Prussian Homage

The Prussian Homage or Prussian Tribute (German: Preußische Huldigung; Polish: hołd pruski) was the formal investiture of Albert, Duke of Prussia (1490-1568), with his Duchy of Prussia as a fief of the Kingdom of Poland that took place on 10 April 1525 in the then capital of Kraków, Kingdom of Poland.

King Sigismund I the Old of Poland (1467-1548, reigned 1506-1548), (who happened to be Albert's uncle) accepted this, because it was better for Poland for strategic reasons rather than have the independent State of the Teutonic Order in Prussia, formally subject to the Holy Roman Empire in Central Europe and Germany and its Emperor and the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church and the Papacy in Rome.

As a symbol of vassalage, Albert received a standard with the Prussian coat of arms from the Polish king.

The black Prussian eagle on the flag was augmented with a letter "S" (for Sigismundus) and had a crown placed around its neck as a symbol of fealty to Poland.

Among those who refused were Martin Truchseß von Wetzhausen, Frederick of Saxony (who referred the matter to the 1495 Imperial Diet), and Albert.

The Prussian Homage by Jan Matejko
The Prussian coat of arms with the letter "S" (Sigismundus) and a crown around the eagle's neck, reflecting that Ducal Prussia was a fief of the Polish king and crown.