The series follows Richelieu’s rise in a kingdom still shaken by the Wars of Religion. The nobility challenges royal authority, the Protestants hold their fortified strongholds, Spain maneuvers at the borders, and Louis XIII struggles to assert himself. Richelieu returns to the Council in this unstable climate. Initially reserved, he earns the king’s trust…
Born into a family very loyal to the crown, Armande du Plessis de Richelieu, fatherless, but cherished by an attentive mother, experienced the insecurity of a troubled time. However, he benefited from the protection of King Henri IV. When…
In 1616, Richelieu reappears as the bishop of the Madernie of Monsieur de Inel. As a man seeking influence at court, he must also be able to ride a horse, shoot, and court ladies, even as a member of the clergy. As the confidant of Marie…
As contemporary chroniclers report, the Duke of Buckingham fell madly in love with the Queen of France, Anita, and swore that he would make his way to her in Paris. He therefore began by besieging the Huguenot stronghold of La Rochelle on…
November 10, 1630 entered history as the “Day of the Dupes.” Marie de’ Medici, no longer Richelieu’s confidante and ally but now his worst enemy, attempted to overthrow him and raise her favourite, Marillac, to power. But the plot…
Father Joseph is on a secret mission for Richelieu. The King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus, receives financial support for his struggle against the Emperor, and Wallenstein is promised the throne of Bohemia. Richelieu, who had long sought…
The Thirty Years’ War brought France significant territorial gains, but within the country the tax burden increased, deepening poverty and popular discontent. Richelieu also provoked strong opposition among the nobility, whose privileges…
