Cardinal Richelieu

French ecclesiastic and politician. With ability, energy and extreme ambition, he became a member of the Royal Council, a Cardinal in 1622, and as chief minister to King Louis XIII, he was the virtual ruler of France from 1624-42. Called both "Iron Cardinal" and "The Red Eminence," Richelieu was an imposing figure in his red robes, distinguished and commanding. He was the acknowledged architect of France’s greatness in the 17th century, and was instrumental in establishing royal absolutism in France. Showing no mercy to his enemies, he was loyal to his king and country.

Born Armand Jean du Plessis in Paris, he took the name Richelieu from the name of his family’s estate. His family origins were insignificant, but through intermarriage, they had achieved some prominence. His father, Francois du Plessis, was grand provost to Henry III, and his mother, Suzanne de la Porte, was the daughter of a councilor of the Parliament of Paris. When he was five years old, his father died, leaving estates ruined by mismanagement, and his childhood was marked by the looming threat of penury. His mother, left to raise the family of three boys and two girls on her own, worked to reorganize their resources. In order to save a grant from Henry III, a member of the family needed to be consecrated bishop, and the obligation fell to Armand-Jean, a student at the time. Thin and pale, sickly and frail, he was not displeased by a future career in the church. Intelligent, he was a natural at debating and seemed to like the idea of governing the lives of others. At age nine, he was sent to College de Navarre in Paris, and at age 17, he began a serious study of theology. Younger than the canonical age for consecration, he went to Rome and received a papal dispensation from Paul V. On 17 April 1607, at age 22, he was ordained a priest and consecrated to the see of Luçon.