Coronation of the Bohemian monarch

Coronation of King Ferdinand V of Bohemia in 1836, last Czech coronation.

The Coronation of the Bohemian monarch (in Czech: korunovace českého panovníka) was a ceremony in which the king (or queen-regnant) and queen-consort (if there was at time) was formally crowned, annoited and invested with regalia. It corresponded to the coronation ceremonies that occurred in other European monarchies, especially France, Germany and partially neighboring Hungary and England. Like in France and England the king's reign began immediately upon the death of his predecessor.

Location of all coronations was cathedral of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, from time it was founded. Person performing coronation of king was Archbishop of Prague.

Ordinance for coronation (with all requisites to be performed) was set in coronation prescription (korunovační řád in Czech) made by king Charles I (Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor).

The first crowned ruler (king) of Bohemia was Vratislaus II of Bohemia. During the Middle Ages, it was held that enthronement would make a person Duke of Bohemia and that only coronation would make a person King of Bohemia. Soo coronations were held shortly after accession of new king (or acceptance of new king). In modern era the new king ascended on throne after death of his predecessor as king and coronation ceremony was held some time after accession.^[1] St. Vitus Cathedral was the coronation church.^[2] Monarchs of Bohemia were crowned with the Crown of Saint Wenceslas and invested with royal insignia, among which a cap or mitre and a lance (symbols of Saint Wenceslas) were specific for Bohemian coronations.^[3]

Maria Theresa, the only female monarch of Bohemia, was crowned literally as king in order to emphasize that she was the monarch and not consort. The last King of Bohemia to be crowned as such was Emperor Ferdinand of Austria (king of Bohemia as Ferdinand V) and his wife queen Maria Anna.^[4][5]

The Abbess of the St. George's Abbey had the privilege to crown the wife of the King of Bohemia.^[6][7][8] In 1791, the right to crown the Queen of Bohemia was transferred to the Abbess of the Damenstift (a post always filled by an Archduchess of Austria).^[9][10]

The coronation wasn't necessary for rule in Bohemia, but all kings except four were crowned. Kings of Bohemia which weren't crowned during their reign were:

• Joseph I (ruled 1705–1711, died before coronation)
• Joseph II (ruled 1780–1790, not crowned in Hungary neither)
• Franz Joseph I (ruled 1848–1916, not willing to do)
• Charles III (ruled 1916–1918, short reign. state at war, deposed).

On the other hand, king Ferdinand IV was crowned during lifetime of his father (Ferdinand III), but he died before him, so he never actually reigned. Coronation of heir during life of his father was only temporary custom for kings: Ferdinand III, Ferdinand IV and Leopold I.

List of royal coronations

References

1. ↑ Lisa Wolverton, Hastening Toward Prague: Power and Society in the Medieval Czech Lands, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001
2. ↑ The Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911
3. ↑ Sedlar, Jean W. (1994). East Central Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1500. USA: University of Washington Press. ISBN 978-0-295-97290-9. 
4. ↑ The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 1974
5. ↑ Sekyrová, Milada (2004). 7.9.1836 Ferdinand V. - Poslední pražská korunovace (en: 7.9.1836 Ferdinand V. - Last coronation in Prague). Prague: Havran s.r.o. ISBN 80-86515-37-0. 
6. ↑ The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913
7. ↑ Oldys; Malham, William; John (1810). The Harleian Miscellany: Or, A Collection of Scarce, Curious, and Entertaining Pamphlets and Tracts, as Well in Manuscript as in Print, Found in the Late Earl of Oxford's Library, Interspersed with Historical, Political, and Critical Notes. Printed for R. Dutton. Retrieved 2009-07-07. 
8. ↑ Wallace, David (1997). Chaucerian polity: absolutist lineages and associational forms in England and Italy. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-2724-2. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 
9. ↑ The Metropolitan magazine. Theodore Foster. 1837. ISBN 978-0-19-925101-8. Retrieved 2009-07-07. 
10. ↑ Tapié, Victor Lucien (1971). The rise and fall of the Habsburg monarchy. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-19-925101-8. Retrieved 2009-07-07. 

Bibliography

• Hrbek, Jiří (2010). České barokní korunovace (en: Bohemian baroque coronations). Prague: NLN - Nakladatelství Lidové noviny. ISBN 978-80-7422-011-1. 
• Sekyrová, Milada (2004). 7.9.1836 Ferdinand V. - Poslední pražská korunovace (en: 7.9.1836 Ferdinand V. - Last coronation in Prague). Prague: Havran s.r.o. ISBN 80-86515-37-0. 
• Kuthan, Jiří; Šmied, Miroslav (2009). Korunovační řád českých králů (en: Coronation prescription of bohemian kings). Prague: Togga. ISBN 978-80-7308-266-6. 
• Cibulka, Josef (1935). Korunovační řády středověké a Karla IV. korunovační řád králů českých. Prague: ČKD. 

See also

• Bohemian Crown Jewels
• List of Bohemian monarchs

Coronation
Regalia	Crown Diadem Tiara Armill Ring Globus cruciger (orb) Sceptre Sword
Items Rituals	Throne Anointing Enthronement Investiture
Specific customs	Ancient Egyptian Bohemian British Danish Dutch French Holy Roman Hungarian Japanese Malaysian Nepalese Norwegian Ottoman Papal Polish Russian Serbian others