Chief Minister of France
His residence in Rome did not last long, as he returned to Paris in December 1642, after the death of Richelieu, succeeding him as Chief Minister of France.
King Louis XIII died in 1643. His successor, Louis XIV, was only five years old at the time and his mother, Anne of Austria, ruled in his place until he came of age. Mazarin helped Anne expand her power from the more limited power her husband had left her. Mazarin functioned essentially as the co-ruler of France alongside the queen during the regency of Anne, and until his death in 1661 at Vincennes, Mazarin effectively directed French policy alongside the monarch. His modest manner contrasted with the imperiousness of Richelieu, and Anne was so fond of him and so intimate in her manner with him that there were long-standing rumors that they had been secretly married and that the Dauphin was their offspring.
Read more about this topic: Cardinal Mazarin
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