How did Philip IV of France use the assembly of 1302 in his conflict with Boniface VIII?

In his conflict with Pope Boniface VIII, King Philip IV of France utilized the assembly of April 1302—an early precursor to the Estates-General—as a strategic tool to build political legitimacy and public support for his royal policies.12

The assembly was convened following a period of escalating tension, during which Philip’s chancellor, Pierre Flotte, circulated a distorted extract of the papal bull Ausculta fili to manipulate public opinion against the pope. By gathering representatives of the three estates—the clergy, nobility, and commoners—at Notre-Dame in Paris, Philip sought to demonstrate that his actions against the papacy were backed by the nation.31

During the meeting, the nobles and burghers expressed enthusiastic support for the king, while the clergy, though more reluctant, also joined in addressing a remonstrance to the pope. This assembly allowed Philip to justify his stance on the taxation of the clergy and his assertion of royal authority over the church, effectively framing his dispute as a defense of the kingdom's interests.32