Prince-elector

Lore & Background

Electors were rulers of Imperial Estates, enjoying precedence over other Imperial Princes. The Golden Bull granted them the Privilegium de non appellando, preventing their subjects from appealing to a higher Imperial court, though this privilege was not exclusive to electors. Electors also held high offices of the Empire, such as Archchancellor or Arch-Steward, and displayed heraldic augmentations reflecting these roles.

Reader's Guide

The Prince-Electors were central to the political structure of the Holy Roman Empire, serving as the exclusive body that elected the King of the Romans, who later became Emperor. Their significance lay in balancing imperial power: after the Staufen dynasty ended, electors prevented the throne from settling within a single dynasty by choosing kings from different families. Their electoral capitulations (Wahlkapitulation) functioned as contracts between the princes and the king, limiting royal power.

Did You Know?

• The heir apparent to a secular prince-elector was known as an electoral prince (German: Kurprinz).
• The Archbishop of Mainz presided over the Catholic body in the Imperial Diet, while the Elector of Saxony presided over the Protestant body.
• During an interregnum, imperial power was exercised by two imperial vicars: the Elector of Saxony in northern areas and the Elector Palatine in the south.
• From the 16th century, electors drafted an electoral capitulation (Wahlkapitulation) that the king-elect had to swear to before assuming office.