Ladislaus II of Hungary

## Ladislaus the Great

King of Hungary

Andrew II of Bohemia and Hungary

(In Bohemia)

Maria of Hungary

Andrew II of Bohemia and Hungary

**Ladislaus II of Hungary** (C. 1118 - 1170) was the eldest son of Stephan the Mad and his wife Margaret of Byzantine. Ladislaus's father was mentally unstable and was mostly controlled by Ladislaus's grand-mother Helena of Vojvodina, Ladislaus was raised by his mother in Croatia, where he spoke fluent Latin, Greek, Hungarian, Croatian, Albanian, Slovakian and English. Ladislaus barely met his father as he spent most of his time imprisoned in Budapest Castle. He became King in 1135 and he was very popular for reconquering Hungarian territory. Ladislaus married Blanche of France in 1140, who was the third daughter of Louis VII of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine. They had 4 children, Géza, Judith, Maria, and Andrew the Haughty. He spent most of his life in crusades, and often left his wife in charge of Hungary. Ladislaus's wife Blanche of France died in 1170 of grief after his wife died.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Ladislaus of Hungary was born in Albania (Which was apart of the Hungarian Crown) to Stephan V of Hungary and Margaret of Byzantine. During his birth his father was in Bohemia under the thumb of Ladislaus's grand-mother Helena of Vojvodina. When he was 3, his mother took Ladislaus to Croatia with his younger brothers whom Ladislaus was very close to, he studied war, math, writing, archery, history, and science which was the standard study for a mideval heir. Ladislaus was heir apparent to the Hungarian crown lands, there where talks to let Ladislaus keep Hungary, and for his younger brother John of Hungary inherit Bohemia, but Helena of Vojvodina disaproved, an instead bestowed John with the Duchy of Nitra. When Ladislaus was 7, he was sent to his grand-mother Helena and his father Stephan who was considered to mentally unstable to rule by himself. Ladislaus deeply was scared of his Serbian grand-mother who was known to have little temper and got upset easily, Helena did indeed get upset at Ladislaus a-lot for not acting like a Prince and playing in mud.

### Hungary

Ladislaus's grand-mother gave Ladislaus a bedroom where his father lived, Stephan the Mad who had just escaped his shackles was so excited to see his son whom he had been screaming to see, hugged him in a weak manner, Ladislaus had not met his father sense he was a baby and wrote down in his private journel that he was confused, Stephan suffered from Psychosis which confuses the brain on what is real, and what is fake. But Stephan was a good father unlike other mideval king's like Henry II of England. Helena wanted Ladislaus to be deeply pious like herself, and often dragged her grand-son to church, Margaret of Byzantine often had to be restrained from puling Ladislaus away from Helena. Helena to make sure Ladislaus does not end up like his mentally ill father who was believed to be bewtitched. Ladislaus found Church interesting, but not as interesting as Helena hoped for. When he turned 14, his mother begged Helena to send Ladislaus back to Croatia, but Helena did not think Ladislaus was pious enough to be sent back, when Ladislaus turned 15, Helena died, and Margaret rushed to Hungary to return her son home. Margaret became over-protective of her son, and never let him leave the palace where he would stay for 1 year, his own mother died in 1134, and Ladislaus became regent for his father though he was only 16. He moved back to Hungary and moved into Budapest, Palace. He was a handsome and popular young man, and often rode on his horse so everyone could see him other they staying at home all day, common woman reportedly blushed whenever they saw the handsome Prince, men cheered Ladislaus around Hungary, but a year later, Stephan the Mad died of dysentery, and Ladislaus was the new King.

## King of Hungary

When Stephan the Mad died, Ladislaus was called to Budapest Cathedral where he was crowned 'Ladislaus II of Hungary." Ladislaus's first act as King was to retake Hungarian owned land that was taken by the Turks, he wen't to southern Albania and defeated the Turk's with'in a week. The Hungarian's cheered Ladislaus's victory and nicknamed him "Ladislaus the Victorious." The land had been lost during Stephan the Mad's reign as Stephan was a weak king, and Helena had no idea how to re-conquer territory. Ladislaus now needed a Queen to produce children to secure the Árpád Dynasty. He could either marry a Hungarian noblewoman or marry another European Princess, Sigrid of Kiev was considered, but Ladislaus turned down the marriage for an unknown reason, another princess Caterina of Combria was also considered, but it ended when Caterina decided against the marriage, then the ambassador from France to Hungary reccomended one of the sisters of Louis VIII of France, the French Ambassador reccomended Blanche of France who was the third child of Louis VII of France , and Eleanor of Aquitaine thus making her a sister to Louis VIII of France. Ladislaus was interested in her when he saw a statue of her and asked her parents to send her to Hungary, when Blanche arrived she was "Even prettier then the statue" said Ladislaus in his private journel. Ladislaus proposed to Blanche 6 minutes after they met in person, and married in Budapest Cathedral, now that he had a Queen, his next job was crusading and having Children to conserve the Árpád Dynasty.

