King of the Romans facts for kids

The royal Throne of Charlemagne in Aachen Cathedral, where many Kings of the Romans were crowned.

The King of the Romans (in Latin, Rex Romanorum; in German, König der Römer) was a special title used in the Holy Roman Empire. It was given to the king of East Francia, which was a large kingdom in what is now Germany. This king was chosen by important leaders called princes.

This title was first used for any German king after he was elected but before he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope. It was also used for someone chosen to be the next ruler while the current Emperor was still alive. Later, from the 1500s, German kings started calling themselves "Emperor-elect" and didn't need the Pope to crown them. So, the "King of the Romans" title was then only used for the chosen successor.

The exact name of the title changed over time. In the early days, it was "King of the Franks." Later, it became "King of the Romans." In more recent times, it was sometimes "King in Germania." Today, historians often use "Roman-German King" to show it's different from the old Roman Emperors and the later German Emperors.

Becoming King of the Romans

How Kings Were Chosen

The area known as East Francia wasn't called the Kingdom of Germany until the 1000s. Around this time, there was a big disagreement between the king and the papacy (the Pope) about who had the right to crown the emperor. This fight was called the Investiture Controversy.

For example, when Henry IV became king at age six in 1056, he used the title Romanorum Rex. This showed he believed he had a special right to be crowned Emperor by the Pope. But Pope Gregory VII sometimes used a less important title, "King of the Germans," to suggest Henry's power was only local. Henry IV kept using Romanorum Rex until he was finally crowned Emperor in 1084. Kings after him did the same. They were called Romanorum Rex before their Roman coronation and Romanorum Imperator afterward.

Medieval Elections and Coronations

A drawing from 1857 showing a detail of the imperial coronation mantle, worn by Holy Roman Emperors.

To become king, candidates had to be adult men, Catholic Christians, and not priests. They were chosen by important leaders from different parts of the Empire, including princes and bishops. Elections often happened in the city of Frankfurt.

At first, all noblemen could vote. But later, only the most important bishops and noblemen could. By 1356, a special set of rules called the Golden Bull of 1356 was created by Emperor Charles IV. This bull stated that only seven Prince-electors had the right to vote for the king. These seven were:

• The Archbishops of Mainz, Trier, and Cologne.
• The King of Bohemia.
• The Count Palatine of the Rhine.
• The Saxon duke.
• The Margrave of Brandenburg.

After being elected, the new king would be crowned King of the Romans. This usually happened at Aachen Cathedral, on Charlemagne's throne, by the Archbishop of Cologne. This was a very important ceremony. Kings received the Imperial Crown from at least 1024.

After this, if possible, the king would travel across the Alps to be crowned King of Italy in Pavia or Milan. Finally, he would go to Rome to be crowned Emperor by the Pope. It often took many years for a king to complete this journey, and some never made it to Rome at all. The title "King of the Romans" showed that the king had full power over the Empire and was meant to be the future Emperor, without taking away the Pope's special role.

Sometimes, kings couldn't go to Rome because they had problems with the Pope, or because of wars or other duties at home. In these cases, they might remain "King of the Romans" for their entire rule.

Later Changes to the Title

The Armor of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, made in 1549 when he was still King of the Romans.

The coronation of Archduke Joseph as King of the Romans in Frankfurt, 1764.

The title "King of the Romans" stopped being used for ruling kings after 1508. That year, Maximilian I was allowed by the Pope to use the title "Elected Emperor of the Romans" because he couldn't travel to Rome for his coronation. Maximilian also started using the title "King in Germania," but this was never his main title.

From Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor onwards, the rulers of the Empire no longer needed the Pope to crown them Emperor. They took the title "Emperor" as soon as they were crowned in Germany, or when the previous Emperor died if they had been crowned during his lifetime.

Kings-in-Waiting

The Holy Roman Empire was an elective monarchy, meaning rulers were chosen by election, not automatically inherited. However, an Emperor could often have a relative, usually a son, elected to take over after his death. This chosen successor was called the "King of the Romans."

In the Middle Ages, a "King of the Romans" (as a successor) was usually chosen only when the main ruler was already an Emperor. This avoided having two kings with equal power. From the 1500s, when rulers started calling themselves "Emperor-elect," the title "King of the Romans" was used only for the chosen successor during the current Emperor's lifetime.

The election for a successor was the same as for the main ruler. However, the Emperor always managed the Empire, with the "King of the Romans" (heir) only taking on certain tasks.

King of Rome (Napoleon's Son)

When Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, had a son, Napoleon II (born in 1811), he created a new title for him: King of Rome (Roi de Rome). His son was known by this title throughout his short life. However, from 1818, he was officially called the Duke of Reichstadt by his grandfather, Emperor Francis I of Austria.

List of Kings of the Romans

This list shows everyone who held the title "King of the Romans." The dates show when they were King of the Romans until they became Emperor, died, or were removed from power.

• Kings who were ruling monarchs are shown in yellow.
• Those whose claim to the throne wasn't widely accepted (called "Anti-kings") are in pink.
• Those who were "Kings of the Romans" only as chosen successors (heirs) are in silver.
• An asterisk (*) means they were elected while their predecessor was still alive.

See also

• List of German monarchs, rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Germany, including those using titles other than "King of the Romans"
• List of Holy Roman Emperors