Cardinal Richelieu was born in Paris on September 5, 1585. His father was one of the closest associates of King Henry III, the chief judge of France, François du Plessis. At nine years old, the boy was sent to Navarre College, later he studied at one of the higher schools of Paris. In 1606, the future Cardinal Richelieu received his first post, being appointed by the Bishop of Luson. For several years, the young priest lived in Poitiers, where his diocese was located. However, after the death of King Henry IV, the young man returns to Paris to join one of the political movements, which he sympathized with. This happened in 1610.
The beginning of a political career
Very soon, he made new acquaintances in the capital, which to a large extent contributed to his further rise. An important event was the meeting of the young bishop with Conchino Conchini, the favorite of the widowed Queen Maria de Medici. The Italian appreciated the flexibility of mind and the education of Richelieu, becoming his protégé and inviting him to join the so-called “Spanish” party. Very soon, Richelieu turned into one of the most important regency advisers.
Participation in palace intrigues and exile
In 1615, an important event took place in France: the young king Louis XIII was married to the Spanish princess Anna of Austria. Richelieu becomes the confessor of the new Queen. And a year later, in his hands are practically all the international affairs of the French crown. In 1617, the matured king decides to get rid of Conchino Conchini. With this task, hired killers were sent to the last. Richelieu, through his own agents, received news of the upcoming event in advance. But instead of trying to prevent the murder, the young schemer made a classic bet: he preferred to change his patron to a more powerful one. However, the calculation turned out to be incorrect. Having appeared in the morning at the king’s court with congratulations, instead of the expected greetings, he received a cold welcome and was actually expelled from the yard for seven long years. First, he was removed to Blois with Maria Medici (the mother of the young king), and later to Luson.
The brilliant years of the French Cardinal
In 1622, Richelieu was consecrated to the new church rank: now he is a Catholic cardinal. And the return to the palace happened already in 1624. This was facilitated by the reconciliation of Louis XIII with his mother. At the same time, Cardinal Richelieu became in fact the first minister of the king. This was due to the aggravated intrigues within the state that threatened France, and in particular the Bourbons, the loss of their own sovereignty in the face of the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs. The king simply needed an experienced person in these matters who would be able to normalize the situation in the upper circles of the aristocracy. Cardinal Richelieu became him. The following years were truly brilliant for the first minister of France. The basis of his program has always been the strengthening of absolutism and royal power in the country. And he created it very productively with his actions: rebel feudal lords were executed, their castles were destroyed, duels were forbidden among aristocrats, the Huguenots movement was destroyed, Magdeburg law of cities was limited. The cardinal actively supported the Protestant princes of Germany, who opposed the sovereign of the Holy Roman Empire of the German people and thereby weakened his position. In the second half of the thirties, as a result of the war with Spain, Lorraine and Alsace returned to France. Cardinal Richelieu died in December 1642 in the capital.
The legacy of the French Minister
He left a considerable mark not only in the political history of Europe, but also in world art. Cardinal Richelieu repeatedly appeared in feature films depicting France of that time. Photos and portraits of him became one of the most recognizable in the galaxy of the most important European figures of the New Age.