Philippe I, Duke of Orléans

Infobox Person
name = "Philippe I, Duke of Orléans"


image_size = 300px
caption = Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
birth_date = birth date|1640|7|21|mf=y
birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
death_date = death date and age|1701|6|9|1640|7|21|mf=y
death_place = Château de Saint-Cloud, Saint Cloud, France
titles =
spouse =1. Princess Henrietta Anne of England 2. Elizabeth Charlotte, Countess Palatine of Simmern
parents =King Louis XIII of France Anne of Austria, Queen of France
children =Maria Luisa of Orléans Philippe Charles, Duke of Valois Anne Marie of Orléans Alexandre Louis of Orléans, Duke of Valois Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Élisabeth Charlotte of Orléans

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (September 21, 1640 – June 9, 1701) was the second son of Louis XIII of France and Anne of Austria, and thus the younger brother of the future Louis XIV of France. As son of a king of France, he was a Fils de France.

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans is the founder of the House of Orléans, a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon.

Youth

Philippe was born at the château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye (20 km west of Paris), on September 21, 1640, and died at the château de Saint-Cloud (5 km west of Paris), on June 9, 1701. At birth, he was titled Duke of Anjou.

At the death of their father Louis XIII, his elder brother succeeded to the French throne as King Louis XIV. As the brother to the King, he was called "Monsieur", but was commonly known as "le Petit Monsieur", in order to distinguish him from his uncle, Gaston, Duke of Orléans, who as the oldest brother of the previous monarch was known as "le Grand Monsieur".Like his elder brother, he was educated by the most able of tutors of the time, François de La Mothe Le Vayer and the Abbé de Choisy.Barker, Nancy Nichols, "Brother to the Sun king: Philippe, Duke of Orléans", Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989.] He was also educated by the maréchal du Plessis-Praslin.

In order to discourage the type of tempestuous relationship that had developed between Louis XIII and his younger brother Gaston, Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin decided to protect the future king by making sure that Philippe had no part in any political or military office. During his youth, his behavior was closely monitored by his mother and her advisor. They made sure Philippe had no meaningful financial freedom from the Crown. His income was to be derived solely from his appanage.

Between the two of them, they discouraged Philippe from traditionally male pursuits such as arms and politics, and encouraged him to wear dresses, makeup, and to enjoy traditionally feminine pursuits. As an adult, he continued to enjoy wearing feminine clothing and fragrances as he had as a child.

His inclination toward homosexuality had not been discouraged, with the hope of reducing any threat he may have posed to his older brother. Reportedly, Cardinal Mazarin even arranged for the de-flowering of Philippe at the hands of his own nephew, Philip Julian Mancini. [Erlanger, Philippe, "Louis XIV", translated from the French by Stephen Cox, Praeger Publishers, New York, 1970, p. 75 (footnote).] [Dufresne, Claude, "Les Orléans", CRITERION, Paris, 1991, p. 33 (French).] . When married, he preyed on bright-eyed German princelings for all to see, including his two wives. [P. Salazar in "Who's who in Gay and Lesbian History," London, 1990 (Ed Wotherspoon and Aldrich).]

During the Fronde, in order to find shelter in an unsafe Paris, Philippe and his older brother were often dragged between various palaces in the capital and châteaux on the outskirts of the city. He and his brother often stayed at the Palais-Royal near the Palais du Louvre. It is said that Louis XIV thus grew to dislike and distrust the city, resulting in his eventual move to the Palace of Versailles. [Freeman-Mitford, Nancy, "The Sun King", Penguin Books, 1966.]

From the accession of his brother in 1643, he was the heir presumptive for almost twenty years, until the birth of his nephew Louis, in 1661, at which time he became second in line of succession to the throne.

Philippe's uncle Gaston died in 1660 without male issue and, a year later, Philippe was granted the Orléans appanage, receiving the titles: Duke of Orléans, Duke of Valois, Duke of Chartres and lord of Montargis. [Anthony, Louisa. "Footsteps to history, being an epitome of the histories of England and France, from the fifth to the nineteenth century", p.195. Published 1852.]

Military achievements

Philippe was not given significant responsibility. Despite this, he proved to be an exceptionally brave and competent commander in the field. He fought with distinction in the 1667 "promenade militaire" against Flanders during the War of Devolution (and hastened back to his life at court immediately after victory was assured).

Philippe resumed military command in 1672. In 1677, he won a great victory against William of Orange at the Battle of Cassel in northern France and took Saint-Omer. Reportedly, Louis XIV was jealous of his brother's success and, as result, Philippe was never again given command of an army.

