Prince-primate

Prince-primate(German:Fürstprimas,Hungarian:hercegprímás) is a rareprincelytitle held by individual (prince-)archbishopsof specific sees in a presiding capacity in an august assembly of mainly secular princes, notably the following:

Germany - Confederation of the Rhine

TheRheinbundor 'Confederation of the Rhine' was founded in 1806, when several German states seceded from theHoly Roman Empireand allied themselves with EmperorNapoleonof France,who assumed the position of theProtector of the Confederation of the Rhine.Its highest office was held byKarl Theodor von Dalberg,firstArchbishop of Mainzand then ofRegensburg.He had been the first among the princes of the Holy Roman Empire and styled itsArchchancellor,and as such was given the first rank among the princes of the new Confederation and the title ofFürstprimas,'Prince Primate'.As such he presided over the College of Kings and the Diet of the Confederation, a senate-like assembly which never actually assembled.

During his term as prince-primate, Dalberg wasArchbishop of Regensburg(inBavaria) and at firstFürst(ruling prince) ofAschaffenburg.From September 19, 1806, his territories included the formerReichsstadtand on February 16, 1810, Dalberg was promoted to the strictly secular rank ofGrand Duke of Frankfurt,in chief of another formerReichsstadt(on the lowerMain,enclaved in theElectorate of Mainz,now inHessen). At the same time, Napoleon appointed his stepsonEugène de Beauharnais— excluded from the French imperial succession — as heir to the Grand Duchy.

On the eve of the collapse of theFirst French Empire,Dalberg resigned his secular positions and Beauharnais succeeded him as Grand Duke, though this had no practical effect, as the dissolution of the Confederation (carved up into a revised set of monarchies) also rendered the position moot.

Hungary

In virtue of his dignity asprimateof theHabsburg dynasty's apostolicKingdom of Hungary,theArchbishop of Esztergomenjoyed extraordinary privileges, resulting in his being titledprince primate.

Theprimatewas entitled to hold nationalsynods,wasLegatus Natusof the Holy Roman Church,and therefore had the right, inside of his legation (territory where he represented thePope), to have the cross carried before him, dealt directly withRomeand had the right ofvisitationin theepiscopal seesand the religious houses in Hungary, except theexemptArchabbeyofPannonhalma(S. Martinus in Monte Pannoniæ).

Since 1715, the primate had also been aReichsfürst,a ruling prince of theHoly Roman Empire,entitledPrince Primate.He was the chief and privychancellorof the Hungarian kingdom, and thus keeper of the great seal. Formerly he was also a member of the supreme court, and still earlier governor, viceroy andfőispán('hereditary' lord-lieutenant) ofEsztergom county.To the primate also belonged the right (delegatedregalia) to superintend the royalmintatKremnica(German:Kremnitz,Hungarian:Körmöcbánya), for which he received a significant sum from itsseignioragerevenues, calledjus piseti('right of'). By ancient custom, he had the right to crown theKing of Hungaryand anoint the queen. By a gift of archiepiscopal property he was at one time able to confernobility(Prädialadel), another rarely delegated princely prerogative (usually onlyknightingwas allowed to non-sovereign nobility). Another privilege was his right to take an oath before a court of justice through his deputy, and not personally.

Theprimatewas also chief priest and chancellor of the Hungarian nationalOrder of St. Stephen,established in 1764. As firstbanneret(baro regni) of Hungary, he was aMagnate,i.e. member of theUpper House.

Sources

• Westermann,Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte(in German)
• WorldStatesmen - here Frankfurt, see also other parties mentioned