Nikola was born as the son of Petar II Zrinski (1435–1493) and Jelena
Babonić. His father had fallen in the
battle of Krbava field, and as such Nikola lived on his large
Zrin estate in
central Croatia. He was married to Jelena Karlović, the
princess of
Krbava, a sister of
Ivan Karlović, future
Ban (Viceroy) of Croatia. They had six children, among them
Nikola IV Zrinski, one of the greatest military leaders in
Croatian history and a national hero both in
Croatia and in
Hungary. Nikola is known for his attendance of the
1527 election in Cetin when
Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria was elected the
new king of Croatia. Among the seals of six Croatian noblemen on the charter confirming the election, there is also his seal. Moreover, some historians believe that Zrinski was the one who played a crucial role in Ferdinand's choice. In his
Gvozdansko Castle, not far from Zrin, he had his own silver coins minted, as his father had done before. There were silver, gold, and lead ore mines, smelteries, foundries and mints in his property. In the time of the threatening
Ottoman danger, Nikola III Zrinski died in Zrin and was buried in the neighboring
Franciscan church of St. Margaret (according to some historians: church of St. Mary Magdalene). He was succeeded by his son Nikola IV, future
Ban of Croatia, and hero of the
Siege of Szigetvár (1566). ==External links==