A crown-cardinal () was a cardinal protector of a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

nation, nominated or funded by a Catholic monarch to serve as their representative within the

College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals (), also called the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. there are cardinals, of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, ...

and, on occasion, to exercise the right claimed by some monarchs to veto a candidate for election to the papacy. More generally, the term may refer to any cardinal significant as a secular statesman or elevated at the request of a monarch. Francis Burkle-Young defines a crown cardinal as one "elevated to the cardinalate solely on the recommendation of the European kings and in many cases without having performed any service at all for the advancement of the Church." According to conclave historian Frederic Baumgartner, the crown-cardinals "rarely came to Rome except for the conclaves, if then, and they were largely unknown to the majority of the College. Usually unable to take part in the '' pratiche'', they were not '' papabili'' and rarely received more than one or two votes".Baumgartner, 2003, p. 150. Crown-cardinals generally opposed the election of crown-cardinals from other kingdoms, although they tended to unite against the election of

cardinal-nephew A cardinal-nephew (; ; ; ; )Signorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 114. Modern French scholarly literature uses the term "cardinal-neveu'". was a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal elevated by a pope who was that cardinal's relative. The practice of c ...

s. Opposition to national cardinal protectors arose in the fifteenth century due to the perceived conflict of interest, and

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the We ...

attempted to forbid them entirely in 1425. A reform of

Pope Pius II Pope Pius II (, ), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death in 1464. Aeneas Silvius was an author, diplomat, ...

dated 1464 regards national cardinal protectors as generally inconsistent with curial responsibility, with several exceptions. Such protectorships were first openly permitted by popes

Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...

and

Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Kingdom of Valencia, Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death ...

, both of whom required the explicit written consent of the pontiff for a cardinal to take up a "position of service to a secular prince".Wilkie, 1974, p. 9. An unnamed cardinal even suggested elevating national cardinal protectors to a full and official position in the

Roman Curia The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use ...

, equivalent to an ambassador.

History

The institution of a cardinal protector of a nation-state may have originated in the 14th century, serving as a predecessor for the diplomatic institutions of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

developed in the 16th century.Bireley, Robert. 2007. Book Review. ''The Catholic Historical Review''. 93, 1: 172–173. A manuscript list of cardinals appointed at the request of Crowns can be found in the Vatican Library in the Borghese collection, ''Borg. lat.'' 376, pp. 131-141: Pietro Francesco de Rossi, ''De cardinalibus electis ad preces Principum, ab anno 1294 usque in finem pontificatus Pauli III''. The institution of the crown-cardinal first became a dominant one within the

with the

consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church *Consistor ...

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV (; ; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 March 1431 to his death, in February 1447. Condulmer was a Republic of Venice, Venetian, and a nephew ...

on December 18, 1439 (on the heels of the election of Antipope Felix V by the Council of Basel), which nominated an unprecedented number of cardinals with strong ties to European monarchs and other political institutions. The first explicit reference to protectorship pertaining to a nation-state dates to 1425 (the ''

Catholic Encyclopedia ''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...

'' says 1424) when

forbade cardinals to "assume the protection of any king, prince or commune ruled by a tyrant or any other secular person whatsoever."Signorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 161 This prohibition was renewed in 1492 by

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503. Born into t ...

. This prohibition was not renewed by

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X (; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political and banking Med ...

in the ninth session of the Lateran Council of 1512. Some crown-cardinals were

s or members of powerful families; others were selected solely on the recommendation of European monarchs, in many cases with little previous ecclesiastical experience.Miranda, Salvator. 1998.
The election of Pope Eugenius IV (1431)
" During the reigns of

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

Pope Clement VI Pope Clement VI (; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death, in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Black Death (1 ...

and

Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI (; ; c. 1318 – 15 October 1389), born Bartolomeo Prignano (), was head of the Catholic Church from 8 April 1378 to his death, in October 1389. He was the last pope elected from outside the College of Cardinals. His pontificate be ...

in particular, it was acknowledged that monarchs could select retainers and expect them to be elevated to the College of Cardinals. The going rate for the creation of a crown-cardinal was about 2,832 scudi. Pope Alexander VII had to elevate crown-cardinals ''

in pectore (Latin for 'in the breast/heart') is a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret. It is most often used when there is a papal appointment to the College of Cardinals without a public ...

