523. Charlemagne: Return of the Kings (Part 1)

2625.993 - 2658.184 Tom Holland

And there in Saint-Denis, he anoints him a second time. And just for good measure, he salutes not just Pepin as the anointed king of God, but the Franks themselves as the new Israelites. He hails them as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. So essentially the Pope is now lending his prestige to the self-conceit of the Franks that they are something special.