Hungary's Foreign Rulers
Over the years, numerous European nobles married members of the Árpád Dynasty. As a result, many European leaders had the right to claim the Hungarian crown. In the early 1300s, it passed to a Frenchman - Charles Robert of Anjou. He was called King Charles I.
Thus began a long period in which Hungarian kings were foreign-born. Many of these rulers were interested in expanding Hungarian territory. Charles's son, Louis I., conquered much of the surrounding region. During his reign, the boundaries of Hungary extended far beyond those of the present day.
