Anne of Austria, the daughter of King Philip III of Spain, married King Louis XIII in 1615. However, she was neglected by her husband and sought the society of the court intriguer, Mme. de Chevreuse. Anne's indiscretion, especially her flirtation with the Duke of Buckingham, injured her reputation. Her loyalty to Spain and her strong Roman Catholic background made her suspect after France's alliance with the Protestant nations in the Thirty Years War. Anne was accused by the French Minister of State, Cardinal Richelieu, of treasonable correspondence with Spain but was pardoned. Contrary to the express wish of her husband before his death, she was granted by Parliament full powers as regent for her son, Louis XIV. She entrusted the government to Cardinal Mazarin, whom she supported during the wars of the Fronde in France. After Mazarin's death in 1661, her son excluded her from participating in the affairs of state.

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