Sources:
L'ambassadeur et ses fonctions, volume 1, book 1, page 308, by Abraham de Wicquefort, 1682 (1715 edition)
The embassador and his functions, pages 164 to 165, by Abraham de Wicquefort, translated by John Digby, 1716
The account:
Messieurs d'Arpajoux [sic] & de Bregy, Ambassadeurs de France, estant en Pologne pendant l'interregne, & aprés le decés du Roy Uladislas, donnoient le tître de Majesté au Prince Casimir, mesme devant son élection. La Reine Christine, qui consideroit qu'on ne lui pouvoit donner ce tître, sinon à cause de sa pretention sur la Couronne de Suede, en fut fort indignée, & en fit des reproches assés forts à Chanut, Ambassadeur de France à Stocolm. Ce Ministre, qui estoit fort bien avec elle, voyant que ses mauvaises excuses ne faisoient que l'aigrir davantage, dit enfin, que la Cour de France les avoit desavoüés. Cela satisfit la Reine en quelque façon; mais pour achever de se guerir de ses inquiétudes, elle demanda à Chanut, si le Roy & la Reine Mere, en escrivant au Prince Casimir, lui donnoient le tître de Majesté: & sur ce que Chanut dit, à tout hazard, que non, quoi qu'il n'en sceust rien; elle repartit, qu'elle n'avoit donc pas sujet de se plaindre, parce que les civilités des Ambassadeurs ne font point de consequence. Au traité de la tréve, que M. d'Avaux avoit fait conclure entre la Pologne & la Suede, le Roy de Pologne n'avoit pas pris la qualité de Roy hereditaire de Suede, & avoit donné celle de Reine de Suede à Christine; & neantmoins lorsque les Ministres des deux Couronnes s'assemblerent à Lubec en l'an 1651. les Ambassadeurs de Pologne vouloient donner la qualité de Roy hereditaire de Suede à Casimir, & refuserent celle de Reine de Suede à Christine. Ce qui fut la cause la plus apparente de la séparation de l'Assemblée: quoi que d'ailleurs il y eust, de part & d'autre, fort peu de disposition à l'accommodement. La Reine avoit raison de dire, que les civilités des Ambassadeurs ne font point de consequence, lorsque ce ne sont que de simples complimens: mais il faut avoüer qu'elles font consequence lorsqu'elles sont estudiées & affectées: comme il est certain, de l'autre costé, que le refus que l'Ambassadeur fait de rendre les civilités à ceux à qui il en doit, peut avoir des consequences trés-fascheuses. Il en doit au Prince auquel il est envoyé, à son Estat & à ses Ministres; & il n'y peut manquer, sans manquer à son devoir. En arrivant sur la frontiere, il doit se faite connoistre aux Gouverneurs, & rendre aux places & aux armes du Souverain le respect, que l'on ne peut lui refuser sans l'offenser. ...
With modernised spelling:
Messieurs [d'Arpajon] et de Brégy, ambassadeurs de France, étant en Pologne pendant l'interrègne et après le décès du roi Wladislas, donnaient le titre de Majesté au prince Casimir, même devant son élection. La reine Christine, qui considérait qu'on ne lui pouvait donner ce titre sinon à cause de sa prétention sur la Couronne de Suède, en fut fort indignée et en fit des reproches assez forts à Chanut, ambassadeur de France à Stockholm.
Ce ministre, qui était fort bien avec elle, voyant que ses mauvaises excuses ne faisaient que l'aigrir davantage, dit enfin que la Cour de France les avait désavoués. Cela satisfit la reine en quelque façon, mais, pour achever de se guérir de ses inquiétudes, elle demanda à Chanut si le roi et la reine-mère, en écrivant au prince Casimir, lui donnaient le titre de Majesté; et sur ce que Chanut dit, à tout hasard, que non, quoiqu'il n'en sût rien, elle repartit qu'elle n'avait donc pas sujet de se plaindre, parce que les civilités des ambassadeurs ne font point de conséquence.
Au traité de la trêve que M. d'Avaux avait fait conclure entre la Pologne et la Suède, le roi de Pologne n'avait pas pris la qualité de roi héréditaire de Suède et avait donné celle de reine de Suède à Christine; et néanmoins, lorsque les ministres des deux Couronnes s'assemblèrent à Lübeck en l'an 1651, les ambassadeurs de Pologne voulaient donner la qualité de roi héréditaire de Suède à Casimir et refusèrent celle de reine de Suède à Christine, ce qui fut la cause la plus apparente de la séparation de l'assemblée, quoique d'ailleurs il y eût, de part et d'autre, fort peu de disposition à l'accommodement.
