The Coronation of Alfonso VII as King…

The Coronation of Alfonso VII as King of Galicia (1111 CE)

In 1111 CE, Diego Gelmírez, Bishop of Santiago de Compostela, along with Count Pedro Froilaz de Traba, crowns and anoints Alfonso Raimúndez as King of Galicia in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

At the time of his coronation, Alfonso is still a child, but his mother, Queen Urraca of León-Castile-Galicia (who had inherited the united kingdom in 1109), seeks to secure his future rule by giving him formal recognition as king in Galicia. This move is intended to:

• Strengthen Alfonso’s legitimacy as heir to the throne of León and Castile.
• Ensure Galician loyalty in the face of political instability and conflicts with her estranged husband, Alfonso I of Aragon.
• Establish Diego Gelmírez and the powerful House of Traba as key allies in Alfonso’s eventual succession to the greater kingdom.

Though initially King of Galicia, Alfonso will later ascend to the throne of León and Castile as Alfonso VII, eventually becoming the self-proclaimed Emperor of Spain.