Philibert du Croc facts for kids

Arms of du Croc: A golden shield with two green stripes. It has a marquis's crown and is supported by two lions.

Philibert du Croc (born 1515 – died 1587) was an important French diplomat during the Renaissance period.

He came from a noble family in the French region of Auvergne. Philibert du Croc was a close friend and helper to the powerful House of Guise family. He worked as an ambassador for France in Scotland in 1566-1567 and again in 1572.

Early Life and Family Background

Philibert du Croc's family name comes from a place called "le Croc." This area is near the town of Thiers in central France. His father, Gilbert du Croc, was a brave soldier in the French army. Gilbert died in 1528 during a war in Naples. Philibert's mother was Philippe de Sailhans, who also came from a very old and respected family in Auvergne.

Philibert began his military training in 1527 when he was quite young. He joined the royal court around 1540 or 1542. In 1542, he married Renée de Malvoisin.

Working as a Courtier and Diplomat

A document signed by Mary, Queen of Scots. It talks about Philibert du Croc becoming her first cup-bearer. This was written in French in Blois on November 12, 1559.

On July 25, 1544, Philibert du Croc became a cup-bearer for the Dauphin. The Dauphin was the prince who would later become King Henry II in 1547. During this time, du Croc traveled a lot. He was sent by the king on many missions to places like England, Scotland, and Flanders.

In 1558, Francis, Duke of Guise invited him to important meetings. These meetings led to the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559. After King Henry II died, his son Francis II became king. Du Croc was sent to Edinburgh with letters from the new king and his wife, Mary Stuart. The letters were for Mary's mother, Mary of Guise, who was ruling Scotland. They announced that French soldiers were coming to help her against the Protestant rebels.

On November 12, 1559, Philibert was made cup-bearer to Mary Stuart, who was also Queen of France. He stayed with her until she returned to Scotland in August 1561. This happened after her husband, Francis II, died. Mary's young brother-in-law, Charles IX, became the new king of France. His mother, Catherine de Medici, ruled for him. Du Croc continued to work on different diplomatic missions for the French crown. In February 1563, the Queen Mother sent him to Scotland. His job was to tell Mary Stuart that her uncle, Francis, Duke of Guise, had been murdered. He went to Scotland again in May 1563. This trip was for talks about Mary Stuart possibly marrying Charles II, Archduke of Austria.

Ambassador in Scotland: 1565-1567

In 1565, Philibert du Croc was given new titles. He became master of the household and a member of the Regular Council for the King of France. He was then sent as an ambassador to Mary Stuart in Scotland. He sent reports back to Paris about serious events. One was the murder of David Rizzio, Mary's private secretary, on March 5, 1566. Mary's husband, Lord Darnley, was involved in this crime.

After the birth of James VI on June 19, 1566, du Croc tried to help Mary Stuart and Lord Darnley make up. James VI was their son. But du Croc's efforts to bring them together did not work.

On December 17, 1566, du Croc took part in the baptism of Prince James at Stirling Castle. He helped carry the baby from his room to the chapel. The Count of Brienne was also there, representing King Charles IX, who was the baby's godfather. Du Croc wrote about this event in a letter to the Archbishop of Glasgow. Lord Darnley was at the castle but stayed in his own rooms. Du Croc refused to meet him because Darnley was not in the queen's good graces. He even sent a message saying he would leave by another door if Darnley came to his rooms.

Philibert du Croc was the one who told the King of France about the murder of Lord Darnley. This happened on February 10, 1567. As the French ambassador, he also reported on other terrible events that year. These included Mary Stuart's marriage to Lord Bothwell. He also reported on the fight between the queen and the Scottish lords. Finally, he reported on the queen's surrender and her imprisonment. Du Croc tried to help solve these problems until the very end. He also asked to visit the captive queen at Lochleven Castle, but his request was not granted. He left Scotland in early July 1567, feeling that his presence there was no longer useful.

Royal Assignments: 1567-1572

Back in France, Philibert du Croc continued to serve the king. This was a difficult time because of the wars of religion. In October 1568, the king ordered him to return to Auvergne. His job was to help keep that region loyal to the crown. Du Croc likely had many missions to negotiate with Protestants. For example, in early 1570, he went to La Rochelle. This city was a Protestant stronghold. He went there to reassure the people after they had submitted to the king.

