THE SPIDER'S WEB: An Interview with Ambassador Simon Renard

We talk with the Holy Roman Emperor's most enigmatic envoy about diplomacy, loyalty, and the art of influence

RENAISSANCE WEEKLY: Ambassador Renard, you've been at the heart of English politics during some very turbulent times. How do you navigate such dangerous waters?

SIMON RENARD: [settling back in his chair with a thin smile]

One learns to observe, to listen more than one speaks, to understand what people truly want beneath what they claim to want. The English are... predictable in their way. They believe themselves subtle, but they wear their ambitions like livery. A skilled diplomat simply provides the right encouragement at the right moment.

RW: You've served His Imperial Majesty Charles V for many years. What draws you to this work?

RENARD: [steepling his fingers]

Service to the Empire is service to God and to order itself. Charles V understands that Europe requires... guidance... from those with the wisdom and strength to provide it. England, left to its own devices, falls into heresy and chaos. Not a single politician since Thomas Cromwell has the intelligence to keep a steady hand on the tiller. Instead they all panic and rock the boat. Steering the ship of state, it requires a steadying hand, gentle corrections to its course. I merely facilitate such corrections.

RW: There are whispers that you've been instrumental in recent political developments here. Care to comment?

RENARD: [chuckling softly]

Whispers? How delightful. I am merely a diplomat who occasionally offers counsel to those wise enough to seek it. If my advice proves... prescient... well, experience teaches one to recognise patterns. The young King Edward, for instance - such a sickly child, so influenced by grasping men like Northumberland. One could hardly be surprised if events were to... evolve... in certain directions.

RW: Speaking of counsel, you've developed quite a close relationship with Princess Mary. What's she like?

RENARD: [his expression warming slightly]

Her Highness is a woman of remarkable faith and strength, though she has endured much suffering. She understands the weight of duty, the sacrifices required of those born to rule. She... values... honest counsel from those who share her devotion to the true faith. Unlike some, she listens carefully and acts decisively when the moment requires it.

RW: Your work must require considerable resources and trusted associates. How do you build such networks?

RENARD: [his face becoming more guarded]

One cultivates relationships carefully. Loyalty must be earned, then tested, then rewarded appropriately. I have had several capable lieutenants over the years - men willing to undertake... difficult... assignments in service to larger purposes.

[pauses, his voice cooling]

Though I confess some have proven less reliable than initially hoped. Weakness of character reveals itself under pressure.

RW: That sounds like there's a story there...

RENARD: [waving dismissively]

Merely the natural wastage of this profession. Some men imagine themselves braver than they are, or more clever. When they fail, they often blame circumstances rather than their own inadequacies. I recently had to dismiss one such individual - sent him home to Spain where he could do no further damage.

[shrugs]

Such decisions are never pleasant, but sentiment cannot override effectiveness.

RW: Do you ever feel... isolated... in this work? It must be difficult to maintain personal relationships.

RENARD: [looking genuinely puzzled]

Isolated? I serve the greatest power in Christendom and advise future queens. Why would one feel isolated?

As for relationships... [slight smile] one learns to value quality over quantity. Those who truly understand the nature of statecraft make for far more interesting companions than those who live in comfortable ignorance.

RW: What do you see as England's future under current circumstances?

RENARD: [leaning forward intently]

England stands at a crossroads.

It can continue down its current path of heresy and chaos, growing ever more isolated from Catholic Europe, or it can return to the true faith and resume its proper place in Christendom.

[voice becoming softer, more compelling]

The choice may come sooner than many expect. When it does, those who have prepared wisely will find themselves in positions to... assist... with the transition.

RW: Any final wisdom for our readers about the art of diplomacy?

RENARD: [standing gracefully]

Remember that information is the only true currency of power. Learn everything, forget nothing, and never reveal more than necessary. Most importantly, understand that loyalty flows upward - to causes greater than oneself, to principles that outlast individual lives. Personal attachments are... expendable... when weighed against such higher purposes.

Ambassador Renard received us in his private study, surrounded by maps, dispatches, and coded correspondence. Throughout our conversation, his manner remained courteous yet calculating - a man who seemed to be analysing even our questions for hidden meanings or useful intelligence.