''. Pope Urban VI (1378–1389) forbade crown-cardinals from receiving gifts from their respective sovereigns. World War I cemented the decline of the institution of the crown cardinal, as many monarchies either became extinct or declined in power.

Role in conclaves

In the case of Spain, France, and Austria, from the 16th to 20th centuries, crown-cardinals had the prerogative to exercise the ''

jus exclusivae (Latin for "right of exclusion"; sometimes called the papal veto) was the right claimed by several Catholic monarchs of Europe to veto a candidate for the papacy. Although never formally recognized by the Catholic Church, the monarchs of France ...

'', that is, to veto a candidate for the papacy deemed "unacceptable" by their patron. Crown-cardinals usually arrived with a list of such candidates but often had to confer with their patrons during conclaves via messengers and attempt, with varying degrees of success, to delay the conclave from proceeding until they received a response. For example,

Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X (6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death, in January 1655. Born in Rome of a family fro ...

(elected 1644) and

Pope Innocent XIII Pope Innocent XIII (; ; 13 May 1655 – 7 March 1724), born as Michelangelo dei Conti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 May 1721 to his death in March 1724. He remains the most recent pope to take the ...

(elected 1721) survived late-arriving veto instructions from France and Spain respectively. Austrian crown-cardinal Carlo Gaetano Gaisruck reached the papal conclave of 1846 too late to exercise the veto against Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, who had already been elected and taken the name

Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

List of cardinal protector crown-cardinals

The following includes a complete list of crown cardinal-protectors in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries:

Of Hungary

* Pietro Isvalies (1507–1511) * Giulio de Medici (?– 1523)

Of Austria

Protectors: *1523–1531:

Lorenzo Pucci Lorenzo Pucci (18 August 1458 – 16 September 1531) was an Italian cardinal and bishop from the Florentine Pucci family. His brother Roberto Pucci and his nephew Antonio Pucci also became cardinals. Biography Pucci was born in Florence. He ...

*1532–1535: Giovanni Salviati *1540–1542: Girolamo Aleandro *1542–1555: Marcello Cervini *1555–1580: Giovanni Girolamo Morone *1580–1600: Andreas von Österreich *1603–1634:

Franz von Dietrichstein Franz Seraph von Dietrichstein (, 22 August 1570 – 19 September 1636), was an Austrian nobleman and cardinal, member of an ancient House of Dietrichstein, was the 1st Prince of Dietrichstein, Archbishop of Olomouc, Governor ( Landeshauptman ...

*1635–1638: Ippolito Aldobrandini *1638–1642: Maurizio di Savoia *1655–1667:

Ernst Adalbert von Harrach Count Ernst Adalbert of Harrach (; ; 4 November 1598 – 25 October 1667) was an Austrians, Austrian Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal who was appointed Archbishop of Prague and Prince-Bishopric of Trent, Prince-Bishop of Trento. Life Ear ...

** Federico Sforza (1664–1666, substitute protector of

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

hereditary lands) *1673–1689: Carlo Pio di Savoia *1689–1701: Francesco Maria de' Medici *1701–1707: Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch *1707–1712: Johann Philipp von Lamberg *1712–1725: Christian von Sachsen-Zeitz *1726–1738: Wolfgang von Schrattenbach *1738–1751: Sigismund von Kollonitsch *1751–1758: Ferdinand Julius von Troyer *1779–1800: František Herczan *1823–1834: Giuseppe Albani *1858–1867: Pietro de Silvestri Vice-protectors and co-protectors *1536–1541:

Alessandro Cesarini Alessandro Cesarini (died 13 February 1542), bishop of Pistoia, was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Life Born in Rome, the son of Agabito Cesarini, he became close to the Medici family, particularly Cardinal Giovanni di L ...

*1560–1565:

Cristoforo Madruzzo 200px, ''Portrait of Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo, Portrait of Cristoforo Madruzzo'' by Titian (1552). Museu de Arte de São Paulo, São Paulo. Cristoforo Madruzzo () (5 July 1512 – 5 July 1578) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and state ...

