Nicholas Oudart facts for kids
Nicholas Oudart (died 1681) was an important official who worked for kings and princes. He was a secretary for King Charles I and King Charles II of England. He also worked for William of Orange in the Netherlands.
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A Life of Service
Nicholas Oudart was born in Mechelin, a city in what is now Belgium. He came to England thanks to Sir Henry Wotton. Nicholas studied at Oxford and Cambridge universities. He even studied medicine!
In 1640, Nicholas worked as a secretary for the English ambassador, Sir William Boswell, in The Hague. In 1641, he became an assistant to Sir Edward Nicholas, who was a very important government official called the Secretary of State.
Helping the King in Secret
When Sir Edward Nicholas left England in 1646, Nicholas Oudart stayed behind. He sent secret letters to Sir Edward. These letters used a clever trick: lemon juice as invisible ink! This meant the messages could only be read when heated.
In 1647, Nicholas Oudart helped King Charles I directly. He wrote down what the king said during important meetings. These meetings were with people from Parliament at Newport, Isle of Wight. Nicholas even wrote a message from the king to his son, Prince Charles.
Working for Royalty
Around 1651, Nicholas Oudart became the secretary for Princess Mary of Orange. He held this job until she passed away in 1661. After returning to England, he became a gentleman of the privy chamber for King Charles II in 1662.
In 1666, he became the Latin secretary to King Charles II. This meant he handled all the king's letters written in Latin. He kept this important job for the rest of his life. Nicholas often traveled to the Netherlands for his work.
Caught in a War
In 1666, Nicholas Oudart and Sir George Downing were even put in prison in Holland! This happened during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, a conflict between England and the Netherlands. They were caught up in a tricky situation between the two countries.
Nicholas Oudart was a smart man. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1667. This was a group of important scientists and thinkers. He knew famous people like John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys. Nicholas Oudart passed away in 1681 and was buried at Westminster Abbey.
His Writings
Nicholas Oudart wrote down what he saw during the Treaty of Newport talks in 1648. This was an important meeting between the King and Parliament. His detailed account was later printed in a book called Desiderata Curiosa.
He also helped with a famous book called Eikon Basilike. A copy of this book, written in Nicholas Oudart's own handwriting, was used by the printer.
His Family
In 1655, Nicholas Oudart married Eva Tortarolis. She was a wealthy woman from Leyden. They had three daughters together. Their daughters were named Barbara, Amelia Isabella, and Dorothy.
