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8 - Choosing a King

from Part IV - Election

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2021

Björn Weiler
Affiliation:
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
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Summary

Chapter 8 discusses how royal elections worked in practice. It discusses the preparations necessary for an election to take place, the choice of venue and location, the identity and social composition of the electors and the overlapping stages in which the act of choosing a ruler unfolded. It also shows how each stage served to highlight both abstract normative ideas of how a king should be chosen and the concrete practical necessities that shaped the process of election. It also draws attention to yet another inherent tension: the legitimacy of an election rested on its unanimity and the assumption that a candidate was chosen because he was most suitable to work for the common good. Campaigning, bargaining for votes, etc. were thus frowned upon and should not happen. In practice, unanimity and consent could be achieved only through advance negotiations, and candidates did, of course, canvass and campaign. Equally, electors were not free agents, but had to satisfy the demands and needs of their own followers. They had to secure grants and favours, but could not be seen to strive for them openly. How could these conflicting expectations be reconciled? How did they shape the practice of choosing a king?

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Choosing a King
  • Björn Weiler, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
  • Book: Paths to Kingship in Medieval Latin Europe, c. 950–1200
  • Online publication: 24 September 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009008853.009
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  • Choosing a King
  • Björn Weiler, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
  • Book: Paths to Kingship in Medieval Latin Europe, c. 950–1200
  • Online publication: 24 September 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009008853.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Choosing a King
  • Björn Weiler, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
  • Book: Paths to Kingship in Medieval Latin Europe, c. 950–1200
  • Online publication: 24 September 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009008853.009
Available formats
×