*1571–1571: Marco Antonio Colonna *1574/ 1580/81: Tolomeo Galli *1581–1603: Alfonso Gesualdo *1584–1587:

Antonio Carafa Antonio Carafa may refer to: *Antonio Malizia Carafa (died 1437) *Antonio Carafa (cardinal) (1538–1591) *Antonio Carafa (general) (1642–1693) *Antonio Carafa (bishop of Ugento) (died 1704) {{hndis, Carafa, Antonio ...

*1604–1607: Alfonso Visconti *1607–1611: Ottavio Paravicini *1612–1621:

Pietro Aldobrandini Pietro Aldobrandini (31 March 1571 – 10 February 1621) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal and patron of the arts. Biography Pietro Aldobrandini was a cousin of Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini, and uncle of Cardinals Silvestro a ...

*1621–1632:

Ludovico Ludovisi Ludovico Ludovisi (22 or 27 October 1595 – 18 November 1632) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal and statesman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was an art connoisseur who formed a famous collection of antiquities, housed at the ...

*1629–1631:

Cosimo de Torres Cosimo de Torres also Cosmo de Torres and Cosma de Torres (1584–1642) was a Roman Catholic cardinal who served as Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere (1641–1642), Cardinal-Priest of San Pancrazio (1623–1641), Archbishop of Monrea ...

*1635–1641: Carlo Emanuele di Savoia *1642–1644: Alfonso de la Cueva *1644–1655: Ernst von Harrach *1645–1664: Girolamo Colonna *1664–1667: Federico Sforza *1667–1675: Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt *1690–1693: José Saenz d'Aguirre *1694–1700: Francesco del Giudice *1701/02/ 1706–1710: Vincenzo Grimani *1703–05/ 1708–12: Fabrizio Paolucci *1713–1719: Wolfgang von Schrattenbach *1719–1722: Michael Friedrich von Althan *1722–1726: Juan Álvaro Cienfuegos Villazón *1735–1743: Niccolò del Giudice *1743–1779: Alessandro Albani

Of England

Of Ireland

* Girolamo Ghinucci (1539–1541) * Rodolfo Pio di Carpi (1545–1554) * Giovanni Girolamo Morone (1555? – 1574?) *

Francesco Alciati Francesco Alciati (2 February 1522 – 20 April 1580) was an Italian Cardinal and jurist. Biography Francesco Alciati was born in Milan on 2 February 1522. He was a relative of the renowned jurist Andrea Alciato, and studied law under his dire ...

(1574–1580) * Flavio Orsini (1580–1581) * Nicholas Pelleve (1582–1594) *

Girolamo Mattei Girolamo Mattei (8 February 1547 – 8 December 1603) was an Italian Cardinal from the House of Mattei. Biography Mattei was born 8 February 1547, the son of Alessandro Mattei and Emilia Mazzatosta. He was the younger brother of Ciriaco Mattei ...

(1594? – 1603) * Pompeo Arrigoni (1605–1616) * Fabrizio Verallo (1616? – 1624) *

(1625–1632)Gillis, Clive. 2004.
Days of Deliverance Part 9: Rome makes the New Irish Confederation invincible
" *

Antonio Barberini Antonio Barberini (5 August 1607 – 3 August 1671) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims, Archbishop of Reims, military leader, patron of the arts a ...

(1633? – 1671) * Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (1671–1698) *

Giuseppe Renato Imperiali Giuseppe Renato Imperiali (1 May 1651 – 18 February 1737) was an Italian cardinal, and known as an avid bibliophile. Biography He was born in Francavilla Fontana in Apulia, in the Kingdom of Naples, into an aristocratic family which had come ...

