Early life Helena was the daughter of Serbian Grand Prince
Uroš I (r. ca. 1112–1145) of the
Vukanović dynasty, and Byzantine princess
Anna Diogenissa. Her father had participated in the
Byzantine-Hungarian War (1127–29), on the side of King
Stephen II of Hungary. The Hungarian Army had destroyed Byzantine
Belgrade and penetrated to
Naissos (Niš),
Serdica (Sofia) and
Philippopolis (Plovdiv). Around 1129, King Stephen II arranged her marriage with his cousin
Béla, who had been blinded on the order of the king's father, King
Coloman of Hungary (r. 1095–1116). Béla and his father Almos were blinded, so that they will be removed from the line of succession. However, King Stephen was childless and decided to recognise Béla as his successor. Uroš I had prior to this suffered to both Hungary and Byzantium, so he happily befriended the Hungarian king. King Stephen II granted estates near
Tolna to the newly wed couple.
Queen consort Following the childless king's death, her husband was crowned
King of Hungary on 28 April 1131. Queen Helena had great influence on her husband, and the Hungarian state. Sophia and Elisabeth or Gertrud. She was to great help to her husband and governed the state during his rule. Queen Helena is believed to have died in 1161. ==Marriage and children==