A medieval king was the figurehead of the state during medieval times. The authority of a medieval king was relatively less during the early medieval times because of the influence of the Church and the authority of the Pope.
However, as the early medieval times gave way to middle medieval times, the authority of the medieval king continued to increase and he held absolute power over his subjects.
The daily life of a medieval king began with the customary prayers and mass in the castle chapel. After breakfast, the medieval king would head the council meeting where different affairs of the kingdom would be discussed.
The King would also hear petitions and discuss various laws to be passed. In the afternoon, the medieval king could spend time hunting along with his attendants.
Since wars and battles were common during medieval times, a medieval king would often lead his military to the battleground.
King Charles I Medieval King
The foremost duty of a medieval king was, of course, the protection of his kingdom from enemies which was common during medieval times.
Among other important responsibilities of a medieval king was the oath taken by him of the dispensation of justice and enforcement of law in his kingdom.
In Catholic kingdoms, a medieval king would also take an oath to protect the Catholic Church.
The education of a medieval king would commence at an early age. Tutors would be hired for instruction in various disciplines such as Latin and liberal arts.
But the education of a medieval king was not restricted to theoretical subjects. It also included various outdoors sports such as hunting, sword-fighting, and horse-riding.
The medieval king was expected to be well educated in theoretical as well as practical education.
The free time of a medieval king was filled up with various hobbies and sports. One of my most important hobbies was horse breeding and riding.
Horses of the finest breeds were used in tournaments and hastiludes (martial games) in addition to being bred especially for jousting contests.
Other hobbies included playing chess, checkers, and other games. Hunting and Hawking were popular activities of a King.
The clothing of a medieval king during the early medieval times was heavily inspired by the classical styles of the Romans and the Greeks.
This included loose belted clothes usually accompanied by coats of mail. During the middle medieval times, robes became an important part of a medieval king’s fashion along with long bands attached to the sleeves.
Closed shoes were used which were usually pointed. After the Crusades and due to the intermingling of different cultures, the use of velvets and more expensive dressing became common for a medieval king.
During medieval times, a medieval king was considered the center of all authority and held ultimate power over the people. In practice, however, he needed the allegiance of his nobles and important members of the clergy to wield his power.
A medieval king was educated in Latin and liberal arts and also received training in horse riding, sword fighting, and hunting. The dressing of a medieval king was expensive and served to distinguish him from other people.