King Přemysl Otakar II ruled Bohemia from 1253 to 1278. He was also known as the ‘Iron King’ for his military prowess and the ‘Golden King’ for his fortunes amassed in the silver mines of Kutná Hora. He was responsible for establishing close links between Slavic monarchs in the 13^th century in a drive to secure peace for future generations of Bohemians. On the occasion of the marriage of his niece Kunhuta of Brandenburg to the son of Hungary’s King Béla IV, Přemysl invited Slavonic rulers in an attempt to forge lasting alliances with all those in attendance.

Mucha depicts King Přemysl Otakar II greeting his guests as they arrive at the wedding. Stood at the centre of an opulent tent with a built in chapel, the king holds hands with two guests in a gesture of friendship.