Capetian Miracle
Encyclopedia
The Capetian Miracle refers to the Capetian dynasty
of France
and its ability to attain and hold onto the French crown.
In 987
, Hugh Capet was elected to succeed Louis V
of the Carolingian
dynasty that had ruled France for over two centuries. By a process of associating elder sons with them in the kingship, the early Capetians established the hereditary succession in their family and transformed a theoretically electoral kingship to a sacral one. By the time of Philip II Augustus, the Capetian hold on power was so strong that the practice of co-rule was dropped. While the Capetian monarchy began as one of the weakest in Europe, drastically eclipsed by the new Anglo-Norman realm in England (who, as Dukes of Normandy, were technically their vassals) and even other great Counts of France, the political value of orderly succession in the Middle Ages cannot be understated. The orderly succession of power from father to son over such a long period of time meant that the French monarchs, who originally were essentially just the direct rulers of the Ile-de-France
, were able to preserve and extend their power, while over the course of centuries rival great counts of the realm would eventually lose their power in one succession crisis or another. By comparison, the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
was constantly beset with internal succession disputes because each generation only produced female heirs. Even the English monarchy encountered severe succession crises, such as the The Anarchy
of the 1120's between Stephen and Matilda, and the murder of Arthur I, Duke of Brittany
, the primogeniture heir of Richard I of England
. The latter case would deal a severe blow to the prestige of King John
, leading to the eventual destruction of Angevin hegemony in France. In contrast, the French kings were able to maintain uncontested father-to-son succession from the time of Hugh Capet until the succession crisis which began the Hundred Years War of the 1300's.
Capetian dynasty
The Capetian dynasty , also known as the House of France, is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of King Hugh Capet of France in the male line. Hugh Capet himself was a cognatic descendant of the Carolingians and the Merovingians, earlier rulers of France...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and its ability to attain and hold onto the French crown.
In 987
987
Year 987 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* The Zirids fail to reconquer the western part of the Maghrib which they have recently lost to the Umayyads....
, Hugh Capet was elected to succeed Louis V
Louis V of France
Louis V , called the Indolent or the Sluggard , was the King of Western Francia from 986 until his early death...
of the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
dynasty that had ruled France for over two centuries. By a process of associating elder sons with them in the kingship, the early Capetians established the hereditary succession in their family and transformed a theoretically electoral kingship to a sacral one. By the time of Philip II Augustus, the Capetian hold on power was so strong that the practice of co-rule was dropped. While the Capetian monarchy began as one of the weakest in Europe, drastically eclipsed by the new Anglo-Norman realm in England (who, as Dukes of Normandy, were technically their vassals) and even other great Counts of France, the political value of orderly succession in the Middle Ages cannot be understated. The orderly succession of power from father to son over such a long period of time meant that the French monarchs, who originally were essentially just the direct rulers of the Ile-de-France
Île-de-France
Île-de-France may refer to:In places:* Île-de-France , historical province of France* Île-de-France , modern French administrative région* Île-de-France , constituency in the European Parliament...
, were able to preserve and extend their power, while over the course of centuries rival great counts of the realm would eventually lose their power in one succession crisis or another. By comparison, the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
was constantly beset with internal succession disputes because each generation only produced female heirs. Even the English monarchy encountered severe succession crises, such as the The Anarchy
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
of the 1120's between Stephen and Matilda, and the murder of Arthur I, Duke of Brittany
Arthur I, Duke of Brittany
Arthur I was Duke of Brittany between 1194 and 1202. He was the posthumous son of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Constance, Duchess of Brittany...
, the primogeniture heir of Richard I of England
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
. The latter case would deal a severe blow to the prestige of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, leading to the eventual destruction of Angevin hegemony in France. In contrast, the French kings were able to maintain uncontested father-to-son succession from the time of Hugh Capet until the succession crisis which began the Hundred Years War of the 1300's.