Paul Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain (1569 – 21 October 1621), lord of Pontchartrain and Villesavin, was a French statesman. He served both Marie de' Medici and her son

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

during a period of conflict between Catholics and Protestants in France, the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mi ...

. He was one of the negotiators of the

Treaty of Loudun The Treaty of Loudun was signed on 3 May 1616 in Loudun, France, and ended the war that originally began as a power struggle between queen mother Marie de Medici's favorite Concino Concini (recently made Marquis d'Ancre) and Henry II de Condé, ...

in 1616.

Early years

Paul Phélypeaux was born in Blois in 1569, son of Louis Phélypeaux, lord of La Cave and La Vrillière. His family could be traced back to the 13th century. His father had married in 1557 and had five sons and three daughters. The eldest,

Raimond Raimond is both a masculine given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Raimond Aumann (born 1963), German footballer *Raimond Beccarie de Pavie, Seigneur de Fourquevaux (1508–1574), French soldier, politician a ...

, lord of Herbault and Verger, became Secretary of the King's chamber in 1590. Paul was the fourth son, born in Blois in 1569. In 1588, at the age of nineteen Phélypeaux entered the office of the minister

Louis de Revol Louis De Revol (1531 – 24 September 1594) was the first French Foreign Minister from 1589 until his death in 1594. He is considered world's first foreign minister entrusted with all foreign relations. Life and career He was born in Saint Pierr ...

to study administration. After

Henri III Henry III (french: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; pl, Henryk Walezy; lt, Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of L ...

died in 1589, Phélypeaux continued to work for Revol, who was retained as Secretary of State under

Henri IV Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

. In 1594 Revol died but Phélypeaux remained in office under his successor,

Nicolas de Neufville, seigneur de Villeroy Nicolas IV de Neufville, seigneur de Villeroy (1543 – 12 November 1617) was a secretary of state under four kings of France: Charles IX, Henry III, Henry IV, and Louis XIII. The most distinguished of all sixteenth-century French secretaries, ...

. Phélypeaux and Villeroy became connected through marriage when Villeroy's grandson Henri married Phélypeaux's niece Marie, daughter of his brother Raymond. The bond between these two families remained strong into the reign of

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

. In 1600 Phélypeaux was named secretary to Queen Marie de' Medici. In 1605 he married Anne de Beauharnais, who was to live until 1653. They had four children, one boy and three girls, including Louis I Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain (1613–1685). Paul Phélypeaux acquired the Château de Pontchartrain and its estates from Antoine de Buade de Frontenac in 1609, and became lord of Pontchartrain. In 1610 Henri IV made him Secretary of State for Protestant Affairs, saying he knew of nobody more worthy, faithful and capable. A few weeks later Henri IV was assassinated.

Statesman

Pontchartrain remained minister during the regency of queen Marie de' Medici. He set a rare example in an age of intrigue of a minister who thought only of the interests of the state, and never of his personal gain. Religious disputes had become a grave concern, threatening the peace of the kingdom. Phelypeaux took a pragmatic approach, trying to calm down passions on either side. He was one of the five deputies that the young king Louis XIII sent in 1616 to negotiate the

. The reconciliation of the queen mother with the young king was in part his work. In 1621 the peace broke down with a Protestant uprising. The king went on campaign and Pontchartrain followed him. He feel ill at the

siege of Montauban The siege of Montauban (French: siège de Montauban) was a siege conducted by the young French king Louis XIII from August to November 1621, against the Protestant stronghold of Montauban. This siege followed the siege of Saint-Jean-d'Angély, i ...

, and died at Castel-Sarrazin on 21 October 1621 at the age of fifty-two. He left memoirs that cover the events from 1610 to 1620, giving a clear and simple account of the events he had witnessed and accounts of other events, a valuable historical source. His son Louis was just nine years old when he died. Raymond Phélypeaux assumed the position of Secretary of State for Protestant Affairs, saying that he would hold it until Louis came of age, but in fact the position remained in the La Vrillière side of the family.

Bibliography

References

Notes Citations Sources * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Phelypeaux, Paul de Pontchartrain 1569 births 1621 deaths Secretaries of State of Ancien Régime France