Éminence grise
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An éminence grise or gray eminence is a powerful decision-maker or advisor who operates covertly in a non-public or unofficial capacity.
François Leclerc du Tremblay (right, in black robes) descending the staircase of the French Palais-Cardinal. Éminence Grise by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1873)
François Leclerc du Tremblay
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François Leclerc du Tremblay, also known as Père Joseph, was a French Capuchin friar, confidant and agent of Cardinal Richelieu. He was the original éminence grise —the French term for a powerful advi
Éminence grise
…is a powerful decision-maker or advisor who operates covertly in a non-public or unofficial capacity. Originally, the French expression referred to François Leclerc du Tremblay (Père Joseph), the right-hand man of Cardinal Richelieu, the de facto ruler of France. Leclerc was a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and…
Portrait engraving (Bibliothèque Nationale de France)