King of Hungary

The King of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarország királya) was the ruling head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from the year 1000 (or 1001) until 1918. This title meant that the king was the top leader of the country for nearly a thousand years. Many kings helped shape the history and culture of Hungary during this long time.

The special title "Apostolic King of Hungary" (Magyarország apostoli királya) was approved by Pope Clement XIII in 1758. After this, every king of Hungary used this name. It showed a strong link between the kings and the Pope.

Throughout these years, the kings of Hungary faced many challenges and changes. They played a big part in how Hungary grew and changed over the centuries. Today, learning about these kings helps us understand the past and how Hungary became the country it is now. For a full list of these rulers, see List of Hungarian monarchs. For queens who were married to kings, see List of Hungarian consorts.

Establishment of the title

Before the year 1000, Hungary was not yet a kingdom. The ruler was called the Grand Prince of the Hungarians. The first King of Hungary, Stephen I, was crowned on December 25, 1000. He was crowned with a special crown sent by Pope Sylvester II and with approval from Otto III, the Holy Roman Emperor.

After Stephen I became king, all rulers of Hungary used the title "King". But not every leader was a king. Some were called "High Princes of Hungary", and others were called "regents". To become the true King of Hungary, three important rules had to be followed: the king had to be crowned by the Archbishop of Esztergom, using the Holy Crown of Hungary, and the ceremony had to happen at Székesfehérvár Basilica. These rules helped protect the kingdom and its traditions.

The rules about who could crown the king changed over time. In the end, only the Archbishop of Esztergom could officially crown the king. This made the coronation very special and important for the kingdom.

Length of reign

Some kings ruled for a very long time. The longest reign was Charles III of Hungary. He ruled for almost 34 years, from 1301 to 1342.

Other kings ruled for shorter times. For example, Béla IV ruled for about 26 years, from 1235 to 1270.

Sometimes kings were only rulers for just a short time or even less than a year.