La reine avait raison de dire que les civilités des ambassadeurs ne font point de conséquence lorsque ce ne sont que de simples compliments, mais il faut avouer qu'elles font conséquence lorsqu'elles sont étudiées et affectées, comme il est certain de l'autre côté que le refus que l'ambassadeur fait de rendre les civilités à ceux à qui il en doit peut avoir des conséquences très fâcheuses. Il en doit au prince auquel il est envoyé, à son État, et à ses ministres, et il n'y peut manquer sans manquer à son devoir. En arrivant sur la frontière, il doit se faite connaître aux gouverneurs et rendre aux places et aux armes du souverain le respect que l'on ne peut lui refuser sans l'offenser. ...
Swedish translation (my own):
Messieurs d'Arpajon och de Brégy, franska ambassadörer, som befann sig i Polen under interregnum och efter konung Vladislavs död, gav titeln Majestät till prins Kasimir, redan före hans val. Drottning Kristina, som ansåg sig inte kunna tilldelas denna titel annat än på grund av sitt anspråk på Sveriges Krona, var mycket upprörd och framförde starka förebråelser mot Chanut, den franske ambassadören i Stockholm.
Denne minister, som var mycket god hos henne, eftersom hon såg att hans dåliga ursäkter bara gjorde henne mer förbittrad, sa till sist att Frankrikes hov hade förkastat dem. Detta tillfredsställde drottningen på något sätt, men för att fullborda botandet av hennes oro frågade hon Chanut om konungen och drottningmodern, i skrift till prins Kasimir, gav honom titeln Majestät; och när Chanut av en slump sade »nej«, fastän han inte visste något om det, svarade hon att hon därför inte hade någon anledning att klaga, ty ambassadörernas artigheter inte har några konsekvenser.
Vid den vapenvila som monsieur d'Avaux hade slutit mellan Polen och Sverige, hade konungen av Polen inte tagit egenskapen som Sveriges arvkonung och hade givit den som Sveriges drottning till Kristina; och icke desto mindre, när de två Kronornas ministrar samlades i Lübeck år 1651, ville de polska ambassadörerna ge Kasimir egenskapen som Sveriges arvkonung och vägrade Kristina att vara Sveriges drottning, vilket var den mest uppenbara orsaken till församlingens separation, även om det dessutom fanns mycket litet mottagande på båda sidor.
Drottningen hade rätt i att säga att ambassadörernas artigheter inte har någon konsekvens när de bara är enkla komplimanger, men det måste erkännas att de får konsekvenser när de studeras och påverkas, ty det är säkert från andra sidan att ambassadörens vägran att återlämna artigheter till dem som han är skyldig dem kan få mycket olyckliga konsekvenser. Han är skyldig den furste till vilken han är sänd, till hans Stat och hans ministrar, och han kan inte underlåta att göra det utan att misslyckas med sin plikt. När han anländer till gränsen måste han ge sig till känna för guvernörerna och betala suveränens platser och vapen den respekt som inte kan vägras utan att förolämpa honom. ...
English translation (by Digby):
Messieurs d'Arpajoux [sic], and de Bregy, Embassadors of France, being in Poland during the Interregnum, after the Death of King Uladislas, gave the Title of Majesty to Prince Casimir, even before his Election. Queen Christina, who consider'd that this Title could not be given him, but by reason of his Pretension to the Crown of Sweden, was very angry thereat, and made great Expostulations thereupon to Chanut, the French Embassador at Stockholm. This Minister, who was much in her Favour, seeing his bad Excuses only serv'd to exasperate her, said at last that the Court of France had disown'd them. This satisfy'd the Queen in some Measure; but that she might be perfectly cur'd of her Inquietudes, she ask'd Chanut whether the King and the Queen Mother, when they wrote to Prince Casimir, gave him the Title of Majesty? And as Chanut said, at all Adventures, no, tho' he knew nothing of the matter; she reply'd, That then she had no reason to complain, because the Civilities of Embassadors are not to be minded, being of no Consequence. In the Treaty of the Truce that Monsieur d'Avaux had brought to a Conclusion between Poland and Sweden, the King of Poland had not taken the Quality of Hereditary King of Sweden, and had given that of Queen of Sweden to Christina; yet nevertheless, when the Ministers of the two Crowns met at Lubeck, in the Year 1551 [sic], the Embassadors of Poland were for giving the Quality of King Hereditary of Sweden to Casimir, and refus'd that of Queen of Sweden to Christina: Which was the most apparent Cause of the breaking up of the Assembly; tho' otherwise there was in either of the Parties but very little Disposition to an Accommodation. The Queen was in the right to say, that the Civilities of Embassadors are of no Consequence, when they are only mere Complements: But it must be own'd that they are of Consequence, when they are study'd and affected: As it is certain on the other side, that the Refusal an Embassador makes, to pay Civilities to those to whom he owes them, may have very vexatious Consequences. Now he owes them to the Prince to whom he is sent, to his Estate, and to his Ministers; and he cannot be wanting therein, without failing in his Duty. At his Arrival on the Frontiers he ought to make himself known to the Governors, and pay, to the Places and Arms of the Sovereign, that Respect which cannot be refus'd him without offending him. ...
