Richelieu was called to the court of young Louis XIII, during the regency of the Queen Mother, Marie De' Medici. As minister of state, he continued in office when Louis became a somewhat vacillating monarch. He was given the cardinal's cap in 1622, and in the ensuing years, he saved his king a good many disasters, and greatly advanced the military glory of France. The king resented the dominance of the cardinal, but Richelieu gave little heed and continued to fight the king's enemies persistently in the interests of both the king and himself. His last act was to circumvent the conspiracy of the king's brother, Gaston, who with the support of rebellious nobles sought to end the reign of Louis, and lift himself to the throne...