Stefan Uroš III Dečanski

Stefan Uroš III, called Dečanski (c. 1276–1331), was king of Serbia from 1322. The son of Stefan Milutin, he spent his youth as a hostage at the court of Nogai Khan and governed Zeta. After Milutin died in 1321, Stefan was crowned in January 1322 and then defeated the rival claimants Konstantin and Stefan Vladislav II, the latter in 1324.

In 1330 Bulgaria and Byzantium planned an invasion of Serbia, but Stefan defeated the Bulgarians at Velbazhd, where Tsar Michael Asen III was killed. He founded Visoki Dečani monastery, which gave him his name. In 1331 his son Stefan Dušan deposed him; he died at Zvečan on 11 November and was canonised.