Editing Bolesław I the Brave (section)

== Last years (1019–1025) ==
{{main|Crown of Bolesław I the Brave}}
[[File:Koronacja pierwszego króla (Koronacja Chrobrego. Jan Matejko).jpg|thumb|''[[Coronation of the First King]]'', as imagined by [[Jan Matejko]]]]
Historians dispute the exact date of Bolesław's [[coronation]].{{sfn|Grabski|1964|p=287}} The year 1025 is most widely accepted by scholars, though the year 1000 is also likely.{{sfn|Urbańczyk|2017|pp=311-313}} According to an [[epitaph]], the crowning took place when Otto bestowed upon Bolesław royal regalia at the [[Congress of Gniezno]].{{sfn|Urbańczyk|2017|pp=311-312}} However, independent German sources confirmed that after Henry II's death in 1024, Bolesław took advantage of the [[interregnum]] in Germany and crowned himself king in 1025.{{sfn|Urbańczyk|2017|pp=308–309}} It is generally assumed that the coronation took place on [[Easter Sunday]]{{sfn|Manteuffel|1982|p=75}} 27 March 1025. However [[Tadeusz Wojciechowski]] believes that the coronation took place prior to that, on 24 December 1024.<ref>Tadeusz Wojciechowski: ''Szkice historyczne jedynastego wieku'', ed. III. 1951, p. 153.</ref> The basis for this assertion is that the coronations of kings were usually held during religious festivities.{{sfn|Grabski|1964|p=291}} The exact place of the coronation is also highly debated, with the cathedrals of [[Gniezno]] or [[Poznań]] being the most probable locations.{{sfn|Urbańczyk|2017|p=311}} Poland was thereafter raised to the rank of a kingdom before its neighbour, [[Bohemia]].{{sfn|Schwarzenberg|Hucek|1994|p=19}}

[[Wipo of Burgundy]] in his chronicle describes the event:

{{Quote|[In 1025] Boleslaus [of the Slavic nation], duke of the Poles, took for himself in injury to King Conrad the regal insignia and the royal name. Death swiftly killed his temerity.|[[Wipo of Burgundy|Wipo]]: ''The Deeds of Conrad II''<ref>''The Deeds of Conrad II (Wipo)'' (ch. 9.), p. 75.</ref>}}

It is widely believed that Bolesław had to receive permission for his coronation from the newly-elected [[Pope John XIX]].{{sfn|Urbańczyk|2017|pp=309–310}} John was known to be corrupt, and it is likely that consent was or may have been obtained through [[bribery|bribes]].{{sfn|Urbańczyk|2017|p=310}} However, Rome also hoped for a potential alliance to defend itself from Byzantine Emperor [[Basil II]], who launched a military expedition to recover the island of [[Sicily]] and could subsequently threaten the [[Papal States]] from the south.{{sfn|Urbańczyk|2017|p=310}} [[Stanisław Zakrzewski]] put forward the theory that the coronation had the tacit consent of [[Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor|Conrad II]] and that the pope only confirmed that fact.{{sfn|Sochacki|2003|p=80}} That is corroborated by Conrad's confirmation of the royal title to Mieszko II, his agreement with the [[counts of Tusculum]] and the papal interactions with Conrad and Bolesław.<ref>Wipo: ''Gesta Chuonradi II imperatoris'', p. 34.</ref>