 |
Karoly RobertKing of Hungary and Croatia from 27 August 1310
Date of Birth: 01.01.1288
Country:  Hungary |
Content:
- The Early Years of Charles Robert: A Contested Inheritance
- Succession to the Hungarian Throne:
- The Struggle for the Hungarian Throne
- Charles Robert's Arrival in Hungary:
- A Tumultuous Reign: Multiple Coronations and Challenges
- Military Campaigns and Diplomatic Support:
- The Invasion of Bohemia and the Retreat of Wenceslaus II:
- Otto III of Bavaria as a Contender:
- Charles Robert's Gradual Consolidation of Authority:
- Final Coronation and Recognition
- The Holy Crown of Stephen:
- Royal Marriages and Family
The Early Years of Charles Robert: A Contested Inheritance
Childhood and Family:Charles Robert was born in Naples in 1288, the only son of Charles Martel of Anjou, the titular King of Hungary, and his wife, Clementia of Habsburg. His paternal grandmother, Maria of Hungary, claimed the Hungarian throne after the death of her brother, Ladislaus IV the Cuman, but much of the population favored her distant relative, Andrew III. Nonetheless, Maria passed on her claim to her eldest son, Charles Martel, who died in 1295 before realizing his ambitions.
Succession to the Hungarian Throne:
After his father's death, the 7-year-old Charles Robert inherited the claim to the Hungarian crown. However, his grandfather, Charles II of Naples, designated his younger son (Charles Robert's uncle), Robert of Naples, as his heir to the Neapolitan kingdom on February 13, 1296. This decision was confirmed by Pope Boniface VIII, the overlord of the Neapolitan kingdom, on February 27, 1297, effectively stripping Charles Robert of his Neapolitan royal rights.
The Struggle for the Hungarian Throne
Weakened Royal Authority and the Rise of the Šubić Dynasty:The weakening of royal authority under Stephen V allowed the powerful Šubić family to reassert their dominance in Dalmatia. Ladislaus IV the Cuman, seeking to pacify Dalmatia, recognized the Croatian magnate Paul I Šubić as the Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia. After Ladislaus' death in 1290 without any sons, a civil war erupted between Andrew III, supported by the Hungarians, and Charles Martel of Anjou, backed by the Croatian faction. Charles Martel's father, Charles II of Naples, declared all of Croatia from Mount Gvozdi to the Neretva River to be the hereditary possession of Paul I Šubić.
Charles Robert's Arrival in Hungary:
In early 1300, Paul I Šubić invited Charles Robert to Hungary, recognizing him as his king. Charles Robert's grandfather, Charles II of Naples, accepted the invitation and provided his grandson with a small sum of money to conquer the Hungarian crown. The 12-year-old Charles Robert landed in Split in August 1300 and proceeded to Zagreb, where he was accepted as King of Hungary by Ivan Čak, another influential magnate of the realm.
A Tumultuous Reign: Multiple Coronations and Challenges
Competing Claims and Rivals:When King Andrew III died suddenly on January 14, 1301, Charles Robert's supporters rushed him to Esztergom, where he was crowned with a makeshift diadem by Archbishop Gregory Bicskei, as the Holy Crown of Stephen was in the hands of his opponents. However, most magnates of the realm refused to acknowledge his authority and instead proclaimed Wenceslaus of Bohemia, the son of Wenceslaus II, as king. The 12-year-old Wenceslaus was betrothed to Elizabeth Kötsény, the daughter of King Andrew III, and was crowned as Ladislaus with the Holy Crown of Stephen at Székesfehérvár by Archbishop John of Káloz.
Military Campaigns and Diplomatic Support:
Following his rival's coronation, Charles Robert retreated to Slavonia, where his supporters consolidated their position. In September 1302, he besieged Buda but failed to capture the royal capital and was forced to withdraw back to Slavonia. Pope Boniface VIII confirmed Charles Robert's claim to Hungary on May 31, 1303, and his maternal uncle, King Albert I of Germany, provided him with military assistance. Around this time, the magnates Matthew Csák and Amade Aba, who had initially supported Wenceslaus of Bohemia, switched sides to Charles Robert.
