Sources and Methodology

Our narrative draws upon a wide range of sources, from medieval chronicles and royal correspondence to administrative records and personal memoirs. Each type of source presents its own challenges and opportunities. Chronicle accounts, often written by clerics with their own agendas, require careful interpretation. Royal correspondence reveals the personalities and preoccupations of monarchs but may present an idealized view of their actions. Administrative records provide invaluable data about the functioning of government but can obscure the human dimension of historical change.

We also utilize material culture—architecture, art, coins, regalia—to understand how monarchy was visualized and experienced. The great royal palaces from the medieval Palais de la Cité to Versailles were not merely residences but statements about the nature of royal power. Similarly, royal portraits, ceremonies, and even the layout of gardens conveyed messages about authority, legitimacy, and the monarch's place in the cosmic order.

Archaeological evidence has increasingly supplemented written records, particularly for the early medieval period. Excavations of Merovingian burial sites, Carolingian palaces, and medieval towns have provided new insights into daily life, economic conditions, and the actual reach of royal authority.