Cardinal Richelieu: biography of the historical personality

Cardinal Richelieu was born in Paris on September 5, 1585. His father was one of the closest associates of King Henry III, chief justice of France, Francois du Plessis. At the age of nine, the boy was sent to Navarra College, later he studied at a high school in Paris. In 1606, the future Cardinal Richelieu received his first post, being appointed Lusonic bishop. For several years the young priest lived in Poitiers, where his diocese was. However, after the death of King Henry IV, the young man returns to Paris to join one of the political trends to which he sympathized. This happened in 1610.

The beginning of political career

Very soon he started new acquaintances in the capital, to no small extent contributed to his further rise. An important event was the meeting of the young bishop with Conchino Konchini - the favorite of the widowed Queen Maria de 'Medici. The Italian appreciated the flexibility of his mind and the education of Richelieu, becoming his protege and inviting him to join the so-called "Spanish" party. Very soon, Richelieu turned into one of the most important counselors of the regent.

Participation in palace intrigues and a link

In 1615 an important event takes place in France: the young King Louis XIII is married to the Spanish princess Anne of Austria. Richelieu becomes the confessor of the newly-born queen. And a year later, in fact, all the international affairs of the French crown are in his hands. In 1617, the matured king decides to get rid of Conchino Konchini. With this task, hired assassins were sent to the latter. Richelieu, through his agents, received news of the upcoming event in advance. But instead of trying to prevent the murder, the young intriguer made a classic bet: he preferred to change his patron to a more powerful one. However, the calculation was incorrect. Appearing in the morning to the court of the king with congratulations, he received a cold reception instead of the expected greetings and was in fact expelled from the court for seven long years. At first he was removed to Blois, along with Maria Medici (the mother of the young king), and later to Lyuson.

The brilliant years of the French Cardinal

In 1622, Richelieu was consecrated into a new church order: he is now 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 escalating intrigues inside the state that threatened France, and in particular the Bourbons, with the loss of their sovereignty in the face of the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs. The King simply needed an experienced man in these affairs who would be able to normalize the situation in the higher circles of the aristocracy. He became Cardinal Richelieu. 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 very productively created this by his actions: the rebellious feudal lords were executed, their castles were destroyed, dueling was forbidden among aristocrats, the Huguenots movement was abolished, and the 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 significant mark not only in the political history of Europe, but also in world art. Repeatedly appeared in feature films depicting France of that time, Cardinal Richelieu. Photos and portraits of him have become one of the most recognizable in the galaxy of the most important European figures of modern times.