Chief minister of France facts for kids

The chief minister of France was an important helper to the King of France a long time ago, during a period called the Ancien Régime (which means 'Old System'). This person was sometimes called the chief minister of state (French: principal ministre d'État) or even the prime minister of France. These were not official titles, but more like job descriptions for someone who had a lot of power to help the king rule the country.

What Was a Chief Minister?

A chief minister was like the king's main assistant. Even though the king had all the power, the chief minister helped make the king's orders happen. Sometimes, if a king was away, sick, or not very interested in ruling, the chief minister became very powerful. They often made the big decisions for the country.

Most chief ministers were important members of the King's Council (which was like today's government cabinet) or came from noble families or the Catholic clergy.

After 1661, King Louis XIV decided he didn't want any one minister to be more important than others. So, the term "chief minister" stopped being used. Later, a title like 'First Minister of State' appeared, but the old informal title was gone.

The role of the First Minister of State slowly lost its importance when the French Revolution started in 1789. By 1791, when France became a constitutional monarchy (meaning the king's power was limited by a constitution), the title of First Minister disappeared completely.

Important Chief Ministers of France

Here are some of the most well-known chief ministers who helped rule France:

Picture		Name (Born–Died)	Main Job	Time in Office		Background	King (Reigned)
		Anne de Montmorency (1493–1567)	Grand Master of France	1 January 1515	June 1541	Noble	Francis I (1515–1547)
			A close friend of King Francis I. He helped France make alliances and fought in wars. He also made French the official language of government.
		Claude d'Annebault (1495–1552)	Admiral of France	June 1541	31 March 1547	Noble
			A war hero who became a Marshal of France. He helped make peace with Emperor Charles V. He lost his influence after Francis I died.
		Anne, Duke of Montmorency (1493–1567)	Grand Master of France	1 April 1547	10 August 1557	Noble	Henry II (1547–1559)
			He was a mentor to King Henry II. He helped crush a rebellion in Bordeaux. He was captured in battle and lost his power after being released.
	—	No one in this role (King Henry II ruled directly)	King of France	11 August 1557	10 July 1559	Noble
			King Henry II took over ruling himself. He won a victory at Calais but a defeat at Gravelines led to a peace treaty. He died in a tournament.
		Francis, Duke of Guise (1519–1563)	Grand Master of France	10 July 1559	5 December 1560	Noble	Queen Mother Catherine (Regent)	Francis II (1559–1560)
			A strong Catholic leader and ally of Queen Catherine de' Medici. He increased the persecution of Protestants (Huguenots). He was later assassinated.
		Michel de l'Hôpital (1507–1573)	Chancellor of France	5 December 1560	13 March 1573 †	Commoner	Charles IX (1560–1574)
			A famous lawyer who tried to bring peace during the French Wars of Religion. He helped create the Edict of Saint-Germain, which gave some rights to Protestants. He died in office.
		Cardinal René de Birague (1506–1583)	Chancellor of France	30 May 1574	24 November 1583 †	Clergy	Henry III (1574–1589)
			A close friend of Catherine de' Medici. He helped sign the Edict of Beaulieu. He died while still in his position.
		Philippe Hurault, Count of Cheverny (1528–1599)	Chancellor of France	24 November 1583	12 May 1588	Noble
			He sided with the Catholic League during the War of the Three Henrys. The King removed him from office after a major uprising in Paris.
	—	No one in this role (King Henry III ruled directly)	King of France	12 May 1588	2 August 1589	Noble
			King Henry III took over ruling himself after fleeing Paris. He was murdered while marching towards Paris.
		Maximilien de Béthune, 1st Duke of Sully (1560–1641)	Superintendent of Finances	2 August 1589	29 January 1611	Noble	Henry IV (1589–1610)
			A very loyal minister to King Henry IV. He worked to improve France's finances, built new roads, and expanded the army. He helped introduce religious tolerance for Protestants with the Edict of Nantes. He retired after Henry IV was assassinated.				Queen Mother Mary (Regent)	Louis XIII (1610–1643)
		Nicolas de Neufville, 1st Marquis of Villeroy (1543–1617)	Foreign Affairs Secretary	30 January 1611	9 August 1616	Noble
			He was an important minister for Queen Mother Marie de' Medici. He favored alliances with the Habsburg family. He eventually lost his position.
		Concino Concini, 1st Marquis d'Ancre (1569–1617)	Marshal of France	9 August 1616	24 April 1617 †	Noble
			A favorite of Queen Marie de' Medici. He was known for allowing corruption in the Court. He was murdered during a coup led by King Louis XIII.
		Charles d'Albert, 1st Duke of Luynes (1578–1621)	Grand Falconer of France	24 April 1617	15 December 1621 †	Noble	Louis XIII
			A close advisor to Louis XIII. He helped end the conflict between Marie de' Medici and Louis XIII. He died in office from illness.
	—	No one in this role (King Louis XIII ruled directly)	King of France	15 December 1621	12 August 1624	Noble
			King Louis XIII took over ruling himself. He worked to stop Huguenot rebellions and made alliances with other countries. This period saw the rise of Cardinal Richelieu.
		Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (1585–1642)	Foreign Affairs & War	12 August 1624	4 December 1642 †	Clergy