(1706–1737) * Neri Maria Corsini (1737–1770) * Mario Marefoschi (1771–1780) * Gregorio Salviati (1781–1794) * Carlo Livizzani Forni (1794–1802)

Of Scotland

Of France

The

King of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I, king of the Fra ...

historically had only one cardinal protector at a time, chosen by a complicated process that involved the King, the secretary of state for foreign affairs, the French ambassador to Rome, and other French power brokers, but not the Pope.Signorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 164. The crown-cardinal of France was also abbot ''in commendam'' of several French abbeys. There was traditionally at least one resident French cardinal in the

during the first half of the sixteenth century, but Louis XII and Francis I chose three successive Italian cardinals as protector of France thereafter. *1513–1516: Federico di Sanseverino *1516–1523: Giulio de Medici *1523–1548: Agostino Trivulzio ** Niccolò Gaddi (vice-protector from 1533)Miranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of May 3, 1527 (I)
" *1549–1572:

Ippolito II d'Este Ippolito (II) d'Este (25 August 1509 – 2 December 1572) was an Italian cardinal (Catholic), cardinal and statesman. He was a member of the House of Este, and nephew of the other Ippolito d'Este, also a cardinal. He despoiled the then 1,400-year ...

*1573–1586:

Luigi d'Este Luigi d'Este (21 December 1538 – 30 December 1586) was an Italian Catholic cardinal, the second son of the five children of Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Modena and Ferrara, and Renée de Valois, daughter of Louis XII of France. Biography Luigi, ...

*1587–1615: François de Joyeuse **Vice-protector Arnaud d'Ossat (1599–1604) **Vice-protector François de La Rochefoucald (October 1609–May 1611)Miranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of December 10, 1607 (III)
" *1616–1620: Alessandro Orsini ** Guido Bentivoglio (vice-protector from 1621 until 1636) *1621–1636: Maurizio di Savoia *1636–1644:

*1645–1672: Rinaldo d'Este ** Alessandro Bichi (vice-protector 1645 until 1657) *1672–1676: Virginio Orsini (from 1646 acted as co-protector) *1676–1701: César d'Estrées *1702–1709: Francesco Maria de’Medici *1709–1740:

Pietro Ottoboni Pope Alexander VIII (; 22 April 1610 – 1 February 1691), born Pietro Vito Ottoboni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 1689 to his death in February 1691. He is the most recent pope to take the ...

Pierre Guérin de Tencin Pierre-Paul Guérin de Tencin (22 August 1679 – 2 March 1758) was a French ecclesiastic and statesman, who was archbishop of Embrun and Lyon and cardinal. His sister was Claudine Guérin de Tencin. Biography He was the son of Antoine G ...

, acting protector until 1758 *1758–1765: Prospero Colonna di Sciarra *1769–1792/4: François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis

Of the Holy Roman Empire

The protector of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

was often the protector of the Austrian hereditary lands. *1492–1503: Francesco PiccolominiSignorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 29 *1518–1539:

Lorenzo Campeggio Lorenzo Campeggio (7 November 1474 – 19 July 1539) was an Italians, Italian cardinal and politician. He was the last cardinal protector of England. Life Campeggio was born in Milan to a noble family, the eldest of five sons. Campeggio initi ...

*1540–1540: Pedro Fernández Manrique *1540–1542: Girolamo Aleander *1542–1550: Innocenzo Cibo *1550–1557:

Juan Álvarez de Toledo Juan Álvarez de Toledo (15 July 1488 – 15 September 1557) was a Spanish Dominican and Cardinal, from 1538. Considered ''papabile'' in the papal conclave (1549–1550), he was initially running second in votes to Reginald Pole. He was again a ...

*1557–1573: Otto Truchsess von Waldburg *1573–1600:

Ludovico Madruzzo 200px, Portrait of Ludovico Madruzzo by Chicago.html" ;"title="Giovanni Battista Moroni. Art Institute, Chicago">Giovanni Battista Moroni. Art Institute, Chicago. Ludovico Madruzzo (1532-1600) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (Catholicism) ...

*1603–1611: Ottavio Paravicini *1611–1633:

Scipione Borghese Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese (; 1 September 1577 – 2 October 1633) was an Italian cardinal, art collector and patron of the arts. A member of the Borghese family, he was the patron of the painter Caravaggio and the artist Bernini. His legac ...

