How did the title Roman emperor-elect change the pope’s role in future imperial coronations?

The adoption of the title "elected emperor" (imperator electus) by Maximilian I in 1508 marked a definitive shift in the relationship between the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy.

Historically, imperial coronations required the physical presence of the pope or a papal legate to bestow the crown, a process that reinforced the church's role in sanctioning imperial authority. However, because Maximilian was unable to travel to Rome for a traditional coronation, he assumed the title of "elected emperor" with the consent of Pope Julius II.

This development effectively bypassed the necessity of a papal coronation ceremony for the assumption of the imperial title. By establishing that the title could be held through election and papal consent without the traditional rite in Rome, the empire moved toward becoming an explicitly German state, increasingly divorced from its historical dependence on the papacy for legitimacy.123