Nicholas of Ilok

Nicholas of Ilok (, ; 1410–1477) was a Hungarian nobleman, ban of Croatia, Slavonia, Dalmatia and Macsó, voivode of Transylvania and titular king of Bosnia from 1471 until his death.

A member of the Újlaki family, he was one of the richest landowners in the Kingdom of Hungary and one of its most influential magnates. He held a reputation of a great hero and served under four kings of Hungary: Albert, Vladislaus I, Ladislaus V and Matthias I.

Early career His parents were Ladislaus of Ilok, ban of Macsó, and Anna Stiboriczi, daughter of Stibor of Stiboricz, voivode of Transylvania. His father died shortly after his birth. He had four brothers: John, Stephen, Peter and Paul. His great-grandfather, Nicholas Kont, served as palatine to King Louis I of Hungary. Nicholas was the best known lord of the city of Ilok. While he was in power, the city experienced its golden age. In 1430, Nicholas' brother Stephen died and Nicholas succeeded him as ban of Macsó.

When King Albert died in 1439, Nicholas supported his widow, Elizabeth of Luxembourg, in her struggle to secure the Holy Crown of Hungary for her son, Ladislaus the Posthumous. As a reward, Queen Elizabeth had him knighted. However, Nicholas soon took the side of King Vladislaus III of Poland and allied himself with John Hunyadi. Upon becoming king of Hungary, Vladislaus gave Nicholas and Hunyadi extraordinary powers, appointing them as joint voivodes of Transylvania.

Matthias' reign

In 1457, Nicholas took part in the liquidation of John Hunyadi's son, Ladislaus. The next year, Ladislaus' brother, Matthias Corvinus, was elected king, but various Hungarian and Croatian nobles refused to recognise him as their sovereign. The opposition was led by Nicholas himself and Palatine Ladislaus II Garay, who asked Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III for support. Matthias was eventually recognised as king.

Nicholas retained his influence throughout the reign of Matthias Corvinus, who created him perpetual ispán of Teočak in 1464, making him only the third person to bear such a title. However, Nicholas failed to defend his satellite kingdom, losing most of it to the Ottomans. The Hungarian Kingdom of Bosnia consisted of a few fortresses.

Nicholas (fl 1452) Stephen (fl 1459-1465) Catherine (fl. 1448-1493), whose daughter's sons claimed their great-grandfather's inheritance Euphrosyne (fl. 1458-1476) Hieronyma (fl 1458-1460), married to Leonhard of Gorizia Ursula (fl 1458-1476)

He was married secondly to Dorottya Széchy de Felsőlendva (fl 1471-1495). Their children were:

Laurence (1459–1524), Nicholas' successor, after whose death without surviving issue the family became extinct Bernard (fl 1460)