The Negotiations between Charles II and the Cardinal de Retz, 1658–59

Abstract

AT the beginning of April 1658, Charles II‘s most intimate advisers were giving up their hopes of an English rising and a royalist expedition from Flanders backed by Spanish arms. They now turned their thoughts in two other directions. The meeting of the long-drawn-out Imperial Diet at Frankfurt had given the English exiles in the Spanish Netherlands reason to believe that the house of Austria, in order to prevent further French interference in German affairs, would give support to the house of Stuart as a convenient and easy way of embarrassing Louis XIV's ally, Oliver Cromwell. It was also recollected that the Cardinal de Retz and Charles II had already had dealings with each other in Paris in 1652, so that the now-exiled Cardinal was considered as a suitable intermediary to secure Catholic support. When the postponement of the invasion of England was finally decided by the middle of the month, the crestfallen English Royalists were told that their king intended to go to Frankfurt to treat in person with the Electors. The Comte de Marchin, on whom Charles had recently bestowed the Order of the Garter, had preceded him with letters of compliment to the Elector of Mainz and the Spanish ambassador, the Conde de Peñaranda. This plan did not develop very far and, by June, a visit by the king to Spain was being hopefully encouraged by Henry Bennet, the royalist ambassador in Madrid.