A Proposal for a Burgundian Kingdom

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Commentary:
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Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy 1467-1477, desired many things. One of the things he desired was a crown, and much of his reign was spent in negotiation with the Emperor for one. The interests of Duke and Emperor did not necessarily coincide, and the negotiations were eventually fruitless. Many different propositions were discussed, ranging from a simple territorial kingdom tied to one of his Imperial duchies to more grand ambitions such as Charles being appointed King of the Romans. The territories held by the Duke outside of the Holy Roman Empire would not have been formally included in such a kingdom, but would still have been ruled in personal union with it.

The kingdom presented on this map is one of many examples of Charles demanding more than he could possibly chew. It's based on the details presented in a report on the negotiations that took place in 1473. The accuracy of this report is somewhat doubtful, as it suggests that Charles was able to get far more from the Emperor than the Emperor would normally be willing to give. It was, however, just a report on a temporary verbal agreement, and should not be taken as definite proof of anything. The real negotiations continued well beyond this.

I have included the letter below, as translated from the original Latin by Richard Vaughan in his biography of Charles the Bold.

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History: A report to Rudolf, Margrave of Hochberg, Lord of Rötteln
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"The most serene lord Emperor has consented to restore and to create, and he will now restore and create, for the lord duke of Burgundy, the kingdom of Burgundy, in the person of the aforesaid lord duke, for himself and his heirs and successors male and female, with all the dignities, rights and prerogatives which in any way belong to the said kingdom of Burgundy. And into this kingdom he will incorporate each and every land, principality and lordship which the aforesaid lord duke holds and possesses at the moment or to which he has any kind of right within the Empire, with all their rights, dignities, prerogatives, pertinances and appendages as well as all fiefs, retrofiefs and lordships etc. enclaved or included in those principalities which are held from the Empire. He will also incorporate and add to the aforesaid kingdom the fiefs, retrofiefs, homages, rights and regalia of the duchies and lordships held within the Empire by the dukes of Cleves and of Lorraine, and those which the duke of Savoy holds both this side and beyond the mountains, as well as those of the principalities, lordships and lands of the bishoprics of Utrecht, Liège, Toul and Verdun....
    For this kingdom the aforesaid lord duke and his successors in it shall do homage and fealty to the most serene lord Emperor and his successors and they shall receive from them the investiture of the kingdom....
and to help [defend] Christianity, the said lord duke will provide at the Emperor's request, as long as he is at peace with the king of France, up to 10,000 men-at-arms.
    The above was agreed and concluded between the said most serene lord Emperor and the most illustrious lord duke in the city of Trier, on 4 November 1473, in the presence of Rudol, County of Sulz."

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