Antoine de Guiscard facts for kids
Antoine de Guiscard (born 1658 – died 17 March 1711), also known as the Marquis de Guiscard, was a French person who became a spy. He worked for both the French and British governments, making him a "double agent." On 8 March 1711, he tried to harm Robert Harley, a very important British leader, during a meeting at Whitehall.
Guiscard was about to be accused of working against the British government. One reason he might have attacked Harley was that Harley had cut his British payment in half.
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Who Was Antoine de Guiscard?
Antoine de Guiscard was born into an important French family in 1658. His older brother was the Count de Guiscard, who became the first French Governor of Namur. While Antoine often called himself a Marquis, some people questioned if he truly had that title.
Early Life and Changes
Antoine first became a priest. However, his actions meant he could not continue in that role. He then decided to become a soldier. He fought alongside his brother in several military campaigns. Later, he had to leave the French Royal Court because of a serious problem.
Becoming a Spy
After leaving the French Court, Guiscard joined the Camisard rebellion. This was a group fighting against the French King. When the rebellion failed, he traveled around Europe. He offered his services to any country that was against France.
In 1705, Guiscard arrived in England. He tried to get the British government interested in his plans to defeat France. He told officials, like diplomat Richard Hill, that he could start a revolt among people in parts of France. He also claimed he knew many French spies working for King Louis XIV.
Working for Queen Anne
By 1706, Guiscard had convinced Queen Anne's government to pay him money regularly. They also considered his idea of leading an invasion of Normandy in France to support the planned uprising. He was even given command of a group of soldiers for this mission. However, the landing in Normandy never happened.
Over time, Guiscard did not provide much useful information. Because of this, the British government trusted him less and less. His payments also started to decrease.
The Attack on Robert Harley
In 1711, Antoine de Guiscard was very angry about not getting enough recognition or money. He secretly started working with the French government again. The British quickly found out about his secret plans. This led to his arrest.
The Council Meeting
Guiscard was brought before the British Council. During this meeting, he tried to harm Robert Harley. It is not known why he was allowed to have a knife with him. Perhaps security was not very strict at the time.
Harley was hurt but recovered. People believed he survived because he was wearing a fancy gold waistcoat. This thick clothing helped protect him from the knife.
Guiscard's End
After the attack, several members of the Council fought back against Guiscard. He was badly wounded, most likely by James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde. Guiscard died just over a week later in Newgate Prison.
Political Impact
The attack on Harley had big political effects. Harley's popularity had been going down, but it quickly rose again. People across the country were happy he survived. Even his political rivals praised his bravery.
See Also
Images for kids
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Robert Harley by Jonathan Richardson.jpg
Robert Harley, the British statesman attacked by Guiscard.
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James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, who fought back against Guiscard.
