Helena, Queen of Hungary

Helena of Serbia (, ; 1110 – 1161) was Queen of Hungary and Croatia as the wife of King Béla II. After her husband's death, she governed Hungary as regent from 1141 to September 1146 together with her brother, Beloš, during the minority of her eldest son, Géza II, came of age.

A daughter of Prince Uroš I of Serbia (r. ca. 1112–1145), she was arranged to marry Béla II in 1129 by his cousin, King Stephen II (r. 1116–1131). Her younger sons, Ladislaus II and Stephen IV, also ruled as kings of Hungary. She had two other brothers Uroš II and Desa besides Beloš.

Life Early life Helena was the daughter of Serbian Grand Prince Uroš I (r. ca. 1112–1145) of the Vukanović dynasty, and Byzantine princess Anna Diogenissa. Her father had participated in the Byzantine-Hungarian War (1127–29), on the side of King Stephen II of Hungary. The Hungarian Army had destroyed Byzantine Belgrade and penetrated to Naissos (Niš), Serdica (Sofia) and Philippopolis (Plovdiv).

Around 1129, King Stephen II arranged her marriage with his cousin Béla, who had been blinded on the order of the king's father, King Coloman of Hungary (r. 1095–1116). Béla and his father Almos were blinded, so that they will be removed from the line of succession. However, King Stephen was childless and decided to recognise Béla as his successor. Uroš I had prior to this suffered to both Hungary and Byzantium, so he happily befriended the Hungarian king. King Stephen II granted estates near Tolna to the newly wed couple.

Queen consort Execution of Hungarian nobility in Arad, by Geiger Péter N. János (1805–1880). Following the childless king's death, her husband was crowned King of Hungary on 28 April 1131. Queen Helena had great influence on her husband, and the Hungarian state. Sophia and Elisabeth or Gertrud. She was to great help to her husband and governed the state during his rule. Queen Helena is believed to have died in 1161.

Marriage and children c. 1129: King Béla II of Hungary (c. 1110 – 13 February 1141) Elisabeth or Gertrud (c. 1129 – before 1155), wife of duke Mieszko III of Poland King Géza II of Hungary (c. 1130 – 3 May 1162) King Ladislaus II of Hungary (1131 – 14 January 1163) King Stephen IV of Hungary (c. 1133 – 11 April 1165) Álmos (?) Sophia (c. 1136 – ?), nun at Admont (Styria)