Sir Edward Petre, 3rd Baronet facts for kids
Sir Edward Petre was an English Jesuit priest. He lived from 1631 to 1699. He became a close advisor to King James II of England. He was also made a "privy councillor," which meant he was a trusted advisor to the king.
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Sir Edward Petre: King's Advisor
Growing Up and Education
Edward Petre was born into a Roman Catholic family. His parents were Sir Francis Petre and Elizabeth Gage. Both his parents were strong Roman Catholics. In 1649, he went to the Jesuit College at St Omer for his education. He officially joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1671.
Working for the King
Petre became a chaplain and advisor to King James II. He was a Catholic priest advising a Protestant country's king. This made him quite unpopular at the king's court. Many people were upset with King James II for being Catholic. A lot of this anger was aimed at Petre, who advised the king on religious matters.
Before James became king in 1685, Petre was a leader in his Jesuit order. King James soon made him "clerk of the closet." This was a position that did not have much political power.
Challenges and Decisions
Later in 1685, King James asked Pope Innocent XI to make Petre a bishop. A bishop "in partibus" meant a bishop without a specific church area. But the Pope said no. King James tried again in 1686 and 1687. He even asked for Petre to become a cardinal. A cardinal is a very high-ranking official in the Catholic Church. However, the Pope kept refusing.
King James even thought about making Petre an Anglican Archbishop. But the Pope would not allow it. The Pope even told Petre's superiors to tell him to be less ambitious. Despite this, Petre was made a privy councillor and Clerk of the Closet.
After he joined the Privy Council, people's dislike for Petre grew. There were many rumors about the birth of the King's son in 1688. Petre, like many others, first trusted Lord Sunderland, another advisor. But Petre was also one of the first to realize that Sunderland was not trustworthy.
Historians have different opinions about Petre's actions. People at the time also had very strong opinions about him. The Catholic Encyclopedia said he was not good at politics. It also said he did not care much about what people said about him.
Life After the King
Petre fled to France soon after William III's armies arrived in England. He stayed with King James in his exile. In 1693, he became the head of his old college at St Omer. Later, he moved to Valten in Flanders. He died there in 1699.