*1635/36:

Miranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of March 3, 1599 (IV)
*1636–1642: Moritz von Savoyen *1644–1666: Girolamo Colonna *1666–1682: Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt *1682–1689: Carlo Pio di Savoia *1689–1701: Francesco Maria de' MediciMiranda, Salvator. 1998.
September 2, 1686 (II)
*1701–1707: Leopold von Kollonitsch *1707–1712: Johann Philipp von Lamberg *1712–1725: Christian August von Sachsen-Zeitz *1726–1738: Wolfgang von Schrattenbach *1738–1751: Sigismund von Kollonitsch *1751–1758: Ferdinand Julius von Troyer *1758–1765: ''vacant'' *1765–1779: Alessandro Albani *1779–1800: Franziskus Herzan von Harras Vice-protectors and co-protectors *1517–1530:

*1530–1532: Wilhelm van Enkevoirt *1534–1539:

*1538–1540: Girolamo Ghinucci *1540–1542: Alessandro Farnese *1542–1550:

*1550–1553: Bernardino Maffei *1557–1559: Pedro Pacheco de Villena *1558–1568: Clemente Dolera *1587–1593: Filippo Spinola *1594–1600: Ottavio Paravicini *1621–1625: Eitel Friedrich von Hohenzollern *1625–1644:

Giulio Savelli Giulio Savelli (27 September 1941 – 12 May 2020) was an Italian politician and publisher. Biography Born in Rome, Italy, on 27 September 1941, Savelli co-founded the publishing house alongside Giuseppe Paolo Samonà in 1963. Samonà left the b ...

*1644: Girolamo Colonna **1664–1666: Federico Sforza (substitute protector) *1666–1682: Carlo Pio di Savoia *1690–1693: José Saenz d'Aguirre *1694–1700: Francesco del Giudice *1701/02/ 1706–1710: Vincenzo Grimani *1703–05/ 1708–12: Fabrizio Paolucci *1713–1719: Wolfgang von Schrattenbach *1719–1722: Michael Friedrich von Althan *1722–1726: Juan Álvaro Cienfuegos Villazón *1735–1743: Niccolò del Giudice *1745–1765: Alessandro Albani

Of Poland

* Pedro Isvalies (ca. 1506 — 1511) * Achille Grassi (1512–1523) *

(1523–1531)Miranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of September 23, 1513 (I)
* Antonio Pucci (1532–1544) * Alessandro Farnese (1544–1589) ** Bernardino Maffei (vice-protector 1550–1553) ** Giacomo Puteo (vice-protector 1555–1563) ** Giacomo Savelli (vice-protector 1563–1587) * Alessandro Peretti di Montalto (1589–1623) *

(vice-protector 1622–1623, protector 1623–1642) *

(1642–1644) ** Gianbattista Pamphilj (vice-protector until 1644) * Gaspare Mattei (1644–1650) * Virginio Orsini (co-protector 1647–1650, protector 1650–1676) *

Pietro Vidoni Pietro Vidoni (8 November 1610 – 5 January 1681) was an Italian cardinal who served from 1652 to 1660 as the papal legate and nuncio to Poland. Personal life Vidoni was born 8 November 1610 in Cremona into Italian noble family. He studied at ...

(co-protector 1676, protector 1676–1681) * Carlo Barberini (1681–1704) * Annibale Albani (1712–1751) * Gian Francesco Albani (1751–1795)

Of Sweden

Cardinal-protectors of Sweden were appointed by king of Poland Zygmunt III Waza, who had claimed the rights to the Swedish Crown. * Odoardo Farnese (1601–1626) * Lorenzo Magalotti (1626–1637)

Of Portugal

*1517–1531:

*1533–1544: Antonio Pucci *1545–1564: Guido Ascanio Sforza *1565–1572:

Carlo Borromeo Charles Borromeo (; ; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was an Italian Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was made a cardinal in 1560. Borromeo founded the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and was ...

*1573–1589: Alessandro Farnese *1591–1603: Alfonso Gesualdo *1604–1626: Odoardo Farnese *1626–1634: Francesco Barberini *1635–1638: Ippolito Aldobrandini *1657–1676: Virginio Orsini *1676–1714: César d'Estrées *1714–1721: Michelangelo Conti *1739–1770: Neri Maria Corsini *1859–1884: Camillo di Pietro *1887–1888: Włodzimierz Czacki *1891–1910/30:

Vincenzo Vannutelli Vincenzo Vannutelli (5 December 1836 – 9 July 1930) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He spent his career in the foreign service of the Holy See and was made a cardinal in 1890. At his death he was the oldest member of the Coll ...

