ABSTRACT
From the 1660s, first d'Estrades, and later d'Avaux, were in frequent contact with various members of the Amsterdam ruling group, sometimes openly as part of their official duties, but often in secret. Amsterdam regents were 'elected' to the vroedschap for life and the majority of the 36 members were drawn from a large but well established network of families. The French ambassadors' appointments might have been more susceptible to the political whims of the king, but, like the Amsterdam regents, they were confident in their knowledge of negotiations at the official, secret, and unofficial levels. D'Estrades was working with the Dutch at a time of internal upheaval and war and was less successful than d'Avaux at getting to the heart of the Amsterdam government, but he had set the precedent for working with the Amsterdam regents. The Amsterdammers were constantly harking back to the past, clinging to the belief that French trade was essential for their own economic success.
