The Divine Origin of Kingship in Medieval Royal Charters of León and Castile: Propaganda in Diplomatic Preambles

Abstract

This study focuses on the analysis of the notion of the divine right of kings in medieval Christianity and, specifically, in diplomatic sources from the Crown of León and Castile in medieval Spain, as manifested in the preambles of royal documents. Starting with a general characterization of the main ideological and thematic features surrounding the divine origin of royal power, the focus is then shifted to trying to assess these features against a selection of specific examples extracted from the preambles of royal documentation from Asturias-León and Castile throughout virtually the entire period of the Reconquista. This broad temporal perspective allows for the observation of the consistency and permanence of a genuine propagandistic discourse on royalty, while also enabling to ascertain the modulation of telling changes and renewed emphases arising from each moment within this evolution.