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Friday, November 9, 2012

[November 9] Ulrich II, count of Celje

Local Name: Ulrik Celjski
Parents: Frederick II, count of Celje, and Elizabeth of Croatia
Born: 1406
House: Celje
Spouse(s): Catherine, daughter of Durad Brankovic, despot of Serbia
Predecessor: Frederick II
Reign: 1436 – 1456
Brief: The most successful, though last, count of Celje, Ulrich II rose to prominence when he joined forces with Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg in 1436. Ulrich led raids against his Austrian overlords for a short time until Albert II became king of Germany, at which point Ulrich switched sides and was made lieutenant of Bohemia. In 1440, he joined Queen Elizabeth at the coronation of her son, Ladislaus the Posthumous as the king of Hungary. In 1443, Ulrich claimed the Bosnian throne via his mother when King Tvrtko II died that year. But a feud erupted with John Huyadi, who was regent of Hungary and refused to aid the count in his campaign. Hunyadi began to harass the count the in 1446 but lost when Ulrich led a campaign in 1448 against Hunyadi to regain Habsburg control over the kingdom. By 1452, Ulrich was the virtual ruler of Hungary, in control of Ladislaus and made Captain-General after Hunyadi died at the Siege of Belgrade. Unfortunately, Ulrich died soon after, murdered in a fortress by supporters of Hunyadi's son László. Matthias Corvinus, a brother of László, claimed Celje as next-of-kin, but the territory soon after fell under direct Habsburg control.
Date of Death: 9 November 1456

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
  • Constantine VII, emperor of Constantinople (959)
  • Gaozong, emperor of China (1187)
  • Ferdinand II, king of Aragón (1516)
  • Bayinnaung, king of Burma (1581)
  • Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, king of Saudi Arabia (1953)

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