Crown-cardinal

As Kronkardinal or National cardinal is called those cardinals who owed ​​their appointment to the proposal of a prince.

The appointment of such Kronkardinäle was a well-established practice in the late 16th century. Both the Catholic princes of the Italian states as well as great Catholic monarchies made ​​use of it. This Cardinals felt more committed to the prince, who had proposed it, as the Pope, by which the appointment was made in most cases. For the princely houses the Kronkardinäle were an important political tool for exerting influence at the Curia. Not Italian clergy owed ​​usually all of their appointment a royal proposal. For each pope's appointment was usually a way to compensate for a political debt and ensure that a prince house felt grateful to him. There were no fixed rules about how many Cardinal candidates could suggest a prince; but the number of proposed candidates was small in general.