Succession: The \"Principle of Masculinity\" Hardens

The crisis of 1316 forces the kingdom to decide: how to transmit the crown when there is no longer a direct male heir? The solution adopted strongly favors succession through men.

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🏛️ A Crown, Not a Fief

The idea takes hold that the crown is a matter of public order: it is not divided and is not transmitted like ordinary land. The goal is to avoid conflicts between pretenders.

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👑 1317: A Proclamation That Excludes Joan

After the death of John I, Joan (daughter of Louis X) is supported by part of her Burgundian relatives. But her legitimacy is questioned, and Philip presents her as a direct obstacle to his accession.

On February 2, 1317, an assembly gathered in Paris proclaims Philip as better placed than Joan and affirms that “woman does not inherit the kingdom of France.”

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📌 “Salic Law”: A Retrospective Legend

Contrary to a widespread belief, the “Salic law” is not evoked in the debates of 1317. The reference to the Salic Franks is a later construction, subsequently used to “officialize” a practice of excluding women.

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👑 An Exclusion That Sets Precedent

Excluding certain female claims is not merely a choice of the moment: it manufactures a rule. In the 14th century, this logic will be reused and justified retrospectively, until becoming a central element of the monarchical tradition.

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🧠 Key Points to Remember

• 1316 accelerates a clarification: continuity of the kingdom before individual rights.
• Succession through men becomes a political solution, then a norm.