of Duke Sviatopluk of Bohemia.
Helena (c. 1158 – 25 May 1199), wife of Duke Leopold V of Austria.
Margaret (Margit) (1162 – ?), born posthumously; wife firstly of Isaac Macrodukas and secondly of András, Obergespan of Somogy.
Euphrosyne of Kiev (Euphrosine of Novgorod[1]) (c. 1130 – c. 1193) was Queen consort of Hungary.
Euphrosyne was the first daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and his second wife, Liubava Dmitrievna. In 1146, Euphrosyne married King Géza II of Hungary, who had come of age shortly before.
During her husband's reign Euphrosyne did not intervene in the politics of the kingdom, but after his death on 31 May 1162, her influence strengthened over their son, King Stephen III. The young king had to struggle against his uncles Ladislaus and Stephen to save his throne, and Euphrosyne took an active part in the struggles. She persuaded King Vladislaus II of Bohemia to give military assistance to her son against the invasion of the Emperor Manuel I Komnenos.
Euphrosyne's favourite son was the youngest, Duke Géza of Hungary. When King Stephen III died on 4 March 1172, she was planning to ensure his succession against her older son, Béla, who had been living in the court of the Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. However, Béla came back, and he was crowned on 13 January 1173, although the Archbishop Lukács of Esztergom denied his coronation. Shortly after, King Béla III arrested his brother, which increased the tension between Euphrosyne and her son. Duke Géza soon managed to escape, probably with Euphrosyne's help, but in 1177 he was again arrested.
In 1186, Euphrosyne tried to release her younger son again, but she failed. King Béla III ordered the arrest of Euphrosyne and kept her confined in the fortress of Barancs (Serbian: Branicevo). Shortly after, Euphrosyne was set free, but she was obliged to leave the kingdom for Constantinople. From Constantinople she moved to Jerusalem where she lived as a nun in the convent of the Hospitallers, and then in the Basilian monastery of Saint Sabbas.
[edit] Marriage and childrenIn 1146, Euphrosyne married King Géza II of Hungary (1130 – 31 May 1162). They had the following children:
King Stephen III of Hungary (1147 – 4 March 1172)
King Béla III of Hungary (1148 – 23 April 1196)
Elisabeth (c. 1149 – after 1189), wife of Duke Frederick of Bohemia
Prince Géza (c. 1150 – before 1210)
Odola (? – ?), wife of Duke Svatopluk of Bohemia
Helena (c. 1158 – 25 May 1199), wife of Duke Leopold V of Austria
Euphrosyne is an ancestress of Edward III of England and hence the ancestor of all subsequent English and British monarchs. She is also part of a link connecting the line of Harold Godwinson and the modern line of British monarchs.