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, Francois du Plessis. At the age of nine, the boy was sent to Navarre College, later he studied at one of the higher schools in Paris. In 1606, the future Cardinal Richelieu received his first office, being appointed Bishop of Luçon. 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 with which he sympathized. 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 Concino Concini, the favorite of the widowed Queen Marie de Medici. The Italian appreciated the flexibility of mind and education of Richelieu, becoming his protégé and inviting him to join the so-called "Spanish" party. Very soon, Richelieu became one of the most important advisers to the regent.
Participation in palace intrigues and exile
In 1615 in France, theimportant event: the young king Louis XIII is married to the Spanish princess Anna of Austria. Richelieu becomes the confessor of the new queen. A year later, in fact, all the international affairs of the French crown are in his hands. In 1617, the grown-up king decides to get rid of Concino Concini. With this task, assassins were sent to the latter. Richelieu, through his own agents, received news of the impending 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 turned out to be wrong. Appearing in the morning to the court of the king with congratulations, instead of the expected greetings, he received a cold welcome and was actually expelled from the court for a long seven years. He was first removed to Blois with Marie de Medici (mother of the young king), and later to Luçon.
Brilliant years of the French cardinal
In 1622, Richelieu was ordained a new church rank: now he is a Catholic cardinal. And the return to the palace took place already in 1624. This was facilitated by the reconciliation of Louis XIII with his mother. At the same time, Cardinal Richelieu becomes the de facto first minister of the king. This was due to the intensified intrigues within the state, which threatened France, and in particular the Bourbons, with 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 highest circles.aristocracy. It was 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 created this very productively by his actions: the rebellious feudal lords were executed, their castles were destroyed, duels among aristocrats were banned, the Huguenot movement was destroyed, the Magdeburg right 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.
French minister's legacy
He left a considerable 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 became one of the most recognizable among the most important European figures of the New Age.
