BÉLA, son of GÉZA II King of Hungary & his wife Ievfrosina Mstislavna of Kiev (1149-23 Apr 1196, bur Székesfehérvár, transferred to Coronation Church Budapest). The Chronicon Zagrabiense names "dux Stephanus postea rex, secundus…rex Wela, tertius…dux Arpad, quartus…dux Geyza" as the four sons of "Gexcha rex"[743]. The Chronicon Dubnicense names "Stephanum et Belam, Arpad et Geysam" as the four sons of "Geysa"[744]. The Chronicon Varadiense names "primus…rex Bela, tertius…dux Arpad, quartus…dux Geysa" as the four sons of "Geysa rex" (omitting reference to the second son)[745]. Niketas Choniates names "Stephanum et Belam" as the two sons of "Hunnorum princeps Iazas"[746]. The Chronicon Posoniense records that "Bela frater eius" returned from Greece and succeeded King István[747]. Designated Duke of Croatia and Dalmatia by his father in 1162. Under the peace treaty signed in 1164 between his brother István III and Emperor Manuel I, Béla was confirmed as Duke of Croatia and Dalmatia, and sent to Constantinople (where he converted to the Greek Orthodox religion and adopted the name ALEXIOS) as István's acknowledged successor. He was installed as Duke of Szerem by his brother in 1165. The emperor granted him the title despot, betrothed him to his daughter and acknowledged him as his heir in Byzantium, until 1169 when his own son Alexios Komnenos was born and Béla was demoted from despot to cæsar. The betrothal was terminated, although Béla remained in Constantinople as a member of the imperial family until 1172, when he succeeded his brother as BÉLA III King of Hungary and reconverted to Roman Catholicism. He was crowned 13 Jan 1174. "Bela III secundi Geyzæ regis filius…Ungariæ, Dalmatiæ, Croatiæ, Ramæque rex" confirmed the possessions of the church of Zagreb by charter dated 1175, witnessed by "Farcasio palatino comite, Subano Bano…"[748]. He remained a loyal ally of Byzantium until the death of Emperor Manuel in 1181, even sending troops to help the emperor fight the Seljuks of Konya in Anatolia in 1176[749]. He recovered Dalmatia, part of Croatia and the region of Sirmium in 1181. Following the murder in 1182 of Maria of Antioch, who was Emperor Manuel's widow and the older half-sister of King Béla's first wife, Béla invaded Byzantine territory in 1183, occupying Beograd and Branicevo. He formed an alliance with Stefan Nemanja Grand Župan of Serbia, sacked Niš and Sardika [Sofija], and moved into Thrace[750]. His relative status as a monarch is shown by his statement of revenues, sent to France during the negotiations for his third marriage, which showed that they were equal to those of his French and English counterparts and only inferior to those of the two emperors[751]. The Gesta Hungarorum records that "Bela Græcus" "rid the country of robbers and brigands" and introduced the practice of submitting petitions in written form, as at the Roman Curia[752]. Béla III King of Hungary granted "totam terram pertinentem ad comitatum Modrus" to "comitis Bartholomæi de Veglia" by charter dated 1193, witnessed by "Dominico curiali comite et eodem de Budrugensi, Andres comite de Suprum, Both comite de Bohar, Egidio comite de Sala, Fulcone comite de Vosvar, --- comite Sanegg [Macario comite de Zaunuch]"[753]. The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines records the death "1196…in cena Domini" of "rex Hungarie Bela"[754]. The Chronicon Varadiense records the death "IX Kal May" in 1190 of "rex Bela tertius filius Geysæ" and his burial "Albæ"[755]. The Chronicon Dubnicense records the death "IX Kal May" in 1190 of "Bela" and his burial "in Albensi ecclesia"[756]. The necrology of Admunt records the death "VIII Kal Mai" of "Bel rex Ungarorum"[757]. The Gesta Hungarorum records that "Bela Græcus" was buried at Székesfehérvár[758].
Betrothed (1163, contract broken 1169) MARIA Komnene, daughter of Emperor MANUEL I & his first wife Bertha von Sulzbach (Mar 1152-poisoned Jul 1182). Niketas Choniates records the betrothal of "Iazæ filio Belæ" and "imperator…Mariam filiam"[759]. Ioannes Kinnamos records the betrothal between "Belam qui post Stephanum Geizæ filius" and "Mariæ filiæ suæ" (Emperor Manuel I)[760]. She later married Ranieri di Monferrato. William of Tyre names her and gives her parentage, when recording her marriage[761]. Regent of Byzantium, she was put to death with her husband by Emperor Andronikos I.
m firstly (1172) AGNES de Châtillon-sur-Loing, daughter of RENAUD de Châtillon-sur-Loing & his first wife Constance Pss of Antioch (1154-1184, bur Székesfehérvár, transferred to Coronation Church Budapest). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Agnetam" as second of the three daughters of "Raynaldus de Castellione uxor…relictam principis Raymundi" and her husband "rex Bela de Hungaria"[762]. The Lignages d'Outremer name "Maria e Joanna" as the two daughters of "Rinaldo de Castellion" and his wife "Costanza…la Nova Princessa", stating that Marie married "el re d'Ungaria", "Maria" presumably being an error for "Agnes"[763]. She lived at the court of Emperor Manuel I[764]. She adopted the name ANNA in Hungary. The Memoria Vivorum in the necrology of Salzburg St Rudpert names "Bela rex Ungarie et consors eiusdem regina Anna et liberi amborum Heimricus, Andreas, Margareta"[765].
Betrothed (after Sep 1185) to THEODORA Komnene, widow of ANDRONIKOS Lapardas sébastos, daughter of --- & his wife [Eirene Komnene Anema]. The primary source which confirms her parentage and betrothal has not yet been identified. Stiernon suggests that Theodora was the granddaughter of Theodora, daughter of Emperor Ioannes II[766], but this seems to be based on no more than guesswork. According to Kerbl, her betrothal to King Béla must have taken place after the murder of Emperor Andronikos I, with whom King Béla III did not enjoy close relations[767]. It was presumably arranged by Andronikos's successor Emperor Isaakios II Angelos. Theodora became a nun in 1186.
m secondly ([1185/86]) as her second husband, MARGUERITE de France Ctss de Vexin, widow of HENRY associate-King of England, daughter of LOUIS VII King of France & his second wife Infanta doña Constanza de Castilla y León (1158-Acre shortly after 10 Sep 1197). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Margareta soror regis Philippi" as widow of "iunior Henricus rex Anglorum" and records her second marriage to "Hungarorum regi Bela"[768]. Her parentage and second marriage are confirmed by a charter dated 1194/95, reciting the consanguinity between Philippe II King of France and his second wife Ingebjörg of Denmark on which their divorce was based, which records that "Belæ Regis Hungariæ" married "sororem Philippi Regis Francorum"[769]. Her first husband's father arranged her second marriage so he could retain her dowry. She left for Palestine after being widowed for the second time. The Chronicle of Ernoul records the arrival of "une reine en Hongrie…veve sans hoir" at Tyre [in 1197] and her death eight days later, specifying that she was the sister of the mother of Henri Comte de Champagne King of Jerusalem and had been "feme…le jouene roi d'Englietere…et suer…le roi Phelippe de France"