Capetian Miracle

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The Capetian Miracle refers to the Capetian dynasty of France and its ability to attain and hold onto the French crown.

In 987, Hugh Capet was elected to succeed Louis V of the Carolingian dynasty that had ruled France for over two centuries. By a process of associating elder sons with them in the kingship, the early Capetians established the hereditary succession in their family and transformed a theoretically electoral kingship with a sacral one. Eventually, the Capetian hold on power was so strong that the practice of co-rule was dropped.