PARKER ALWYN 1877-1951: Material collected for a biography of Cardinal Alberoni

Material collected by Parker for a biography of Cardinal Alberoni (1664-1752).

Alwyn Parker 1877-1951

Parker was educated at Harrow and also studied in Germany.

Attache 1900; 3rd Secretary, 1902; Junior Clerk, 1906; Assistant Clerk, 1912; head of the Contraband Dept Foreign Office, 1914-1917; Librarian of the Foreign Office, 1918; served in St Petersburg; granted an allowance for knowledge of Russian and passed an examination in Public Law; commissioned as Counsellor of Embassy in HM Diplomatic Service while attending the Peace Conference at Paris in 1919; was Private Secretary to Lord Hardinge of Penshurst; resigned Foreign Office, 1919; Adviser on reorganisation of Communications Department, Foreign Office, September-December, 1939.

Alberoni, Giulio 1664-1752

Alberoni was an Italian statesman in the Spanish service, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was appointed (1713) representative of the Duke of Parma at the court of Philip V of Spain (1683-1746). Alberoni gained influence and ultimately became de facto prime minister. He arranged the marriage of the King with Elizabeth Farnese (1692-1766). His aims were to strengthen Spain, nullify the Peace of Utrecht, and crush Austrian hegemony in Italy. The expeditions by which he recovered Sardinia from Austria (1717) and Sicily from Savoy (1718) provoked Britain, the Netherlands, France, and Austria to form the Quadruple Alliance. Spain was forced to yield, and Philip dismissed and banished (1719) Alberoni, who retired to Rome. He later became papal legate in the Romagna and in Bologna.

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Parker, Dulsie

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