Andrew II , King of Hungary

M, (circa 1177 - 21 September 1235)
Father-Biological*Béla III , King of Hungary b. 1148, d. 23 Apr 1196
Mother-Biological*Agnes de Châtillon-sur-Loing b. 1153, d. 1184
Family Lines
Boudreau Line
Last Edited=13 May 2023
Statue of Andrew II Holding the Golden Bull
     Andrew II , King of Hungary was born circa 1177.1,2 He was the son of Béla III , King of Hungary and Agnes de Châtillon-sur-Loing. Andrew II , King of Hungary was also known as Andrew of Jerusalem.1 Andrew II's full titles were King of Hungary and King of Galicia in 1180. He ruled the Principality of Halych from 1188 until 1189/1190, and again between 1208/1209 and 1210. He was the younger son of Béla III of Hungary, who entrusted him with the administration of the newly conquered Principality of Halych in 1188. Andrew's rule was unpopular, and the boyars (or noblemen) expelled him. Béla III willed property and money to Andrew, obliging him to lead a crusade to the Holy Land.2 Andrew forced his elder brother, King Emeric of Hungary, to cede Croatia and Dalmatia as an appanage to him in 1197.3,2

Andrew II , King of Hungary married Gertrude of Merania, daughter of Berthold VI , Duke of the Coast Meran and Agnes von Groitzsch-Rochl, before 1203.1,3,4,2 Andrew was crowned King of Hungary in 1205.1,3,4,2 Andrew II made an abortive attempt to conquer Galicia. His crusades to the Holy Land likewise won little glory for the crown. His wife, the Meranian Gertrude, ran a lavish, wasteful household. Andrew II's rule triggered widespread unrest, and in 1213 Gertrude was assassinated by a high-level conspiracy. The king's inefficacy was further testified to by the fact that he was unable to punish the assassins.5,2 Andrew was crowned King of Galacia in 1214.1

Andrew II , King of Hungary married Yolande de Courtenay Queen of Hungary and Galicia, daughter of Peter II de Courtenay , Latin Emperor of Constantinople and Yolande of Flanders , Countess of Namur, in February 1215 at Székesfehérvár, Hungary. The marriage was arranged by Yolanda's uncle, the Emperor Henry I.1,4,2 He joined the fifth crusade in 1217. Andrew granted a Charter Andrew II's political opponents formed an alliance, forcing him to ratify the Golden Bull of 1222, named for the golden seal which hung from it. The document guaranteed rights to the servientes which had formerly only been enjoyed by the owners of great estates and also contained the famous "clause of resistance", whereby if the king failed to keep his word, the nobles were invested with the right to resist and oppose him without charge of disloyalty. The Golden Bull of 1222 for all purposes determined the principle of equality between nobles and occupied a central place in the thought of the Hungarian aristocracy for centuries. Although subsequently repealed, the clause of resistance initiated the long-term practice of throwing open the acts of the king to question. Because of the seminal role it played in the development of national constitutionality, the Golden Bull has frequently been likened to the Magna Charta of 1215, underscoring certain clear parallels in the constitutional development of Hungary and England in 1222.5,3,2

Andrew II , King of Hungary married Beatrice d'Este, daughter of Margrave Albodrandino I, on 14 May 1234 at Székesfehérvár, Hungary. In the beginning of 1234, the elderly King Andrew II of Hungary, who had been widowed for the second time in 1233, visited the court of the Este family and fell in love with the young Beatrice. Her uncle gave his consent to the marriage only on the condition that both King Andrew and Beatrice renounced the dowry and any claim of her father's inheritance. King Andrew promised in their conjugal contract that he would grant 5,000 pounds as marriage portion to Beatrice and Beatrice would also receive 1,000 pounds as her annual revenue. However, the relationship between Beatrice and her husband's sons became tense soon.1,2 Andrew II , King of Hungary died on 21 September 1235 at Hungary.3,4,2 He was buried at Egres Abbey, Egres, Hungary, now Romania.2

Compeller's Notes:
Death: Redlich (1942) gives his death date as about 7 March 1235.3

Children of Andrew II , King of Hungary and Gertrude of Merania

Child of Andrew II , King of Hungary and Yolande de Courtenay Queen of Hungary and Galicia

Child of Andrew II , King of Hungary and Beatrice d'Este

Citations

  1. Stuart, Roderick W. Royalty for Commoners, The Complete Known Lineage of John of Gaunt, Son of Edward III, King of England, and Queen Philippa, Fourth Edition. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2002.
  2. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Online https://en.wikipedia.org
  3. Von Redlisch, Marcellus Donald Alexander R.. "The Descent of Queen Philippa, Wife of King Edward III of England From the Royal Hungarian House of Arpád", The New England Historical and Genealogical Register volume XCVI (April 1942).
  4. Weis, Frederick Lewis. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650, Fifth Edition. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1982.
  5. Magyar Pavilon - Hero's Square. Online www.idg.hu/expo/hosok_tere/ gero/AndrewII.html.