Of Savoy/Kingdom of Sardinia

Protectors of the Duchy of Savoy *1534–1537:

Paolo Emilio Cesi Paolo Emilio Cesi (1481–1537) was an Italians, Italian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal.Miranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of July 1, 1517 (V)
" *1576–1594: Michele Bonelli *1594–1621:

*1621–1632:

*1633–1671:

*1671–1704: Carlo Barberini Protectors of the Kingdom of Sardinia *1727–1779: Alessandro Albani *1819? – 1834: Giuseppe Albani *1835–1853: Luigi Lambruschini

Of Naples

*1530–1542:

*1544–1549: Alessandro Farnese *1556–1564: Guido Ascanio Sforza *1566–1574:

Alessandro Sforza Alessandro Sforza (21 October 1409 – 3 April 1473) was an Italian condottiero and lord of Pesaro, the first of the Pesaro line of the Sforza family. Biography He was born in Cotignola in 1409, an illegitimate son of the famous condottier ...

*1574–1603: Alfonso Gesualdo *1605–1608: Ascanio Colonna *1608–1642: Girolamo Doria *1644–1650: Gaspare Mattei *1657–1663: Camillo Astalli *1664–1676: Federico Sforza *1689–1699: José Saenz d'Aguirre

Of Sicily

*1524–1542:

*1542–1589: Alessandro Farnese *1592–1626: Odoardo Farnese *1626–1634: Francesco Barberini *1635–1642: Luigi Caetani *1645–1656: Pier Donato Cesi *1664–1687: Lorenzo Raggi ** Federico Sforza (1664–1666, substitute protector) *1687–1699: José Saenz d'Aguirre *1699–1725: Francesco del Giudice

Of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies

*1738–1747:

Troiano Acquaviva d'Aragona Troiano, Troyano or Troyanos may refer to: People Troiano * Trojan Gundulić, Troiano Gondola (''Trojan Gundulić'') (c. 1500 – c. 1555), a merchant and printer from the Republic of Ragusa * Troiano Acquaviva d’Aragona (1696–1747), Italian ca ...

Miranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of October 1, 1732 (IV)
*1747–1789:

Domenico Orsini d'Aragona Domenico Orsini d'Aragona (Naples, 5 June 1719 – Rome, 10 January 1789) was an Italian, Roman Catholic Cardinal. Biography He was born to Ferdinando Bernualdo Filippo Orsini, the 14th Duke of Gravina, and his second wife, Giacinta Marescotti ...

*1789–1795: Ferdinando Spinelli *1799–1806?: Fabrizio Dionigi Ruffo

Of Castile/Spain

The

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

could have as many as five or six cardinal protectors () simultaneously, although traditionally the protector of Castile was the most frequently turned to.Signorotto, Gianvittorio, and Visceglia, Maria Antonietta. 2002. Court and Politics in Papal Rome, 1492–1700. Cambridge University Press. . p. 163 *1516–1517: Francisco de Remolins *1517–1529:

*1529–1534: Andrea della Valle *1534–1563: Ercole Gonzaga *1563–1566: Francesco Gonzaga *1566–1574: Francisco Pacheco de ToledoMiranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of February 26, 1561 (II)
*1574–1581:

Miranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of March 12, 1565 (IV)
*1582–1588: Ferdinando de' MediciMinnich, Nelson H. 2003. Book Review. ''The Catholic Historical Review''. 89, 4: 773–778 **

(Vice-protector circa 1569) *1588–1592: Juan Hurtado de Mendoza *1592–1599:

Pedro de Deza Manuel Pedro de Deza (1520–1600) was a Spanish people, Spanish Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal and Bishop (Catholic Church), bishop. Biography Background Pedro de Deza was born in Seville on 26 March 1520, the son of ...

*1599–1601:

Alessandro d'Este Alessandro d'Este (1568–1624) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. On 3 Apr 1622, he was consecrated bishop by Marco Antonio Gozzadini, Bishop of Recanati with Raffaele Inviziati, Bishop of Cefalonia e Zante, Bishop Emeritus of Cefalonia e Zante, an ...

