The Palais-Royal is a former royal palace in the 1^st arrondissement in Paris, France. The palace, completed in 1639, was originally called the Palais-Cardinal and was the personal residence of Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642); with Richelieu’s death, the palace became the property of King Louis XIII. Its long history has seen many uses including as a royal residence, as shopping arcades, and as a site of various theatres and cafes. Today, it is the seat of the Ministry of Culture and the Constitutional Council, with the older buildings of the Bibliothèque nationale de France located at the rear of the garden.