Le duc de Broglie - Le Secret du Roi - 1878

2 volumes, 8vo, half morocco, 460; 617 pages - Light wear on the outside, interior very fresh - Good copy.
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Le Secret du Roi is one of the most important historical works by Albert de Broglie (1821-1901). The book is devoted to the diplomatic secret of Louis XV, a parallel system of correspondence and espionage that the king had organized on the fringes of official diplomacy. Broglie relies in particular on the correspondence and diplomatic documents of the time.

What is "the King’s Secret"?

Under Louis XV, France had official diplomacy led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. But the king also set up a confidential network: "the Secret".

Its agents receive their instructions directly from the king and can sometimes act without the knowledge of the foreign minister.

The aim was to allow Louis XV to pursue his own diplomatic objectives, sometimes different from those of his government.

The role of the Chevalier d'Éon

One of the book’s most famous figures is Charles de Beaumont, Chevalier d'Éon, diplomat and royal secret agent.

The Secret intervenes notably in relations with Russia, Prussia, England and Poland. Louis XV sought to maintain several diplomatic options at the same time and to prepare, in the greatest secrecy, certain European projects.

The network also includes diplomats, agents and correspondents stationed in various European capitals.

Louis XV and Frederick II

A substantial portion of the work concerns the complex relations between Louis XV and Frederick II of Prussia.

Louis XV regarded Prussia as an important but dangerous power. The French king thus sought to keep an eye on Frederick II, to learn his intentions and to influence European events.

The Secret thus becomes an instrument that allows the king to conduct personal diplomacy, particularly active in the years before and after the Seven Years’ War.

The problem of the system

Broglie, however, shows the contradictions and weaknesses of the King’s Secret.

The main issue is the coexistence of two French diplomacies:
- Official diplomacy → led by ministers;
- Secret diplomacy → conducted directly in the name of the king.

This situation leads to contradictions, misunderstandings, and sometimes initiatives that harm France’s official policy.

Louis XV wanted to retain personal control over foreign affairs, but his system eventually became difficult to manage.

The End of the Secret

After the upheavals of European politics, and in particular the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), the system gradually lost its effectiveness. Louis XV’s death in 1774 marked the definitive end of this personal diplomacy.

Broglie thus shows how a king who sought to strengthen his personal power ended up creating a complex, costly, and sometimes contradictory diplomatic system.

Le Secret du Roi recounts the existence of a clandestine diplomacy established by Louis XV alongside official diplomacy, and shows how this network of secret agents allowed the king to pursue his own European ambitions while provoking many contradictions in French foreign policy.