Coronations in Poland officially began in 1025 and continued until 1764, when the final king of an independent Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was crowned at St. John's Cathedral in Warsaw. Most Polish coronations took place at the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, but crownings also occurred in Poznań and at Gniezno Cathedral. Whenever practical, Polish coronations were conducted as close as possible as to the date of the previous sovereign's funeral. This was explained by Joachim Bielski in the sixteenth century as osoba umiera, korona nie umiera, or "the person dies, the crown dies not".[1] With the emergence of an independent, republican Poland after World War I, coronations in the Polish state have been rendered obsolete.
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Though many of the Polish Crown Jewels were stolen and destroyed by King Frederick William III of Prussia in March 1809 after the Third Partition of Poland, remaining pieces are exhibited at the Wawel Royal Castle National Art Collection and National Museum in Warsaw.[2][3]
The ceremony
During the period when coronations were held in Kraków, the following order was observed: on the eve of his coronation, the new monarch fasted, gave alms, and partook of the Catholic sacrament of confession. He then walked on foot from the royal Wawel Castle to the Basilica of St. Stanisław, patron saint of Poland. Unlike the remainder of the service, the royal procession was opened to the Polish masses. On the morning of the ceremony, the king was met in his bedchamber by a procession consisting of the local Metropolitan Archbishop and other notables. Wearing Episcopal clothing, the monarch was blessed with holy water and incensed. Following this, king, metropolitan and the others made their way in procession to the cathedral.[4]
Inside the church, the Polish regalia were laid on the high altar, while the king was seated on a low chair nearby. The royal oath was administered, and the new monarch then knelt before the altar. Two mitred abbots next entered from a side chapel, carrying a mixture of holy oils, with which the ruler was then anointed. Following this, the king was handed a sword, which he used to trace a cross in the air. Next he was crowned by the Archbishop, assisted by two other bishops, following which he received his orb and scepter. The high mass continued, with the newly crowned sovereign receiving Holy Communion, then kissing a crucifix and mounting his throne. Following this, the king created several new knights, then attended a coronation feast and rode into the public square on horseback, where he received the homage of his subjects while seated in a large chair.[4]
List of Polish coronations
| * | King or queen Polish name | Date | Site | Presiding cleric | Crown used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | Boleslaus I the Brave Bolesław I Chrobry | 1000 | Gniezno Cathedral | Emperor Otto III of the Holy Roman Empire | Emperor Otto III's personal diadem |
| K | Boleslaus I the Brave Bolesław I Chrobry | 18 April 1025 | Gniezno Cathedral | Hipolit, Archbishop of Gniezno | Original Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Mieszko II Lambert | 25 December 1025 | Gniezno Cathedral | Hipolit, Archbishop of Gniezno | Original Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Richeza of Lotharingia Rycheza Lotaryńska | 25 December 1025 | Gniezno Cathedral | Hipolit, Archbishop of Gniezno | Richeza's Crown |
| K | Boleslaus II the Bold Bolesław II Śmiały | 25 December 1076 | Gniezno Cathedral | Bogumił, Archbishop of Gniezno | Boleslaus the Bold's Crown |
| K | Premislaus Przemysł | 26 June 1295 | Gniezno Cathedral | Jakub Świnka, Archbishop of Gniezno | Boleslaus the Bold's Crown |
| Q | Margaret of Brandenburg Małgorzata Brandenburska | 26 June 1295 | Gniezno Cathedral | Jakub Świnka, Archbishop of Gniezno | Margaret of Brandenburg's Crown |
| K | Wenceslaus Wacław Czeski | August 1300 | Gniezno Cathedral | Jakub Świnka, Archbishop of Gniezno | Boleslaus the Bold's Crown |
| Q | Elisabeth Richeza of Poland Ryksa Elżbieta | 26 May 1303 | Prague Cathedral | Henryk of Wierzbno, Bishop of Wrocław | Margaret of Brandenburg's Crown |
| K | Ladislaus I the Short Władysław I Łokietek | 20 January 1320 | Kraków Cathedral | Janisław, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Hedwig of Kalisz Jadwiga Kaliska | 20 January 1320 | Kraków Cathedral | Janisław, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | Casimir III the Great Kazimierz III Wielki | 25 April 1333 | Kraków Cathedral | Janisław, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Aldona of Lithuania | 25 April 1333 | Kraków Cathedral | Janisław, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| Q | Adelaide of Hesse Adelajda Heska | 29 September 1341 | Poznań Cathedral | Janisław, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | Louis the Great Ludwik Węgierski | 10 November 1370 | Kraków Cathedral | Jarosław of Bogoria, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Hedwig Jadwiga Andegaweńska | 15 October 1384 | Kraków Cathedral | Bodzanta, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Angevin's Crown |
| K | Ladislaus II Władysław II Jagiełło | 4 March 1386 | Kraków Cathedral | Bodzanta, Archbishop of Gniezno | Ladislaus II's Crown |
| Q | Anna of Celje Anna Cylejska | 25 February 1403 | Kraków Cathedral | Mikołaj Kurowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Anna of Celje's Crown |
