Les règles du jeu: The Decline and Fall of Sully,1610-17

On the eve of Henri IV’s assassination in May 1610 the duke of Sully, the king’s most powerful minister, seemed invincible. Less than a year later he tendered the queen regent, Marie de Medici, his two most important offices, thus ending his political career. In his memoirs Sully claimed he resigned on principle and blamed his enemies for turning Marie against him. These claims have been accepted by most historians. Analysis of his actions in light of the early modern codes which governed social and political noble conduct - ‘the rules of the game’ - demonstrates that although he had enemies, Sully’s own behaviour, especially during 1610-17, was crucial to his political demise.