*1601–1606: Francisco de Ávila *1606–1617: Antonio Zapata y Cisneros *1617–1632: Gaspar de Borja y Velasco *1632–1645: Gil Carrillo de Albornoz *1645–1666: Carlo de' Medici ** Federico Sforza (1664–1667, substitute protector) *1667–1672: Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt *1673–1677: Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero *1677–1689: Carlo Pio di Savoia *1689–1702: Francesco Maria de' Medici *1702–1713?: Francesco del Giudice *1713–1725: Francesco Acquaviva d'AragonaMiranda, Salvator. 1998.
Consistory of May 17, 1706 (II)
" *1725–1743: Luis Antonio Belluga y Moncada *1743–1747:

*1748–1760: Joaquín Fernández de Portocarrero

Of Aragon

*1517–1531:

*1531–1542:

*1542–1589: Alessandro Farnese *1592–1626: Odoardo Farnese *1626–1634: Francesco Barberini *1635–1641:

Carlo Emanuele Pio di Savoia Carlo Emanuele Pio di Savoia (5 January 1585 – 1 June 1641) was an Italian cardinal of the Pio di Savoia family. He was the uncle of Cardinal Carlo Pio di Savoia. Life Pio di Savoia was born in Ferrara; his father was Enea Pio di Savoia, Si ...

*1645–1666: Girolamo Colonna *1666–1682: Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt *1682–1689: Carlo Pio di Savoia *1689–1702: Francesco Maria de' Medici

Of Flanders

*1561–1572:

*1573–1597:

Marcantonio Colonna Marcantonio II Colonna (sometimes spelled Marc'Antonio; 1535 – August 1, 1584), Duke of Tagliacozzo and Duke and Prince of Paliano, was an Italian aristocrat who served as Viceroy of Sicily in the service of the Spanish Crown, general of ...

*1597–1608: Ascanio Colonna *1608–1633:

Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese (; 1 September 1577 – 2 October 1633) was an Italian cardinal, art collector and patron of the arts. A member of the Borghese family, he was the patron of the painter Caravaggio and the artist Bernini. His legac ...

*1633–1642: Pietro Maria Borghese *1644–1666: Girolamo Colonna ** Federico Sforza (1664–1666, substitute protector) *1669–1676: Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt *1677–1689: Carlo Pio di Savoia *1689–1702: Francesco Maria de' Medici

List of other national cardinal protectors

Of Switzerland

(1560–1572) *

Paolo Emilio Sfondrati Paolo Emilio Sfondrati (1560 – 14 February 1618) was an Italian cardinal. Biography Born to a noble family in Milan and the nephew of Pope Gregory XIV, he was the cardinal priest of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, papal legate in Bologna, member ...

(1591–1618) * Odoardo Farnese (1618–1626) * Francesco Barberini (1626–1679) * Carlo Barberini (1680–1704) * Fabrizio Spada (1712–1717) * Annibale Albani (1717–1751)

Of Republic of Genoa

* Giandomenico Spinola (1626–1630) * Laudivio Zacchia (1631–1637) * Pietro Maria Borghese (1638–1642)

List of non-cardinal protector crown-cardinals

;Of Austria * Andrew of Austria, son of Archduke FerdinandTrollope, 1876, p. 51. * Joseph Dominicus von Lamberg (December 20, 1737 – August 30, 1761) * Rudolf of Austria (June 4, 1819 – July 24, 1831), Archbishop of Olomouc, Archduke * Carlo Gaetano Gaisruck ( Papal conclave circa 1846) * Jan Maurycy Pawel Puzyna de Kosielsko ( Papal conclave circa 1903) ;Of Bavaria * Philipp Wilhelm of Bavaria (22 September 1576 – 18 May 1598), Bishop of Regensburg from 1595, Cardinal from 1597Trollope, 1876, p. 52. * Johann Casimir Häffelin (6 April 1818 – 27 August 1827), Ambassador of Bavaria to the Holy See (since 18 November 1803), probably a de facto court bishop since 11 November 1787 (as general vicar of the Bavarian Priory of the Order of Malta) ;Of England * Charles of Guise, uncle of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

;Of France *

Jean Jouffroy Jean Jouffroy (c. 1412–1473) was a Burgundian prelate and diplomat. He was born at Luxeuil-les-Bains in the County of Burgundy. After entering the Benedictine order and teaching at the university of Pavia from 1435 to 1438, he became almoner ...