With modernised spelling:
Messieurs [d'Arpajon] and de Brégy, ambassadors of France, being in Poland during the interregnum after the death of King Wladislas, gave the title of Majesty to Prince Kasimir even before his election. Queen Kristina, who considered that this title could not be given him but by reason of his pretension to the Crown of Sweden, was very angry thereat and made great expostulations thereupon to Chanut, the French ambassador at Stockholm.
This minister, who was much in her favour, seeing his bad excuses only served to exasperate her, said at last that the court of France had disowned them. This satisfied the Queen in some measure; but that she might be perfectly cured of her inquietudes, she asked Chanut whether the King and the Queen Mother, when they wrote to Prince Kasimir, gave him the title of Majesty; and as Chanut said, at all adventures, no, though he knew nothing of the matter, she replied that then she had no reason to complain, because the civilities of ambassadors are not to be minded, being of no consequence.
In the treaty of the truce that Monsieur d'Avaux had brought to a conclusion between Poland and Sweden, the King of Poland had not taken the quality of hereditary king of Sweden, and had given that of queen of Sweden to Kristina; yet nevertheless, when the ministers of the two Crowns met at Lübeck, in the year [1651], the ambassadors of Poland were for giving the quality of king hereditary of Sweden to Kasimir and refused that of queen of Sweden to Kristina, which was the most apparent cause of the breaking up of the assembly; though otherwise there was in either of the parties but very little disposition to an accommodation.
The Queen was in the right to say that the civilities of ambassadors are of no consequence when they are only mere compliments, but it must be owned that they are of consequence when they are studied and affected, as it is certain on the other side that the refusal an ambassador makes to pay civilities to those to whom he owes them may have very vexatious consequences. Now, he owes them to the prince to whom he is sent, to his Estate, and to his ministers; and he cannot be wanting therein without failing in his duty. At his arrival on the frontiers he ought to make himself known to the governors and pay to the places and arms of the sovereign that respect which cannot be refused him without offending him. ...
English translation (my own):
Messieurs d'Arpajon and de Brégy, French ambassadors, being in Poland during the interregnum and after the death of King Władysław, gave the title of Majesty to Prince Kazimierz, even before his election. Queen Kristina, who considered that he could not be given this title except because of his claim to the Crown of Sweden, was very indignant and made strong reproaches to Chanut, the French ambassador in Stockholm.
This minister, who was very good with her, seeing that his poor excuses only embittered her more, finally said that the court of France had disavowed them. This satisfied the Queen in some way, but, to complete the cure of her anxieties, she asked Chanut if the King and the Queen Mother, in writing to Prince Kazimierz, gave him the title of Majesty; and when Chanut said, by chance, "no", although he knew nothing about it, she replied that she therefore had no reason to complain, because the civilities of ambassadors have no consequences.
At the truce treaty that Monsieur d'Avaux had concluded between Poland and Sweden, the King of Poland had not taken the quality of hereditary king of Sweden and had given that of queen of Sweden to Kristina; and nevertheless, when the ministers of the two Crowns assembled at Lübeck in the year 1651, the Polish ambassadors wanted to give the quality of hereditary king of Sweden to Kazimierz and refused that of queen of Sweden to Kristina, which was the most apparent cause of the separation of the assembly, although, moreover, there was on both sides very little willingness to accommodate.
The Queen was right to say that the civilities of ambassadors have no consequence when they are only simple compliments, but it must be admitted that they have consequences when they are studied and affected, as it is certain from the other side that the ambassador's refusal to return civilities to those to whom he owes them can have very unfortunate consequences. He owes it to the prince to whom he is sent, to his State, and to his ministers, and he cannot fail to do so without failing in his duty. On arriving at the border, he must make himself known to the governors and pay the sovereign's places and arms the respect that cannot be refused without offending him. ...
Above: Kristina.
Above: King Jan II Kazimierz of Poland.
Note: Monsieur d'Arpajon = Louis, duc d'Arpajon (1601-1679), marquis de Sévérac, comte de Rodez, vicomte de Montal, baron de Salvagnac, de Montclar, etc. Aside from his military career in the Thirty Years' War, he served as French ambassador to Poland.
Monsieur de Brégy = Nicolas de Flécelles, comte de Brégy (1615-1689), French ambassador to Poland, Holland, Sweden, Transylvania and Courland. His wife was Charlotte de Saumaize de Chazan (1619-1693), whose paternal uncle was Claude Saumaise (1588-1653), one of Kristina's friends and favourite scholars. She was the lady-in-waiting to Anne of Austria, Queen Regent of France, and possibly also Kristina's crush.
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