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Louis XIII

Louis XIII

Son of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis, Louis XIII reaches very young to the throne, because his father was assassinated. The agreements of Fontainebleau very quickly oblige him to marry the daughter of the King of Spain, Anne of Austria, an arrangement which seals peace between two formerly enemy countries.
He is only 23 years old when he calls the Cardinal of Richelieu to sit at the Council and to consolidate the royal authority contested by several conflicts through the provinces of the kingdom. For this reason he is not very worried by the administration of the country. If he wants sometimes to show that he is the King, he benefits also much from the pleasures of the Court.
The Queen will give him a son, Louis XIV.

(Source : Booklet Box3 IDP)

History: Louis XIII, known as the Juste, king of France and of Navarre (1601, Fontainebleau - 1643, Saint-Germain), son of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis. King since 1610, he reigned initially under the regency of her mother, who left the reins of the capacity with Concini. He married Anne of Austria in 1615 and, in 1617, he made assassinate Concini before entrusting the capacity to Luynes, which entered in conflict with the large ones of the kingdom and fought the Protestants. With death of Luynes, a trouble period began which ceased only with the nomination of Richelieu as head of the Council in 1624. During more than twenty years, the king and Richelieu followed a policy aiming at limiting the privileges whose the Protestants enjoyed since the edict of Nantes, to affirm the royal autority against the Large ones and to make stopping with expansionnism of Habsbourgs in Europe. In 1638 was born his elder son Louis Dieudonné, the future Louis XIV, and in 1640 his junior, Philippe.
Authoritative and underhand monarch, Louis XIII did not let anything decide without his assent; rather than an alliance with Spain, decided by his mother and the catholic party, he chooses with Richelieu to be combined with the Protestant powers, and could preserve his minister against winds and tides; he intervened in the thirty year old war against Austria and dedicated the kingdom of France to the Virgin in 1638. He died five months after Richelieu.

Louis XIII
Anne d'Autriche

Anne d'Autriche

Anne d'Autriche is the Queen of France. She was born in Madrid, daughter of Philippe III of Spain and Marguerite of Austria. Her marriage with the king Louis XIII is the continuation of a long arrangement aiming at bringing closer France with Spain and putting an end to centuries of conflicts. For this reason she is not really in love with her husband. She moreover is hated by Richelieu who never approved this marriage and who constantly is suspicious, blaming her of espionage. Her feelings, she keeps them to the Duke of Buckingham, even if their love can not be lived at the great day. Thus she does not hesitate to be in the embarrassment by offering her collar of tags to him.

(Source : Booklet Box2 IDP)

History: Infante of Spain, born at Valladolid (1601 - 1666), daughter of the king Philippe III, queen of France by her marriage with Louis XIII (1615), regent (1643 - 1661) during the minority of Louis XIV, his son. She controlled with the assistance of Mazarin.

Anne d'Autriche
Le Cardinal de Richelieu

Le Cardinal de Richelieu

From his true name Armand Jean of Plessis, the Cardinal of Richelieu is the regent of the kingdom of France. He particularly deals with the collection and the distribution of the finances of the State. He was called by the King Louis XIII who, at the beginning of his reign, was still very young and missed experiment.
For this reason Richelieu enjoys a considerable influence to the palace. But to be only the number two of the country does not seem to be enough for him. Moreover, he hates Anne of Austria and thus he requests Milady to carry out his lowest blows. Rochefort also appears among his right-hand men.

(Source : Booklet Box 4 IDP)

History: Armand Jean of Plessis, duke of Richelieu. Born in Paris in 1585, Armand Jean of Plessis, initially intended for the military career, becomes bishop of Luçon in 1607 following the renunciation of his brother of this évêché. Delegated clergy to the States General of 1614, he pointed out there of the queen mother Marie de Médicis who calls him with the Council and entrusts the Foreign Affairs in 1616 to him. He shares the disgrace of the queen after the execution of Concini. But its efforts to reconcile Louis XIII and his mother are worth the confidence of the king to him, confirmed in a bright way at the time of the "November Day of Dupes" (9, 1630) and which will not be contradicted any more. Since 1624, "principal minister", he undertakes the restoration of the royal authority opposite the agitation of the nobility and Protestant particularism. He reforms the state, encourages the trade and supports artistic and literary creation. At outside, he benefits from the Thirty Year old War to break the surrounding of France by Habsbourg monarchy: he maintains the war between Spain and the United Provinces, supports the Protestant princes against Spain and the emperor. By the invasion of Valteline then of Savoy, France cuts the communications between Austria, Italy and Spain. When in 1634, the peace of Prague reconciles the German emperor and princes, Richelieu manages to maintain a party of the war in the Empire, and France enters openly in conflict against Spain. The catch of Arras, the support given to the revolts of Catalonia and Portugal against Spain give the advantage to France when he dies in 1642

Richelieu
Le Duc de Buckingham

Le Duc de Buckingham

This figure of the English nobility, near of the king Henry VIII, is the secret suitor of the Queen of France, Anne of Austria. At that time, the relationship between France and England are strained and the Duke is dispatch in Paris in order to arrange a marriage, for a lasting peace. It is on this occasion that he meets the Queen who has a true love at first sight with him. But their love is impossible, nevertheless, in pledge of her love, she offers him a necklace of diamond tags that the Duke then makes go up out of pin in order to raise it. Richelieu will use this secrect to compromise the Queen...

(Source : Booklet Box 2 IDP)

History: George Villiers, duke of Buckingham. British minister, born in Brooksby (Leicestershire, 1592 - 1628), favourite of kings Jacques 1st and Charles 1st. He attracted himself, by his compromisings, the hatred of the English members of Parliament. He prepared to help La Rochelle when he was assassinated by a puritan officer.

Buckingham
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