The coded language of Charles V and the marriage of Mary Tudor
Abstract
This study aims to disclose one of the secret codes used by Charles V in his letters written in French and sent to his ambassador, Simon Renard, between 1549 and 1554. This research will focus on an encrypted letter sent in 1554 and preserved in the Bibliothèque municipale de Besançon. It will show how this cipher language was used to speak about the marriage between Mary Tudor and Philip of Spain. This letter will be used as an example of the kind of content that was likely to be encrypted. We will then explain how the cipher worked and how the French language was codified in order to safeguard the secrets of the empire.
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