On 11 February 1489 Archduke Maximilian of Austria (1459-1519) – crowned King of Rome in 1486 and appointed Lord of the Netherlands in 1477 – granted the City of Amsterdam the right to include his crown in its coat of arms. This ‘Grant of the Crown’ added to the prestige of the rapidly expanding city. This token of honour was a reward for Amsterdam’s support for Maximilian during political conflicts in Europe. In the Netherlands these were reflected in the struggle between the Hoekse and Kabeljauwse factions. When Maximilian was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1508, the crown in the coat of arms also became ‘imperial’. In the 17th century this Granting of the Crown became a popular theme, because it testified to the city’s glorious part. The imperial crown also adorns the tower of the Westerkerk. The painting depicts a fictitious event. It is probably based on a tableau vivant put on to celebrate the visit of Marie de Medici in 1638. She was the great-granddaughter of Maximilian I.