In August of the same year, he was asked to get a loan for King Charles IX from wealthy people in Paris. In late 1571, the Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, became friendly with the Protestants for a few months. Du Croc was sent to tell the dukes Henri of Guise and Claude of Aumale not to bring too many people to court.

Ambassador in Scotland: 1572

In 1572, King Charles IX made Philibert du Croc a Knight of the Order of Saint Michael. He was sent back to Scotland as an ambassador that same year. The King of France told him to work on stopping the fighting in the Scottish civil war. He was also told to help the two sides make peace. His mission also included visiting Mary Stuart, who was a prisoner in England at Sheffield Castle. He was to ask Elizabeth I to release Mary and let her go to France.

Du Croc left France in late February 1572. He traveled to Scotland through England. With the French Ambassador to England, Bertrand de Salignac, he asked Queen Elizabeth to free Mary Stuart. Elizabeth did not want du Croc to see Mary. She also did not want to send Mary to France. This was especially true after Elizabeth's agents found a secret letter. In this letter, Mary Stuart asked the Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, Duke of Alba for help from the King of Spain.

Du Croc had to wait in England until May 1572. This was after France and England signed the Treaty of Blois. Only then did Queen Elizabeth let him continue his journey to Scotland for his peace mission.

In Scotland, du Croc found a strange situation. The city of Edinburgh and its castle were held by lords who supported Mary Stuart. But they were surrounded by lords who supported the regent, helped by England. Both sides welcomed du Croc. However, he could only get them to agree to stop fighting for a short time. Both Scottish parties signed a two-month truce on July 30, 1572. This happened only after the queens of England and France both asked for it. The truce included a plan to gather the kingdom's leaders soon to make a lasting peace.

The King of France ordered du Croc to make sure the truce agreement was followed. The French court was hoping for an alliance and marriage between the Queen of England and the Duke of Anjou. They did not realize that the truce was actually hurting Mary Stuart's cause. It made her supporters less powerful and gave England more influence in Scotland.

Then, news arrived in Scotland about the terrible St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in France (August 24, 1572). Queen Elizabeth of England decided to use this situation to her advantage. On September 7, 1572, she sent Henry Killigrew to Scotland. Killigrew had a secret mission. He was to offer great rewards to the regent's party if they would execute Mary Stuart. Killigrew was also told to use the shock from the St. Bartholomew's Day events to turn Scots against France. Du Croc did not seem to know about Killigrew's secret mission. This plan failed because Regent Mar refused.

Elizabeth tried another plan around the same time. This time, du Croc's influence stopped it. Queen Elizabeth offered 300,000 ducats to the Earl of Morton. She wanted him to hand over the King of Scotland, James VI, who was only six years old. But du Croc managed to convince Morton not to do it.

Mary Stuart sent a coded letter to du Croc. In it, she asked him to support her cause with the French court. Du Croc sent this letter to the King of France. On September 7, the king told du Croc to respect all past treaties with the Scots. He also told him to respect the new treaty signed with the Queen of England. The truce was extended for two more months. The Scottish lords were preparing to meet to work on a peace deal. Du Croc believed his mission was done. He left Scotland in early October 1572 and returned to France.

The truce between the two rival Scottish parties did not last. The Earl of Morton became regent of Scotland on October 28, 1572. He was a pawn of Elizabeth. Mary Stuart's supporters could not defend themselves against the regent's party. England gave military help to the regent. Edinburgh fell in April 1573, and France did not send the promised help.

Later Life and Death

Philibert du Croc never went back to Scotland. In 1578, he offered to help Mary Stuart through the Archbishop of Glasgow. But Mary had become very angry with France's careless actions. She blamed du Croc for some of her problems. So, Mary Stuart turned down his offer. She said, "I completely approve of what you said to Du Croq about his journey; as I don't want to rely on him in any way; the experience I had cost me too much in the past."

Philibert du Croc retired to his land in Auvergne. But he continued to be helpful. For example, in 1583, the governor of Auvergne asked him to settle a fight between several noblemen. In April 1585, during problems with the Catholic League, King Henri III wrote to him. The king asked him to stay loyal and prevent any actions against the crown on his land. On June 20, 1585, the Duke of Montpensier thanked him. He thanked du Croc for the good help he and his son gave to the people of Thiers. He asked him to keep helping.

Philibert du Croc signed his will on May 2, 1587. He died shortly after that, in the same year as Mary Stuart.