Béla III (c. 1148 – 23 April 1196) was King of Hungary and Croatia (1172–1196).

He is educated in the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I who was planning to ensure his succession in the Byzantine Empire till the birth of his own son.

Following the death of his elder brother, who had been fighting against the Byzantine Empire, Béla can only ascend to the throne with the assistance of his uncle Emperor Manuel I and Pope Alexander III, because a significant part of the Hungarian aristocracy led by his own mother and the Archbishop of Esztergom prefers his younger brother's succession.

Béla is one of the most powerful rulers of Hungary and he is also one of the most wealthy monarchs of Europe of his age.

Béla disposes of the equivalent of 23 tonnes of pure silver per year.

This exceeds the income of the French king (estimated at 17 tonnes) and is double the receipts of the English Crown.

It is probably he who began to organize the Royal Chancellery in Hungary.

Through his son (Andrew II of Hungary), Béla is an ancestor of Edward III of England.