After Charles I defeated his enemies in the struggle for the throne, Drugeth gained large-scale domains and held various ispánates in the northeastern parts of the kingdom, establishing there a semi-autonomous province.

Magister Philip of Apulia left behind his homeland and kinship, did not care at all about his whole fortune and paternal heritage since, when we were young, he came with us to Hungary, which belongs us by the right of origin, he has not leave our allegiance until now, and even in our manhood, during our unfortunate and auspicious years, he took on the tasks with us and solved them.

They belonged to those Italian elite of Ultramontane (French or Provençal) origin, who arrived to Apulia (Southern Italy) with Charles I of Anjou – brother of Louis IX of France –, who conquered the Kingdom of Sicily in 1266.

[2] By the arrival of Charles, the young pretender's political situation had drastically worsened, because Andrew III reconciled with the most powerful oligarchs, including Matthew Csák and Henry Kőszegi.

According to Serbian historian Đura Hardi, Drugeth became acquainted with his new homeland, the temper and customs of the provincial lords against whom he was soon going to fight, after Charles became the lawful and only King of Hungary after his third coronation in 1310.

Following a series of military skirmishes in the spring of 1312, the young Philip Drugeth participated in the siege of Sáros Castle (today Šariš in Slovakia) in late April or early May 1312, when Charles' army seized the fort from the Aba-ally Zólyom (Balassa) kinship.

[9] Historian Gyula Kristó argued Matthew's attack occurred at the turn of 1314 and 1315, and identified with the place with the region of Szepesség (or Zips, today Spiš, Slovakia).

[10] In contrast, historian Pál Engel identified "Scepus" with the town of Szepsi (today Moldava nad Bodvou, Slovakia) and dated the clash to the first half of 1317.

[12] Pál Engel argued Charles resided in the Szepesség region in late 1314 and dismissed his former loyal barons, the brothers Kakas and Henry Tarkői from their positions in Szepes and Sáros counties, respectively.

Peter – initially a loyal soldier of the king – rose to prominence in Northeast Hungary, exploiting that political vacuum, which emerged following the dissolution of the Abas' dominion.

[15] In response, Charles appointed Philip Drugeth as ispán of Abaúj County (or Újvár) in late 1316, replacing John Aba, who could not hinder Peter's rapid expansion in the region.

In the same time, Mikcs Ákos crushed Peter's power in Zemplén County, capturing the castles Barkó (Brekov), Borostyán and Bodrogszög (Klin nad Bodrogom) within few weeks.

Peter's last stronghold Jeszenő (Jasenov) was taken by Philip Drugeth in the last days of April or early May 1317 (according to Engel, Matthew Csák's surprise attack against Szepsi also occurred around that time).

[11] Attila Zsoldos proposes Drugeth took the title ispán of Zemplén County after Peter's defeat, holding the dignity until 1320, potentially in parallel with his local rival, Ladislaus Baksa.

Drugeth and his several familiares – including Nicholas Perényi and Blaise Fonyi – participated in the sieges of the castles of Tapolcsány and Trencsén (now Topoľčany and Trenčín in Slovakia, respectively).

In Northeast Hungary, where Philip Drugeth gradually expanded his influence by acquiring personal landholdings and gaining positions (ispánates), there was no a separate administrative unit (province).

For instance, despite Drugeth functioning as ispán of Heves County, which was part of his province, its only castle Sirok was guarded by royal castellan Emeric Visontai in the name of the king.

Zsoldos argues the formation of a separate pro-royal province in Northeast Hungary was established in order to counterbalance and isolate the expansionist policy of Matthew Csák, the king's most ardent enemy during the unification war.

[36] Drugeth made an unsuccessful attempt to acquire the lordship of Lónya in Bereg County to annex it to his province, falsely claiming that it formerly belonged to the accessories of Füzér Castle.

[42] Several members of Drugeth's familia formerly swore allegiance to Amadeus Aba and his clan, including Nicholas Perényi, John Forrói and Stephen Zoárd.

According to a 1831 register of a charter that have now been lost, Drugeth also became the owner of additional twenty-one possessions in Zemplén County, which had formerly belonged to Peter's oligarchic province: Peticse (Ptičie), Kemence (Kamenica nad Cirochou), Szinna (Snina), Tavarna (Tovarné), Sztakcsin (Stakčínska Roztoka), Zubna (Zubné), Papfalva (Papín), Jankóc (Jankovce), Hankóc (Hankovce), Lácfalva (Lackovce), Hazsina (Hažín nad Cirochou), Homonna (Humenné), Porubka (Krajná Porúbka), Göröginye (Ohradzany), Kajna (Slovenská Kajňa), Lukasóc (Lukačovce), Holcsikóc (Holčíkovce), Vadna, Tankafalva, Plempnafalva and Kepla, later all belonged to the Homonna lordship in present-day Slovakia (the last four villages are unidentified).

Vámosújfalu was important place of collection customs in the trade route between Lőcse and Eperjes (present-day Levoča and Prešov in Slovakia, respectively), and Drugeth sought to gain control over the Branisko mountain range between his landholdings in Szepes and Sáros counties.

After learning that the estate of Őrsziget was previously part of the family heritage of Nicholas Hahót, he handed over the land to his friend and political ally, but kept the village Besenyő for himself.

[54] Due to his judicial activity as ispán then Palatine, according to which he benefited from part of the estate in question during a lawsuit (court fines and confiscations), he also owned several lands for longer or shorter periods – including, for instance Demecser, Vaja, Laskod, Hangony or Felfalu (Chvalová, Slovakia) –, which he passed into the hands of his familiares or allowed the original owners to redeem them in exchange for money.

His appointment as Palatine was also a huge step forward for his family; after five decades of service, one of the Drugeths raised himself from the status of court nobility to the rank of barons of the realm.

[67] Shortly after his appointment as Palatine of Hungary, Philip Drugeth joined the military expedition of Ban of Slavonia Nicholas Felsőlendvai to Croatia in late summer of 1323, who launched an offensive against Ivan Nelipić, a rebellious Croatian lord, who established a sovereign power after the fall of the oligarchic Šubić family.

[71] He also judged over lawsuits in Fejér, Tolna, Baranya, Somogy and Zala counties throughout the four years, but only to a limited extent, according to Szőcs, thus the palatinal court was more active in Northeast Hungary during Drugeth's tenure.

[47] Philip Drugeth – a typical representative of the foreigner or "newcomer" (Latin: advena) nobility – built strong personal relationships with the new Angevin aristocracy in Hungary.

His honorary father was Demetrius Nekcsei, who was a key figure of the development of financial reforms as long-time Master of the treasury, who also acknowledged Drugeth as his adoptive son.

[77] Historian Đura Hardi considers a fresco from 1317 in St Martin's Cathedral in Spišská Kapitula (Hungarian: Szepeshely) depicts the 1310 coronation of Charles, also represents Philip Drugeth, holding the royal sword during the ceremony.