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St. Stephen (977 - 1038), was the son of the Magyar chieftain Geza; Stephen succeeded him as leader in 997. Already raised a Christian, in 996 Stephen wed Gizela, the daughter of Duke Henry II of Bavaria, and devoted much of his reign to the promotion of the Christian faith. He gave his patronage to Church leaders, helped build churches, and was a proponent of the rights of the Holy See. Stephen also crushed the pagan counterreaction to Christianity, forcibly converting the so-called Black Hungarians after their failed rebellion.

In recognition of his efforts, Stephen was anointed king of Hungary in 1000, receiving the cross and crown from Pope Sylvester II, the first French Pontiff. The remainder of his reign was taken up with the consolidation of the Christian hold on the region. His crown and regalia became beloved symbols of the Hungarian nation, now on display in the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, and Stephen was venerated as the ideal Christian king. Canonized in 1083 by Pope St. Gregory VII, he became the patron saint of Hungary.

While many countries are consecrated to Mary, the only nation on earth that was left to her in a will is Hungary.
St Stephen, its first king, after his son Emeric died, named Our Lady to be the rightful heir to his crown
and Queen of Hungary.