Hugues de Lionne

Who was Hugues de Lionne?

Hugues de Lionne was a French statesman.

He was born in Grenoble, of an old family of Dauphiné. Early trained for diplomacy, he fell into disgrace under Cardinal Richelieu, but his remarkable abilities attracted the notice of Cardinal Mazarin, who sent him as secretary of the French embassy to the congress of Munster, and, in 1642, on a mission to the pope.

In 1646 he became secretary to the queen regent Anne of Austria; in 1653 obtained high office in the kings household; and in 1654 was ambassador extraordinary at the election of Pope Alexander VII. He was instrumental in forming the league of the Rhine, by which Austria was cut off from the Spanish Netherlands, and, as minister of state, was associated with Mazarin in the Treaty of the Pyrenees, which secured the marriage of Louis XIV to the infanta Maria Theresa of Spain.

At the cardinals dying request he was appointed his successor in foreign affairs, a position he held from April 3, 1663 to September 1, 1671. Among his most important diplomatic successes were the Treaty of Breda, the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and the sale of Dunkirk.

He died in Paris in 1671, leaving memoirs. His friend Arnauld de Pomponne replaced him as secretary of State.