, continued role as procurator after elevation as cardinalWilkie, 1974, p. 8. * Jean Balue, continued role as procurator after elevation as cardinal; styled as "French protector" in RomeWilkie, 1974, p. 16. *

André d'Espinay André d'Espinay (died 1500) (called the Cardinal of Bordeaux or the Cardinal of Lyon) was a French people, French Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Bishop (Catholic Church), bishop and Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Biography André d'Espinay w ...

(March 9, 1489 – November 10, 1500) * Armand Jean de Richelieu (November 3, 1622 – December 4, 1642), Bishop of Luçon, Prime Minister *

Jules Mazarin Jules Mazarin (born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino or Mazarini; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), from 1641 known as Cardinal Mazarin, was an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic prelate, diplomat and politician who served as the Chief minister o ...

(1641–1661) * Jean Siffrein Maury (1794–1806), Archbishop of Montefiascone, representative of the Bourbon pretender, sided with

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

in 1806 *

Joseph Fesch Joseph Cardinal Fesch, Prince of the Empire (3 January 1763 – 13 May 1839) was a French priest and diplomat, who was the maternal half-uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte (half-brother of Letizia Ramolino, Napoleon's mother Laetitia). In the wake of h ...

(2 December 1804 – 22 June 1815), Archbishop of Lyons, step-uncle to

, Ambassador of France to the Holy See (1803–1806, but in 1803 there wasn't as yet a ''crown'') and Imperial Grand Almoner (1805–1814); his role as crown-cardinal ended with the end of the Napoleonic reign, whereas he remained Cardinal and Archbishop ;Of the Holy Roman Empire * Albert of Austria, son of

Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II (31 July 1527 – 12 October 1576) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1564 until his death in 1576. A member of the Austrian House of Habsburg, he was crowned King of Bohemia in Prague on 14 May 1562 and elected King of Germany (Kin ...

;Of Poland * Jerzy Radziwiłł (1556–1600) * Jan Aleksander Lipski (December 20, 1737 – February 20, 1746) ;Of Portugal * Cardinal-Infante Afonso of Portugal * Henry of Portugal *

Tomás de Almeida Tomás de Almeida (Lisbon, 11 September 1670 - Lisbon, 27 February 1754) was the first Patriarch of Lisbon, formerly Bishop of Lamego and later of Porto. Pope Clement XII elevated him to the cardinalate on 20 December 1737. Biography Early l ...

(December 20, 1737 – February 27, 1754)Baumgartner, Frederic J. 2003. ''Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections''. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 173Minor, Vernon Hyde. 2005. ''The Death of the Baroque and the Rhetoric of Good Taste''. Cambridge University Press. . p. 138 ;Of Spain * Pedro González de Mendoza (May 7, 1473 – January 11, 1495)Burke-Young, Francis A. 1998.
The election of Pope Alexander VI (1492)
* Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros *

Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand (also known as Don Fernando de Austria, Cardenal-Infante Fernando de España and as Ferdinand von Österreich; 16 May 1609 – 9 November 1641) was a Spanish and Portuguese prince (Infante of Spain, Infante of Portugal (u ...

* Luis Antonio Jaime de Borbón y Farnesio (December 19, 1735 – December 18, 1754)Pastor, 1941, p. 405 * Francisco de Solís Folch de Cardona (April 5, 1756 – March 21, 1775) ;Of Tuscany *

Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I, who presumably died from malaria. Early life Ferdinando was the ...

References

;Sources *Baumgartner, Frederic J. 2003. ''Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections''. Palgrave Macmillan. . *Pastor, Ludwig. 1902. ''The History of Popes''. K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd. *Wilkie, William E. 1974. ''The cardinal protectors of England''. Cambridge University Press. * *Peter Tusor, "Prolegomena zur Frage des Kronkardinalats," ''Archivum Historiae Pontificiae'' Volume 41 (2003), pp. 51–71. {{DEFAULTSORT:Crown-Cardinal ^ Lists of Roman Catholics Election of the pope Cardinal protectors