Margaret of Hungary

Margaret of Hungary (Margit in Hungarian; b. 1175 – d. after 1229) was a Hungarian princess from the House of Árpád. She was a Byzantine Empress by marriage to Isaac II Angelos (d. 1204), and Queen of Thessalonica by marriage to Boniface of Montferrat (d. 1207). She was regent of Thessalonica during the minority of her son Demetrius of Montferrat, from 1207 to 1216. In later years (c. 1223) she governed some of the most southern regions of the Kingdom of Hungary, with her domains being centered in the region of Syrmia.

Early life

Margaret was the eldest daughter of Béla III of Hungary and his first wife Agnes of Antioch. She was a younger sister of Emeric, King of Hungary. Her younger siblings were Andrew II of Hungary and Constance of Hungary. Two other siblings, Solomon and Stephen, are mentioned in the standard reference work on the genealogy of medieval European aristocracy, "Europäische Stammtafeln" (1978–1995) by Detlev Schwennicke. They reportedly died young.

Empress

In January 1186, 10 year old Margaret married the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos, who wanted a politically strategic alliance with Hungary in order to strengthen his claim to the throne and due to the changing policy towards dynastic marriages with foreign rulers. Upon this marriage, Margaret took the baptismal name "Maria" and was brought up following Byzantine customs.

With Isaac, she had two sons: Manuel Angelos (died 1212), he was evidently the elder son, being contemplated in 1205 to ascend the Byzantine throne John Angelos (b. ca. 1193 – died c. 1253). He migrated to Hungary and ruled over Syrmia and Kovin counties (c. 1227–1242) as a vassal of King Béla IV of Hungary.

Isaac had been deposed and blinded in 1195 by his brother Alexios III Angelos who then assumed the throne. Isaac was imprisoned, but it's not yet clear if Margaret was also. Her step-son Alexios IV Angelos had escaped and went to join the military discussions which were shortly to launch the Fourth Crusade. There, he and others convinced the Crusaders to besiege Constantinople in order to depose his uncle and restore his imprisoned father and himself to the throne. This was done, but his restored reign was short-lived, as the Crusaders took over the empire for themselves in 1204.

Queen of Thessalonica

Margaret's husband Isaac died in February 1204, "whose end was accelerated by the fate of his son", who was "strangled in his dungeon after poison had failed to do its work". The marriage was intended to both bolster Boniface's position with the Byzantine aristocracy and provide him with Margaret's Hungarian connection.

According to Pope Innocent, after the marriage Margaret initially 'shrank from returning to Latin ways so immediately, as a too impudent champion of the Greek custom,' Losing regency, Margaret left Thessalonica, apparently leaving her son Demetrius in the city.

Later life She married thirdly Nicholas I of Saint Omer. Nicholas was the son of Geoffrey of Saint Omer, had accompanied his uncle on the fourth crusade and was granted a fief in Doris. He is also called "Lord of Boeotia". William of Saint Omer, who married but died childless.

Returning to Hungary with her sons, Margaret was well received by her brother, King Andrew II of Hungary (1205–1235), who granted her possessions in southern regions of the Kingdom, centered on Syrmia. Her sister-in-law, Queen Yolanda of Hungary, was instrumental in arranging the marriage between Margaret's son John and Matilda, daughter of Yolanda's sister Margaret of Courtenay.

On 30 March 1223, Pope Honorius III took Margaret under his protection, issuing a document that contains a list of her properties.

Death Margaret was still living in 1229, when she was mentioned in a papal letter. Her exact death date and place, and burial location are apparently unknown.