On the 27th of March 1027 Conrad and his wife Gisela were crowned Holy Roman Emperor and Empress by Pope John XIX. The ceremony took place in Old Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome the event took place over seven days in the presence of Cnut the Great, King of England, Rudolph III of Burgundy and around 70 senior clerics, including the Archbishops of Cologne, Mainz, Trier, Magdeburg, Salzburg, Milan and Ravenna.

Conrad was the first of the Salian dynasty, crowned king of Germany in 1024 after the death of Henry II (the last Ottonian emperor), he was also crowned king of Italy (1026) and Burgundy (1033). His reign laid the foundations for Salian dominance, with his son Henry III succeeding him.