François de Bassompierre

François de Bassompierre (12 April 1579 – 12 October 1646) was a French courtier.

In 1614, he assisted Marie de’ Medici, queen mother, in her struggle against the nobles, but upon her failure in 1617 remained loyal to the young king Louis XIII and assisted the royalists when they routed Marie’s supporters at Les Ponts-de-Cé in 1620.

He became implicated in the plot to overthrow the Cardinal Richelieu on the “Day of the Dupes” in 1630. His involvement was minor but his wife was an intimate friend of Marie de’ Medici, and her hostility to the cardinal aroused his suspicions. By Richelieu’s orders, Bassompierre was arrested at Senlis on February 25, 1631, and put into the Bastille, where he remained until after Richelieu’s death in 1643.  On his release his offices were restored to him, and he passed most of his time at the castle of Tillières in Normandy, until his death.

• Wikipedia article on François de Bassompierre

• Wikipedia for background, portrait.