ABSTRACT

Unam Sanctam represented the failure of the medieval papacy to exert control over temporal lords, and denoted the final attempt by medieval popes to exert control within these secular kingdoms. Keeping a country intact through primogeniture was seen as important, and it prevented some disputes over territory between siblings. Kings in the period 1300 to 1550 had to contend with many outside issues and events that affected their realms and their ability to rule. The issues concerning warfare were more likely to affect kingship, as kings were often judged by their contemporaries in this context. Medieval warfare was closely linked to chivalry and, as kings were seen as the ultimate expression of chivalry, they had to act in a certain way. Coronations were large public events where the Church and public, including nobility and other classes of people, overtly affirmed their loyalty to the Crown and its incumbent.