The daily life of a king in the middle ages mainly depended on several things.
1. The geographic region he resided in:
1. The geographic region he resided in:
A king's schedule was in some ways his own, but, as always, his responsibilities were key if he wanted to be a good ruler. The larger the plot of land, the more time the king had to spend traveling or meeting with advisers. Because he couldn't just pick up a phone, he had to have another way to remain connected with what was happening with his kingdom. Kings with smaller kingdoms could spend more time in a central area and still know what was happening throughout the country without having to listen to multiple reports.
2. The wealth of his country:
Kings generally always lived off the best their land had to offer. The more wealthy their country was, the higher differentiation between the royalty and the peasantry. Their clothing would be the finest available, often trimmed with jewels and furs. Some kings would not even allow their subjects to wear certain colors so that his outfits were always special and unique.
What do you notice about the king's clothing from above?
Food varied, but the king's food was always choice and filled with variety. In this time period, variety was an ultimate luxury. Kings and queens had many choices at meals- often they had multiple selections of meat, vegetables, and, in some areas, of fruits. (Fruits have historically been seen as great treats- up until the last 50 years, they were even a common treat found in Christmas stockings!) Of course, the main part of any meal, even for royalty, would have been breads and other grains. Kings and queens would have, however, had access to much higher quality breads than the peasantry. Kings hunted and held huge feasts for the noble class. He was expected to have large parties to show his power, wealth, and authority. Some kings also had individual hobbies like carpentry or locksmithing.
3. How close he was to the church
Kings would often spend a great deal of time and effort trying to curry church favor and demonstrate their piety. Kings worked hard to please the church and tried to get emissaries to have important meetings with high ranking officials. Good ranking with the church was important because:
1. The church was the cornerstone of the king's power. If he was appointed by God, he must support the church to reinforce his power.
2. The Catholic church created a vast network of political contacts. Since all kings ultimately had to make church officials happy, it was important to have a high standing to further push political motivations through. For example, if you had a problem with another kingdom, the church might help decide how to solve the conflict. The more power you had, the more likely it was to have a favorable outcome.
3. The church was a gateway to wealth. Holy missions were always approved of- the crusades, for example, were heavily supported by the church and brought a large amount of wealth to many countries (although it certainly emptied some of their treasuries too, since wars are expensive). Remember, to the victors go the spoils.
Kings would often spend a great deal of time and effort trying to curry church favor and demonstrate their piety. Kings worked hard to please the church and tried to get emissaries to have important meetings with high ranking officials. Good ranking with the church was important because:
1. The church was the cornerstone of the king's power. If he was appointed by God, he must support the church to reinforce his power.
2. The Catholic church created a vast network of political contacts. Since all kings ultimately had to make church officials happy, it was important to have a high standing to further push political motivations through. For example, if you had a problem with another kingdom, the church might help decide how to solve the conflict. The more power you had, the more likely it was to have a favorable outcome.
3. The church was a gateway to wealth. Holy missions were always approved of- the crusades, for example, were heavily supported by the church and brought a large amount of wealth to many countries (although it certainly emptied some of their treasuries too, since wars are expensive). Remember, to the victors go the spoils.