First marriage

On March 31 1661, he married his first cousin, Princess Henrietta Anne of England, daughter of King Charles I of England, in the chapel of the Palais Royal in Paris. Both were grandchildren of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici.

She was known at court as "Madame", "Henriette d'Angleterre" (Henrietta of England) or affectionately as "Minette".

Philippe and Henriette remained indifferent to one another and went on to seek comfort from others. Philippe openly paraded his male lovers in front of his wife and the whole court. Among them were Armand de Gramont, Count of Guiche, known for his arrogance and good looks, the Marquis de Châtillon and his first lover, Philip Julian Mancini.

Meanwhile, Henriette proved popular at court as a pretty, good-natured girl, much to Philippe's annoyance. She soon attracted the attention of the King. In order to hide this attraction from the king's mother and wife, Henriette and Louis invented the story that he was constantly in Henriette's company in order to be close to one of her ladies-in-waiting, Louise de la Vallière. In time, Louis indeed began an affair with Louise.

Reluctantly, and somewhat bitter, Henriette stepped aside. Later, she seems to have taken one of her husband's earlier conquests, Armand de Gramont as a lover. This caused all sorts of arguments at the Palais Royal, where the Orléans lived.

Despite this marital dissension, several children were born of the union:
#Marie Louise of Orléans(March 27, 1662 – February 12, 1689), who married Charles II of Spain.
#Philippe Charles, Duke of Valois, (July 16, 1664 – December 8, 1666)
#a daughter born July 9, 1665
#Anne Marie of Orléans (August 27, 1669 – August 26, 1728), who married Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, King of Sardinia, in 1684.

Henriette had four miscarriages in 1663, 1666, 1667, 1668. [ [http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/cgi-bin/gedlkup/n=royal?royal00749 Royal Genealogy, Information on Stuart, Henrietta Anne] ]

By the time of the birth of Anne Marie, the couple was notorious for their constant arguing at court and at home in the Palais Royal.

The Chevalier de Lorraine

Philippe's favorites, invariably younger, handsome men, would dominate contemporary and historical commentary about his role at court. Among them one man stands out, Philip of Lorraine-Armagnac, who has been described as "Insinuating, brutal and devoid of scruple". According to Dirk van der Cruysse, he

was also the worst enemy of the latter's two wives. As greedy as a vulture, this cadet of the French branch of the House of Lorraine had, by the end of the 1650s, hooked Monsieur like a harpooned whale. The young prince loved him with a passion that worried "Madame" Henrietta and the court bishop, Cosnac, but it was plain to the King that, thanks to the attractive face and sharp mind of the good-looking cavalier, he would have his way with his brother. [cite book| last = Van der Cruysse| first = Dirk| title = "Madame Palatine, princesse européenne"| publisher = Fayard| date = 1988| pages = page 165| language = French| id = ISBN 2213022003]

In January 1670, Philippe's wife prevailed upon the King to imprison the chevalier, first near Lyon, then in the Mediterranean island-fortress of Château d'If. Finally, he was banished to Rome. However, by February, the Duke of Orléans' protests and pleas persuaded the King to restore him to his brother's entourage.

The death of the duchess the following June was popularly attributed to poison. However, there is little evidence and less of an apparent motive on the part of the Duke of Orléans.Fact|date=September 2008 However, some of his minions had earned her enmity and she theirs; and were suspected.Fact|date=September 2008

econd marriage

Philippe's confidante, Anna Gonzaga, Princess Palatine, arranged his second marriage to her husband's niece, Elisabeth Charlotte, the nineteen year old daughter of Elector Palatinate. Upon her arrival in France, "Liselotte" converted to Roman Catholicism, before the marriage ceremony.

The couple was married by proxy, in the cathedral Saint-Étienne at Metz, on November 16, 1671. The maréchal du Plessis-Praslin represented the Duke of Orléans. Philippe and Liselotte first met on the road between the towns of Châlons and Bellay. [Arvède Barine, " [http://books.google.com/books?id=QQMZAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA814&lpg=PA814&dq=mariage+par+procuration+du+duc+d'Orl%C3%A9ans+%C3%A0+Liselotte&source=web&ots=RkcGs1W82p&sig=jibH8hkU0PIF7dEJyzTuxgIT9hQ&hl=fr&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA814,M1 Madame, Mère du Régent] ", in: "Revue des deux mondes," LXXVIIe Année, Cinquième période, Tome Quarantième, Paris, 1907, p. 814.] .

