Secretary of State (Ancien Régime)

The Secretary of State was the name of several official governmental positions – supervising war, foreign affairs, the navy, the king's household, the clergy, Paris, and Protestant affairs – during the Ancien Régime in France, roughly equivalent to the positions of governmental ministers today. The positions were created in 1547, but gained in importance only after 1588. The various secretaries of state were considered part of the Great Officers of the Crown of France.

Secretaries of State first appeared in 1547 under the reign of Henry II, but only gained in importance from 1588 on. The various secretaries of state were from that point on considered part of the Great Officers of the Crown of France.

At their creation, there were four secretaries of state, but at various times in their history there appeared five. Under Louis XV there were five secretaries in September 1718 (at the death of Guillaume Dubois) and again from 1763 to 1780, when fifth department was created for Henri Léonard Jean Baptiste Bertin dealing with financial affairs.

At the death of Louis XIV, the Regent Philippe II, Duke of Orléans suppressed the secretaries of state, relying instead on a collegial system of government, called the Polysynody, which lasted from 1715-1718. Instead of secretaries, their duties were handled by a Council of State, composed of various subcouncils of war, foreign affairs, the navy, etc. The slowness of this system proved ineffective, and the secretaries of state were brought back.

Each secretary of state was the head of a specialized department of state with a functional area of expertise (War, Foreign Affairs, the Navy, the Maison du Roi, Protestant Affairs) and a geographical area of expertise (several provinces). The secretaries gave council to the king, and countersigned (or co-signed) and expedited royal decisions (edicts and declarations).

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