Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu
9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642

known as Cardinal du Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as "the Red Eminence" He was chief minister to King Louis XIII of France from 1624 to 1642. His major goals were the establishment of royal absolutism in France and the end of Spanish-Habsburg hegemony in Europe.



Interesting facts

1) Cardinal Richelieu is one of the central characters in Alexandre Dumas' novel "The Three Musketeers";
2) he always wore red;
3) Richelieu himself commanded the troops during the siege of La Rochelle in 1627-1628;
4) Cardinal Richelieu created a personal guard, which worked in parallel with the royal troops of the musketeers;
5) The cardinal was very fond of cats. According to some reports, he had about 20 cats.