## 4th Crusade

Ladislaus had not been on the crusades before the 4th crusade even though he was old enough, because his grand-mother wanted Ladislaus to be interested in religion, but this did not mean at all Ladislaus had no idea what he was doing, he took his Queen to Jerusalem and crushed to Turkish forces, when it was clear Blanche was pregnant in 1141, Ladislaus sent her home so the baby would not die in battle. Ladislaus was also not a man of mercy, he would capture Turkish princes and behead them in public ceremonies, the Turk's did the same to Hungarian princes and general's as rightful revenge. After Blanche gave birth to a son Géza, she wen't back to Jerusalem with Ladislaus. The 4th crusade lasted 3 years with no one winning.

## 5th Crusade

In 1143, 2 years after the birth of Géza of Hungary, Blanche of France gave birth to a daughter Judith of Hungary, after her birth the 5th Crusade was called by the Pope, Ladislaus and Blanche was forced to leave there newborn daughter behind to go on Crusade. Ladislaus wen't with the Doge of Venice to Jerusalem so Ladislaus could protect his ally Konrad I of Jerusalem. The Doge of Venice was killed in battle, according to legend he attempted to break though a wall of Turkish soliders, he jumped from his horse, but was impaled with a dule stick in the chest. After the Doge of Venice's death, he crusaded with his 17 year old brother John of Hungary. But when they reached Jaffa, John wen't missing under mysterious circimstances, many historians argue John was murdered by Turkish spy's in his sleep, but some Legends say John wen't to Sparta after having a fight with his brother, and fell in-love with a Spartan maid who came from a farmer family named Anfisa Algesimarka. Whatever happened, John never returned and searches for him stopped. Ladislaus then wen't with his wife who was with Louis VIII of France's wife Queen Joan I of Navarre. 3 years after John of Hungary's disaperance, a man from Athens rode up from Athens claiming to be John of Hungary, he resembled and looked a lot like John, the man claimed he was kidnapped by the spy of Prince Osman of Turkey, but escaped with the help of Albanian nuns, Ladislaus was on crusade when he heard the man may be his missing brother and the rightful Duke of Nitra, so he traveled to Hungary and ordered the knights to send the man who claimed to be his brother, when the man arrived, many nobles believed the man and the man was sent to Ladislaus, Ladislaus knew the man was not his brother as he did not remember anything from John's actual Childhood, the man then was forced to admit he was an Greek farmer, and he was beheaded in Budapest. Ladislaus permenantly suspended the search for his lost-brother in the Council of Belgrade, and suspended all claimers from pretending to be John of Hungary.

## 6th Crusade

The 6th Crusade was announced 1 year after the birth Ladislaus's 3rd child Maria of Hungary, the 6th crusade was announced in the Papal States, Ladislaus was not informed until the Minister of Siena brought the news to the Byzantine Emperor, who brought the news to the Balkan territories of the Hungarian crown. Ladislaus's army was a mess and Ladislaus ordered 700 ministers to organize it, which took about 4 weeks, after 4 weeks, the Ottoman's attacked Bulgaria while Ladislaus was in Hungary, he would have to cross Serbia which Ottoman's were heading after they invaded Northern Bulgaria, many christian kingdoms wen't to Ladislaus's defense and they kicked the Turks back to Turkey, but Ladislaus did lose a lot of money as the Turks stole a lot, so he upgraded his Bulgarian army to defend Bulgaria. Ladislaus attended an army called "The King's army" which consisted of all the crusader kings and Queens, Ladislaus and the King of Cyprus wen't together to Northern Cyprus which had been lost from the Ottomans for 15 years. The King desprately wanted the territory back, and wanted to extend Cyprus into North western Turkey, Ladislaus and many christian king's tried to reclaim northern Cyprus, but all attempts failed. In 1146 Ladislaus landed in Ibelin, in the Turkish isles, his Queen had given birth to a final child, Andrew of Hungary in Budapest. Ladislaus wen't to Turkey to kill the Turkish emperor, but the Turkish Emperor was actually in Syria retaking Syria for good. Ladislaus made the best out of wasting so much time to get to Turkey, only to find out the Turkish emperor was in Syria. Ladislaus explored the language, and art in Turkey, Ladislaus then stole some of the art from some local Turkish art-houses, and took them home as he liked the look of them. He then wen't back to Turkey, and made his way to Iraq to save some imprisoned Hungarian nobility. Ladislaus wen't home as a theif, while stealing arts, cloths, and he took some stray Turkish woman with him as he thought they were good looking, which angered his wife.

## Marriage Alliances

In 1153, Ladislaus married his eldest child of Irina of Sulzbach (Who was his first wife.) His daughter Judith was a candiate for many hands in marriage, but Ladislaus wanted to make a marital alliance with the High-Duke of Poland, the High Duke was 22, and Judith was only 9, but thankfully the marriage date was set for when Judith turned 11 or 12. Ladislaus then betrothed his second daughter Maria to the future King of Denmark, Ladislaus was unsure who his youngest child would marry and Ladislaus thought of making Andrew a Cardinal, but that plan never worked, for now all the marriage dates were set to the future.

## Death

Ladislaus continued to enter crusades until 1169, when his Queen died of an unknown illness, legend has it Ladislaus cried alone in his room for a whole month without showering, but some legends has it he married one of the Turkish princess he abducted name Princess Alina, Ladislaus died a year after his wifes death, rumor has it he died of grief. His eldest son inherited Hungary, and his younger son who married Lydia of Kiev inherited Bohemia. Ladislaus was buried in Székesfehérvár Basilica next to his father Stephan the Mad.