How to Increase Crown Power (& Why You Should) in Europa Universalis 5

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Crown Power is a crucial element in Europa Universalis V, and players should actively seek ways to boost it throughout the game. It significantly impacts a nation’s income, efficiency, and overall strength. Luckily, there are numerous methods to increase Crown Power in Europa Universalis V, and this guide will walk you through them.

Crown Power shows how much influence the government has, and it essentially reflects the strength of your holdings in the game.

How to Increase Crown Power in Europa Universalis 5

You can check your current Crown Power and what’s affecting it by going to the Government tab, then the Estates menu, and hovering your mouse over the percentage shown under the crown icon. This will give you a general idea of how to change your Crown Power, and below is a more detailed explanation of how to do so.

Control

A player’s Crown Power is based on how much control they have over their population. Generally, the more control you have in your most populated areas, the higher your base Crown Power will be. Focusing on control is important for many reasons, and this guide will help you improve it in EU5. Here’s a quick look at some ways to gain more control.

  • Build roads between locations and the capital.
  • Increase harbor capacity and maritime presence in seazones.
  • Use the Increase Province Control cabinet action.

Estates

You can boost your Crown Power in the game by weakening the power of other estates. The simplest way to do this is to revoke privileges you’ve given them. Just right-click on those privileges in the Estates menu within the Country tab. Be cautious, though – revoking privileges costs legitimacy and can significantly lower an estate’s satisfaction.

Players can reduce the cost of revoking privileges by unlocking certain advances.

Legitimacy

Your Crown Power can be increased by maintaining high legitimacy. Reaching 100 legitimacy grants a +10% boost to Crown Power, so it’s worth aiming for the maximum. The simplest ways to build legitimacy are by enacting the Strengthen Government cabinet action and investing in the Cost of the Court. To increase the Cost of the Court, go to the Economy tab, select Balance, and slide the Cost of the Court slider all the way to the right. Keep it at the maximum until your legitimacy reaches 100.

Reforms

Several government reforms, like Autocracy and Royal Decree, give you a quick +10% boost to Crown Power. To implement a reform, go to the Government tab, then the Estates tab. Click the plus sign under the crown icon and choose the reform you want.

Buildings

The Royal Court is a building players can add to their cities in EU5. It boosts your Crown Power by 10%. Although it takes time to gather the resources needed to build it, the benefits to your kingdom make it a worthwhile investment, and players should prioritize constructing it.

Laws

You can increase your Crown Power by passing certain laws. For instance, the “Favor the Ruler” law, found under Estate Laws, gives you a 20% boost to Crown Power. To enact it, go to the Government tab, click on Laws, then select “Favor the Ruler” from the Estate Laws section. Keep in mind that changing laws costs stability, so be careful not to run out!

Values

The Centralization value is very powerful, increasing your Crown Power by 50%. Shifting your country from Decentralization to Centralization can take time, but you should always be looking for ways to make monthly progress towards it and prevent setbacks. You can influence this through options in the Estates menu of the Country tab, and track your progress in the Values menu of the Government tab.

Cabinet

If you appoint a cabinet member who is connected to the Crown Estate, your Crown Power increases by 12.5%. Promoting a Crown Estate cabinet member to Head of the Cabinet gives you an additional 25% Crown Power. To add these characters to your cabinet, go to the Government tab, select the Cabinet menu, and choose a character linked to the Crown when assigning a position. You can then promote that character to Head of the Cabinet by clicking their portrait and selecting the promotion option.

Ruler’s Administrative Ability

Your ruler’s skill in administration directly impacts your kingdom’s strength. While you can’t always get the ruler you want with high administrative stats, you can influence the future by educating your children with a focus on administration in EU5.

Why Crown Power Matters in Europa Universalis 5

As a huge fan of EU5, I’ve really come to appreciate how important Crown Power is. Basically, the higher your Crown Power, the better things get! One of the biggest perks is a boost to your Trade Income – it directly translates to a bigger percentage of trade revenue going straight to your treasury, which is amazing for building up your economy. But it’s not just about money! Crown Power also makes your cabinet more efficient and even lowers your building upkeep costs. You can easily see exactly what benefits you’re getting from your current Crown Power – just go to the Government tab, click on Estates, and hover over the crown percentage. It’s a really useful way to track your progress!

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2025-11-07 19:05