Women's Place in Diplomacy through the French Diplomatic Correspondences (Early 17th Century)
Résumé
In the early seventeenth century, while women could occasionally be requested to take part, or even to lead, some diplomatic negotiations, they seemed to be excluded from the daily practice of French diplomacy. Official diplomatic offices were indeed reserved for men – only men could be appointed as ambassadors, residents, agents or even as official informants. No official diplomatic or political charge could be assigned to a woman. Women were, however, omnipresent at the court: they were the wives of ambassadors, ministers, princes or kings and participated as such to the court life. European sociability relied on them.