Elizabeth the Cuman

Elizabeth of Cumania (* 1240, † 1290 ) was Queen of Hungary.

She was the daughter of Kuthen (* 1214 ), Khan of Cumania ( chief of the Kipchaks ), and his wife, a princess Halych born.

In 1253, she was only 13 years old with only one year older Stephen from the House of Árpád, the future Stephen V, King of Hungary, Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama married. The marriage was of Stephen 's father, King Béla IV arranged and should improve relations with the pagan people of the Kipchaks. Elizabeth was baptized a Catholic before marriage, the couple was still, however, a semi - pagan.

The couple had three children. Stephan ran a intense and clever marriage policy and married his two daughters to the House of Anjou and the Byzantine imperial family.

King Stephen reigned for only two years and died in 1272 at the age of only 33 years. Queen Elizabeth survived him by 18 years and was buried by his side in the Dominican monastery Csepel in Budapest.

Progeny

• Maria ( * 1258, † 1323 ) ∞ Charles II of Anjou, King of Naples (* 1254, † 1309)
• Anna (* 1260, † 1331/32 ), ∞ Andronikos II Palaiologos, Emperor of Byzantium (* 1259/60, † 1332 )
• Ladislaus IV, King of Hungary, Croatia and Dalmatia ( * 1262, † 1290 )