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Why did Frederick William IV reject the German imperial crown in 1849?

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Historical map showing the unification of Germany by Prussia in the late 19th century. The map highlights in green the Kingdom of Prussia as of 1866, and in yellow the additional territories that formed the German Empire by 1871-1918, encompassing most of north-central Europe. Neighboring countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Switzerland are labeled, with major regions and states within the empire clearly marked. — Prussia The unification of Germany by Prussia, which brought most of north-central Europe into one kingdom.

Frederick William IV rejected the German imperial crown offered by the Frankfurt National Assembly on April 3, 1849, primarily due to his deeply held conservative convictions.12

As a monarch who viewed his authority as divinely justified, he believed it was unacceptable to accept a crown from a popular assembly, which he associated with the revolutionary movements of 1848. Instead, he maintained that he could only accept such a title if it were offered to him by the other German princes. By refusing the offer, Frederick William effectively destroyed the constitution drafted by the assembly, as he was fundamentally opposed to the liberal principles of parliamentary government and universal suffrage it contained.12