The Invasion of Bohemia and the Retreat of Wenceslaus II:
In the summer of 1304, King Wenceslaus II arrived from Prague with an army to help his son consolidate his power in Hungary. However, the Czech king assessed the situation and realized that his son's position was too precarious, so he decided to take both Wenceslaus and the crown back to Prague. Upon hearing of the Czech retreat, Charles Robert allied with Duke Rudolph I of Austria, and they invaded Bohemia but failed to capture Kutná Hora and were forced to retreat.
Otto III of Bavaria as a Contender:
Despite the departure of Wenceslaus II, most Hungarian magnates still did not recognize Charles Robert's authority. In August 1305, his opponent, Wenceslaus III of Bohemia, who had inherited the crown of Bohemia from his father, renounced his claim to Hungary in favor of Otto III, Duke of Bavaria, who was a grandson of King Béla IV. Disguised as a merchant, Otto III rushed to Pest and was crowned with the Holy Crown of Stephen at Székesfehérvár by the bishops of Veszprém and Csanád on December 6 under the name of Béla V. However, Otto III failed to consolidate his power.
Charles Robert's Gradual Consolidation of Authority:
In 1306, Charles Robert captured Esztergom, Spiš Castle, Zvolen, and several other towns and fortresses in the northern parts of the realm, and the following year, he entered Buda. In June 1307, Duke Otto III decided to visit the powerful Voivode of Transylvania, Ladislaus Kán, who unexpectedly arrested Otto III. On October 10, 1307, magnates assembled at the Diet of Rákos and proclaimed Charles Robert as king, but the wealthiest magnates (Matthew Csák and Ladislaus Kán) ignored the assembly. By the end of the year, Ladislaus Kán released Charles Robert's rival, and Otto III left the country.
Final Coronation and Recognition
Charles Robert as the Sole Contender:After the flight of Otto III, the 19-year-old Charles Robert remained the only claimant to the Hungarian throne, but much of his kingdom was divided into the domains of magnates, and even his supporters ignored his royal decrees. His position was somewhat strengthened when Cardinal Gentile, the legate of Pope Clement V, arrived in June 1308 and persuaded Matthew Csák to acknowledge Charles Robert's authority at a meeting in the Kékes Monastery. On November 27, 1308, Csák was also present at an assembly in Pest, where Charles Robert was once again proclaimed King of Hungary. Following this assembly, a synod of prelates in Buda confirmed the inviolability of the king and ordered Ladislaus Kán to return the Holy Crown of Stephen to Charles Robert. However, the Voivode of Transylvania refused to do so, and thus the papal legate allowed Archbishop Thomas of Esztergom to crown Charles Robert with a specially crafted crown on June 15, 1309.
The Holy Crown of Stephen:
Finally, under the threat of papal excommunication, Ladislaus Kán handed over the Holy Crown of Stephen to the king, and on August 27, 1310, Charles Robert was crowned with it for the third time by the Archbishop of Esztergom. It was from 1310 that Charles Robert's reign in Hungary truly began.
Royal Marriages and Family
Children:Charles Robert had five sons by his third wife, Elizabeth of Poland:
- Károly (Charles) (1321)
- László (Vladislav; November 1, 1324 – February 24, 1329)
- Louis I the Great (1326–1382)
- Andrew of Hungary (Duke of Calabria) (1327–1345)
- István, Duke of Slavonia (1332–1354)
Legacy:
Charles Robert's reign marked a turning point in Hungarian history. He successfully asserted his royal authority, established a stable administration, and launched a series of economic and political reforms that shaped Hungary for centuries to come. His kingdom became a powerful player in Central Europe, and his descendants would go on to rule not only Hungary but also Poland and Lithuania.
