I read the following: "National Security Advisor Rice, somewhat unfairly, is painted as the manipulative "Richelieu"....

Can someone enlighten me? Here is the only definition that I can find: "French prelate and politician. As chief minister of Louis XIII he worked to strengthen the authority of the monarchy and directed France during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648)."

It seems to be an error of allusion. I suspect they were thinking of Père Joseph, the éminence grise, the influential and manipulative adviser behind Cardinal Richelieu.

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
I read the following: "National Security Advisor Rice, somewhat unfairly, is painted as the manipulative "Richelieu"....

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Here is portrait [see link below] with the Cardinal adopting the pose of a secular prince, as opposed to a prince of the church.

The pose is considered "novel". We are told the pose is affected for the purpose [obviously with Richelieu's concurrence, if not at his behest] of portraying the Cardinal as a "statesman".

Obviously, Richelieu broke with tradition in entering prominently and unabashedly into affairs of state ... leaving those displaced by his boldness bemoaning his "manipulative" designs.

I don't know how to paste a url into this message so I will return when I discover the method. NOTE: The url is very lengthy. In the meantime, the portrait is available at www.nationalgallery.org.uk.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: straightarrow,

Armand-Jean du Plessis duc de Richelieu was a nobleman first, and only became the Bishop of Luçon to keep the diocese in his family. Though Père Joseph was Richelieu's man, the cardinal himself was not above manipulating the king of France into various actions ... As for princes of the Roman Church being secular, there were many before Richelieu. Cesare Borgia and his daddy Alexander VI?