8 - Choosing a King

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?