french city where most kings were crowned

Most French kings were crowned in the city of Reims, in northeastern France.

Quick Scoop

The coronation city

• Reims became the traditional coronation city of the French monarchy from the early Middle Ages onward, centered on its Gothic Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral.

• From the 11th century, Reims was used regularly for royal coronations, giving it the nickname “City of Kings.”

How many kings in Reims?

• Out of roughly 33 kings of France, about 25–29 were crowned in Reims, making it the place where most French kings received their crowns.

• Only a handful of monarchs were crowned elsewhere (for example, at Orléans or Chartres), which emphasizes how dominant Reims was in this royal ritual.

Why Reims and not Paris?

• Reims held the sacred “Holy Ampulla,” a vial of holy oil used for anointing, which gave huge religious prestige to coronations there.

• The political power and influence of the archbishops of Reims also helped fix the city as the main coronation site for centuries.

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