The Nature of Early Capetian Power

The kingdom Hugh Capet nominally ruled bore little resemblance to modern conceptions of a state. Royal authority operated through a complex web of personal relationships, feudal obligations, and religious sanctions rather than institutional structures. The king was simultaneously the apex of the feudal hierarchy and a territorial prince among others, combining theoretical supremacy with practical limitations.

Within the royal domain—the lands directly controlled by the king—Capetian authority functioned much like that of other territorial princes. The king appointed prévôts to administer royal estates, collected revenues from his lands, and dispensed justice to his direct subjects. This domain, centered on the fertile lands between Paris and Orléans, provided the economic foundation for royal power. Its modest size—smaller than many great fiefs—meant that early Capetian kings commanded limited resources.

Outside the domain, royal power operated through feudal relationships. Great vassals—dukes and counts—held their territories as fiefs from the king, owing him homage, military service, and court attendance. However, these obligations were often honored more in breach than observance. Powerful vassals like the dukes of Normandy or Aquitaine performed homage when convenient but ignored royal summons when their interests diverged from the king's. The king could neither tax nor legislate in these territories without the consent of their rulers.

The sacral dimension of kingship provided the Capetians' most distinctive source of authority. The coronation at Reims, with its holy anointing, elevated the king above other princes through divine sanction. This religious character found expression in the royal touch—the belief that kings could cure scrofula through laying on hands—and in the king's role as protector of churches. While such spiritual authority carried no armies, it provided legitimacy that proved remarkably durable.