Paul de Foix

Paul de Foix de Carmain (1528–1584) was a French prelate and diplomat. He was son of Jean de Foix, comte de Carmain, by his wife Aldonce. He studied Greek and Roman literature at Paris, and jurisprudence at Toulouse, where shortly after finishing his curriculum he delivered a course of lectures on civil law, which gained him great reputation.

At the age of nineteen he was named councillor of the parlement of Paris. He was arrested on suspicion of harbouring Huguenot sympathies, but escaped punishment, and subsequently regained the favour of the French court.

At the end of 1561 he was sent ambassador to England, where he remained four years. He went to Scotland to visit Mary, Queen of Scots in December 1561, and took part in a tournament of "running at the ring" at Leith dressed in exotic costume.

In June 1565, Elizabeth was not pleased at news of plans for the wedding of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry, Lord Darnley, and while playing a game of chess she spoke to Paul de Foix of her fury. They discussed Darnley as her pawn. De Foix also kept Charles IX of France informed of developments in Ireland and the Scottish queen's support of Shane O'Neill.

He was then sent to Venice, and returned a short time afterwards to England to negotiate a marriage between Queen Elizabeth and the duke of Anjou. He again fulfilled several important missions during the reign of Henry III of France. In 1577 he was made archbishop of Toulouse, and in 1579 was appointed ambassador to Rome, where he remained till his death.

Les Lettres de Messire de Paul de Foix, archevesque de Toloze et ambassadeur pour le roy aupres du pape Gregoire XIII, au roi Henry III, were published in 1628, but there are some doubts as to their authenticity.

In fiction
In the 1998 film Elizabeth, he was portrayed by Eric Cantona.