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The counts of Krk were one of the most prestigious and most powerful noble families in late medieval Croatia, with a dominant role attained under Nicholas IV who received the last name Frankapani from Pope Martin V in 1430. Soon after his death German language sources, predominantly originating from the Habsburgs and their affiliates, began to refer to the family as Grafen von Krabaten or Counts of Croatia. It was somewhat unusual for a noble family to be equated with a kingdom that already has its own king, the King of Hungary. Moreover, there were other prominent noble families in Croatia who were not accorded the same level of respect within the Empire. This perception, present almost exclusively in German sources for a little under a century is a peculiar piece of information indicating how the status and rank of the Frankopani may have soared to such an extent that they were considered second to none in Croatia. This proved a bit problematic when the Habsburgs ascended to the throne of Croatia, but it nevertheless revealed an intricate interplay between perception, flattery, and politics emanating from the Habsburg ruled southeastern parts of the Empire and directed at a kingdom they would later claim as their own. |