			One of France's most famous chief ministers. He worked to make the king's power stronger and reduce the power of nobles. He ended the Huguenot rebellions and created the Académie française to promote the French language. He died in office.
		Cardinal Jules Mazarin, 1st Duke of Mayenne (1602–1661)	Bishop of Metz	5 December 1642	9 March 1661 †	Clergy
			He continued Richelieu's work, helping Queen Anne and young King Louis XIV. He ended the Thirty Years' War with the Peace of Westphalia and put down a civil war called the Fronde. He died in office.				Queen Mother Anne (Regent)	Louis XIV (1643–1715)
							Louis XIV
		Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–1683)	Controller-General of Finances	9 March 1661	6 September 1683 †	Commoner
			The first commoner to lead the government. He reformed France's finances and promoted trade and industry. He also started big public works like the Canal du Midi. He died in office.
		François-Michel Le Tellier, 1st Marquis of Louvois (1641–1691)	War Secretary	7 September 1683	16 July 1691 †	Noble
			He was in charge of the army and advised Louis XIV on wars. He helped build Les Invalides for injured soldiers. He died in office.
	—	No one in this role (King Louis XIV ruled directly)	King of France	17 July 1691	1 September 1715	Noble
			Louis XIV ruled directly for many years. He completed the Palace of Versailles. He died after a very long reign.
		Cardinal Guillaume Dubois (1656–1723)	Foreign Affairs Secretary	12 September 1715	10 August 1723 †	Clergy	Duke of Orléans (Regent)	Louis XV (1715–1774)
			He helped form important alliances for France, like the Triple Alliance. He died in office.
		Philippe II, 13th Duke of Orléans (1674–1723)	Regent of the Kingdom	10 August 1723	2 December 1723 †	Noble
			He was the former Regent for the young King Louis XV. He took on the chief minister role but died less than four months later.
		Louis Henri, 7th Prince of Condé (1692–1740)	Grand Master of France	2 December 1723	11 June 1726	Noble
			He organized the marriage between Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska. He was exiled after disagreements with the king's new favorite, Bishop Fleury.
		Cardinal André-Hercule de Fleury (1653–1743)	Bishop of Fréjus	11 June 1726	29 January 1743 †	Clergy
			A close advisor to Louis XV. He worked to improve France's economy and foreign relations. He died in office.
	—	No one in this role (King Louis XV ruled directly)	King of France	29 January 1743	3 December 1758	Noble
			Louis XV ruled directly, but the country faced rising debt. Madame de Pompadour became very influential during this time. The Seven Years' War began.
		Étienne François de Choiseul 1st Duke of Choiseul (1719–1785)	Foreign Affairs & War	3 December 1758	24 December 1770	Noble
			He led France during the Seven Years' War, which resulted in France losing New France (Canada) to the British. He resigned later.
		René-Nicolas de Maupeou (1714–1792)	Chancellor of France	25 December 1770	23 August 1774	Noble
			He tried to make the king's power stronger and reduce the power of the high courts (Parlements). He resigned due to disagreements with the new King Louis XVI.				Louis XVI (1774–1792)
		Jacques Turgot (1727–1781)	Controller-General of Finances	24 August 1774	12 May 1776	Commoner
			Another commoner who became a chief minister. He tried to reform France's finances and supported France's involvement in the American Revolutionary War. He was removed from office.
		Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, 3rd Count of Maurepas (1701–1781)	Navy Secretary	14 May 1776	21 November 1781 †	Noble
			He continued the privileges of the upper classes but later supported Jacques Necker. He died in office.
		Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes (1717–1787)	Foreign Affairs Secretary	21 November 1781	13 February 1787 †	Noble
			A skilled diplomat who was key in France's support for the American Revolution. He helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris, which recognized the United States. He died in office.
		Archbishop Étienne Charles de Loménie (1727–1794)	Archbishop of Toulouse	1 May 1787	25 August 1788	Clergy
			He faced many difficulties with parliamentarians over new taxes. He resigned due to political problems.
		Jacques Necker (1732–1804)	Controller-General of Finances	25 August 1788	11 July 1789	Commoner
			Appointed by Louis XVI to fix France's financial crisis. He called for the Estates General meeting. His removal by the King helped spark the French Revolution.
		Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier, Baron of Breteuil (1730–1807)	Secretary of State	11 July 1789	16 July 1789	Noble
			His time in office was very short. The storming of the Bastille happened during his ministry, marking the start of the French Revolution. He fled France soon after.
		Jacques Necker (1732–1804)	Controller-General of Finances	16 July 1789	3 September 1790	Commoner
			He was recalled to office by Louis XVI after the Bastille fell. He later retired to Switzerland when his popularity declined.
		Armand Marc, Count of Montmorin (1745–1792)	Foreign Affairs Secretary	3 September 1790	3 September 1791	Noble
			He resigned after the death of a key political figure. He was later killed during the September Massacres.
	—	No one in this role (Legislative Assembly took control)	N/A	3 September 1791	21 September 1792	N/A
			Under the new Constitution, King Louis XVI lost most of his power. The Legislative Assembly became the real power. The monarchy ended in 1792, and the First Republic was established.

See also

• History of France
• Ancien Régime
• Prime Minister of France
• List of prime ministers of France