Béla I the Boxer , King of Hungary

     Béla I the Boxer , King of Hungary was born circa 1016.¹ He was the son of Ladislas I the Blind , King of Hungary and Premyslava of Kiev. His baptism name was Adalbert.^1,2 In 1031, he left Hungary, together with his brothers, Levente and Andrew, after the execution of their father, Vazul. Béla settled in Poland.¹

Béla I the Boxer , King of Hungary married Richeza , Princess of Hungary, daughter of Mieszko II ~ King of Poland and Richenza of Pfalz-Lorraine ~ Queen of Poland, between 1039 and 1043.^3,4,2,5,1 In 1048 he returned to his homeland upon the invitation of his brother Andrew, who had in the meantime been crowned King of Hungary. Andrew assigned the administration of the so-called ducatus or "duchy", which encompassed around one-third of the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary, to Béla.¹ The two brothers' relationship became tense when Andrew had his own son, Solomon, crowned king, and forced Béla to publicly confirm Solomon's right to the throne in 1057 or 1058. Béla, assisted by his Polish relatives, rebelled against his brother, defeated his brother in two successive battles fought at the river Tisza and at Moson, and dethroned him in 1060.¹ Béla was crowned King of Hungary on 6 December 1060 at Székesfehérvár, Hungary. He ordered that "the wives and sons and all the property of all those who had followed" his nephew to Germany "should be protected and kept safe and sound", which induced many of Solomon's partisans to reconcile themselves to Béla's rule and return to Hungary.¹ He died on 11 September 1063 at Hungary from a fatal injury when his throne collapsed while he was sitting on it. Half dead, he was taken to the western borders of his kingdom, where he died at the creek Kinizsa.^6,4,2,5,1