EX PRETERITUS

Charles Robert, Angevin

Known as Charles Robert prior to his enthronement as King of Hungary in 1309, Charles claimed the Hungarian crown as the great-grandson of King Stephen V of Hungary and under the banner of the Pope. After being elected as King of Croatia, he arrived to Croatia and crowned in Zagreb in 1300. Travelling in August 1300 from Naples to Dalmatia, he was crowned at Esztergom after the death in 1301 of the last Árpád king Andrew III of Hungary but was forced in the same year to surrender the crown to Wenceslaus II of Bohemia.

His failure only made Pope Boniface VIII still more zealous on his behalf, and support from his Hungarian adherents was observed at the Diet of Bratislava in 1304. In the meantime Wenceslaus transferred his rights to Duke Otto III of Bavaria in 1305, who in his turn was taken prisoner by the Hungarian rebels. He was enthroned at Buda on June 15, 1309. His installation was not regarded as valid until he was crowned at Székesfehérvár on August 27, 1310 with the sacred crown, which was at last recovered from the rebellious barons. For the next three years Charles had to contend with rebellion after rebellion, and it was only after his great victory in the Battle of Rozhanovce on June 15, 1312 that he was the real master of his own land. Charles died on July 16, 1342, and was laid beside the high altar at Székesfehérvár, the ancient burial place of the Árpáds.