| Q | Elizabeth Granowska Elżbieta Granowska | 19 November 1417 | Kraków Cathedral | Jan Rzeszowski, Archbishop of Lviv | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| Q | Sophia of Halshany Zofia Holszańska | 12 February 1424 | Kraków Cathedral | Wojciech Jastrzębiec, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | Ladislaus III Władysław III | 25 July 1434 | Kraków Cathedral | Wojciech Jastrzębiec, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Casimir IV Kazimierz IV | 25 June 1447 | Kraków Cathedral | Wincenty Kot, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Elizabeth of Austria Elżbieta Rakuszanka | 10 February 1454 | Kraków Cathedral | Jan Sprowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | John I Albert Jan I Olbracht | 23 September 1492 | Kraków Cathedral | Zbigniew Oleśnicki, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Alexander Aleksander | 12 December 1501 | Kraków Cathedral | Fryderyk Jagiellończyk, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Sigismund I Zygmunt I | 24 January 1507 | Kraków Cathedral | Andrzej Boryszewski, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Barbara Zápolya | 8 February 1512 | Kraków Cathedral | Jan Łaski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| Q | Bona Sforza | 18 March 1518 | Kraków Cathedral | Jan Łaski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | Sigismund II Augustus Zygmunt II August | 20 February 1530 | Kraków Cathedral | Jan Łaski, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Elizabeth of Austria Elżbieta Habsubrżanka | 8 May 1543 | Kraków Cathedral | Piotr Gamrat, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| Q | Barbara Radziwiłłówna | 4 December 1550 | Kraków Cathedral | Mikołaj Dzierzgowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| Q | Catherine of Austria Katarzyna Habsburżanka | 30 June 1553 | Kraków Cathedral | Mikołaj Dzierzgowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | Henry Henryk Walezy | 21 February 1574 | Kraków Cathedral | Jakub Uchański, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Anna Anna Jagiellonka | 1 May 1576 | Kraków Cathedral | Stanisław Karnkowski, Bishop of Kuyavia | Anna Jagiellonka's Crown |
| K | Stephen Stefan Batory | 1 May 1576 | Kraków Cathedral | Stanisław Karnkowski, Bishop of Kuyavia | So-called Hungarian Crown |
| K | Sigismund III Zygmunt III Waza | 27 December 1587 | Kraków Cathedral | Stanisław Karnkowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Anna of Austria Anna Austriaczka | 31 May 1592 | Kraków Cathedral | Stanisław Karnkowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| Q | Constance of Austria Konstancja Austriaczka | 11 December 1605 | Kraków Cathedral | Piotr Tylicki, Bishop of Kuyavia | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | Ladislaus IV Władysław IV | 6 February 1633 | Kraków Cathedral | Jan Wężyk, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Cecilia Renata Cecylia Renata | 13 September 1637 | St. John's Church in Warsaw | Jan Wężyk, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| Q | Marie Louise Gonzaga Ludwika Maria Gonzaga | 15 July 1646 | Kraków Cathedral | Maciej Łubieński, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | John II Casimir Jan II Kazimierz | 17 January 1649 | Kraków Cathedral | Maciej Łubieński, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Michael Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki | 29 September 1669 | Kraków Cathedral | Mikołaj Prażmowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Eleonora Maria Josefa Eleonora Habsburżanka | 29 September 1670 | St. John's Church in Warsaw | Mikołaj Prażmowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | John III Jan III Sobieski | 2 February 1676 | Kraków Cathedral | Andrzej Olszowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| Q | Marie Casimire d'Arquien Maria Kazimiera | 2 February 1676 | Kraków Cathedral | Andrzej Olszowski, Archbishop of Gniezno | Hedwig of Kalisz's Crown |
| K | Augustus II the Strong August II Mocny | 15 September 1697 | Kraków Cathedral | Stanisław Dąbski, Bishop of Kuyavia | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Stanislaus I Stanisław Leszczyński | 4 October 1705 | St. John's Church in Warsaw | Konstanty Zieliński, Archbishop of Lviv | Stanislaus I's Crown |
| Q | Katarzyna Opalińska | 4 October 1705 | St. John's Church in Warsaw | Konstanty Zieliński, Archbishop of Lviv | Katarzyna Opalińska's Crown |
| K | Augustus III August III Sas | 17 January 1734 | Kraków Cathedral | Jan Aleksander Lipski, Bishop of Kraków | Augustus III's Crown |
| Q | Maria Josepha of Austria Maria Józefa Austriaczka | 17 January 1734 | Kraków Cathedral | Jan Aleksander Lipski, Bishop of Kraków | Maria Josepha's Crown |
| K | Stanislaus II Augustus Stanisław August Poniatowski | 25 November 1764 | St. John's Church in Warsaw | Władysław Łubieński, Archbishop of Gniezno | So-called Boleslaus the Brave's Crown |
| K | Nicholas I Mikołaj I Romanow | 24 May 1829 | Royal Castle in Warsaw | The king crowned himself, assisted by Jan Paweł Woronicz, Archbishop of Warsaw | Empress Anna Ivanovna's Crown |
* "K" indicates a king or queen regnant; "Q" indicates a queen consort.
Pretenders and royal consorts not crowned
- Wenceslaus III of Bohemia, assassinated before crowning
- Wiola of Cieszyn, wife of Wenceslaus III of Bohemia, daughter of Mieszko of Cieszyn, Duke of Cieszyn
- Jadwiga of Żagań, wife of Casimir III of Poland, daughter of Henryk Żelazny, Duke of Żagań
- Elizabeth of Bosnia, wife of Louis the Great, daughter of Stephen II, Ban of Bosnia
- Helena of Moscow, wife of Alexander Jagiellon, daughter of Ivan III, Grand Duke of Moscow, not crowned because of her Orthodox faith
- Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, wife of August II the Strong, daughter of Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, not crowned because of her Protestant faith
Further reading
- (in Polish) Michał Rożek, Polskie koronacje i korony, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Kraków 1987
References
External links
- (in Polish) Koronacje królów i królowych polskich Archived 2010-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
- (in Polish) Zarys historii regaliów Królestwa Polskiego