Armand Jean du Plessis; Cardinal-Duke of Richelieu and of Fronsac (September 1585 - 4 December 1642); commonly referred to as Cardinal Richelieu; was a French clergyman; noble and statesman. He was consecrated as a bishop in 1607 and was appointed Foreign Secretary in 1616.

Richelieu soon rose in both the Catholic Church and the French government; becoming a cardinal in 1622; and King Louis XIII's chief minister in 1624. He remained in office until his death in 1642; he was succeeded by Cardinal Mazarin; whose career he had fostered. Pictures From History Pictures From History