Prince-primate (German:Fürstprimas,Hungarian:hercegprímás) is a rareprincely title held by individual (prince-)archbishops of specific sees in a presiding capacity in an august assembly of mainly secular princes, notably the following:
TheRheinbund or 'Confederation of the Rhine' was founded in 1806, when several German states seceded from theHoly Roman Empire and allied themselves with EmperorNapoleon of France,[1] who assumed the position of theProtector of the Confederation of the Rhine.[2] Its highest office was held byKarl Theodor von Dalberg, firstArchbishop of Mainz and 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'.[3] 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 formerReichsstadt and 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.[4]
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.
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In virtue of his dignity asprimate of theHabsburg dynasty's apostolicKingdom of Hungary, theArchbishop of Esztergom enjoyed extraordinary privileges, resulting in his being titledprince primate.
Theprimate was entitled to hold nationalsynods, wasLegatus Natus of 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 withRome and had the right ofvisitation in theepiscopal sees and the religious houses in Hungary, except theexemptArchabbey ofPannonhalma (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 privychancellor of 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 royalmint atKremnica (German:Kremnitz,Hungarian:Körmöcbánya), for which he received a significant sum from itsseigniorage revenues, calledjus piseti ('right of'). By ancient custom, he had the right to crown theKing of Hungary and anoint the queen. By a gift of archiepiscopal property he was at one time able to confernobility (Prädialadel), another rarely delegated princely prerogative (usually onlyknighting was 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.
Theprimate was 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.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dalberg § 2.Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 762–763.
