Chapter 20 - Anna Duch
Chasing St. Louis:
The English Monarchy's Pursuit of Sainthood
At various times, English monarchs Henry III, Edward II, and Henry VI were all promoted as potential saints. As noted by prior scholars, their cults had political elements, which did not help their causes for sainthood in Rome. However, this was not the only reason for the causes’ failures. This chapter investigates the evolution of increasingly prized papal canonizations during the Middle Ages, the patterns of royal sainthood outside of England, and the mentalities of the English royal house and its continental peers. Due to the changing desirable demographics for royal saints, St Louis’ canonization in 1297 was not only anachronistic but also dynastically and politically powerful due to the proliferation of his heirs and the transmission of his beata stirps (holy roots) across Europe. English monarchs since Henry II had relied upon the political appointment of Edward the Confessor to bolster their legitimacy and continued to do so. The lack of development of beata stirps in England, combined with other cultural differences, thwarted any English attempt at cultivating a dynastic saint during the medieval period.
By Anna Duch
Anna Duch
Anna M. Duch received her PhD in History at the University of York. She is currently the faculty lead for World Civilization courses at Columbia State Community College. Her research interests include medieval royal bodies and concepts of sanctity.
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| The British Library, London | Cotton MS Domitian A XVII |
| The National Archives, Kew | TNA E 23/3 |
| TNA E 101/383 | |
| TNA E 368/100 | |
| Westminster Abbey, London | WAM 6672 |
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Related Chapters
Manuela Santos Silva: Regal Power and the Royal Family in a Thirteenth-Century Iberian Legislative Programme (See Chapter 5)
Matthias Range: Dei Gratia and the “Divine Right of Kings”: Divine Legitimization or Human Humility? (See Chapter 8)
Paul Webster: Faith, Power and Charity: Personal Religion and Kingship in Medieval England (See Chapter 12)