Whereas Philippe's first wife had been known for beauty, charm and wit, Liselotte lacked those graces. Some said that this lack explained why she fared better with her husband (who personally took charge of her "toilette" for public occasionsClarifyme|date=September 2008) than did his first wife. She bore him his only surviving son.

She also became known for her brusque candor, upright character, lack of vanity, and prolific foreign correspondence about the daily routine and frequent scandals of Versailles. Her letters record how willingly she gave up sharing Philippe's bed at his request after their children's births, and how unwillingly she endured the presence of his minions in their household, which caused the couple to quarrel.

But she frequently acknowledged that Philippe's treatment of her was less offensive than the impertinences his entourage indulged in at her expense, and the lack of protection he afforded her and their children against the hostile s she believed were directed at her by spiteful courtiers, especially Madame de Maintenon.

The couple had three children:

*Alexandre Louis, Duke of Valois (June 2, 1673 – March 16, 1676).
*Philippe II, Duke of Chartres (August 2, 1674 – December 2, 1723), who married Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, an illegitimate daughter of Louis XIV and became Regent of France during Louis XV's minority.
*Élisabeth Charlotte (September 13, 1676 – December 23, 1744), who married Leopold, Duke of Lorraine

Later life

In 1672, Louis XIV awarded his brother with the title of Duke of Nemours, Count of Dourdan and Romorantin and Marquis of Coucy and Folembray. [Lane, William Coolidge. "A.L.A. Portrait Index: Index to Portraits Contained in Printed Books", P1099. Published 1906, B. Franklin.]

Philippe failed to stand up to Louis XIV's insistence on marrying his youngest illegitimate daughter, Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, to his son and heir, Philippe, Duke of Chartres, in February 1692. In order to convince his brother to allow his son to marry one of his illegitimate daughters, the king gave him the Palais Royal in Paris and promised him a dowry of two million livres. This palace became the Paris residence of the Dukes of Orléans until 1793.

In 1693, Philippe's wealthy cousin, Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, died and left him all her wealth. He received the titles of Duke of Montpensier, of Châtellerault , of Saint-Fargeau, of Beaupréau, Prince of Joinville, Baron of Beaujolais and Marquis de Mézières. Philippe also received an allowance for his expenses at court, which he cleverly invested to create a fortune.

To his already rich holdings, Philippe wanted to add the County of Blois, with its château de Chambord, and the governorship of Languedoc, but both were refused him by his brother.

On the evening of June 8, 1701, the two brothers had a terrible argument about the Duke of Chartres who had never received the charges the King had promised him upon his marriage with "Mademoiselle de Blois". Philippe pleaded his son's case with such vehemence that a footman felt obliged to enter the King's chamber to warn the royal brothers that their argument was being overheard by the entire court. The Duke of Orléans is the only man known to have raised his voice to the adult Louis XIV.

After dinner, Philippe went home to Saint-Cloud. That night, he suffered a stroke and fell into a coma. He died at his château de Saint-Cloud on June 9, 1701. The King's former mistress, Madame de Montespan, was said to have wept bitterly at the loss of her one remaining friend.

Legacy

Philippe enjoyed court life, gambling, chasing young men, and ceremony. Despite the fact that his debts and dalliances often cost the King, the brothers spent much time together. His unabashed effeminacy probably deprived him of some credit, but Louis XIV seems to have fully appreciated their relationship, as he treated his brother, publicly and privately, with respect and leniency. Philippe's loyalty towards his brother was never in question.

Philippe was an art collector and perhaps also a shrewd investor. [ib. Barker, Nancy Nichols, "Brother to the Sun King".] He was a leading architectural patron of his day, responsible for the construction of the château de Saint-Cloud and the vast extensions to the Palais Royal. The gallery he built at Saint-Cloud was said to have inspired his brother to build the Galerie des Glaces at the Palace of Versailles. [http://saintcloud.histoire.free.fr/histoir004.html] The gardens were designed by André Le Nôtre, the great landscaping architect who also created the gardens at Versailles, among many others.

The Orléans canal, built by Philippe de France, was also a family possession and was used to transport timber from the Orléans forest to the capital where it was sold. The canal was nationalised in 1793, during the Revolution.

Family portrait

Residences

During his childhood, Philippe lived at the Palais Royal, which had been bequeathed to the Crown on the death of Cardinal Richelieu. During the Fronde, Philippe's mother chose the palace as her main residence due to its relative safety.

After the Fronde was over, Philippe accompanied his older brother and mother as the court made its annual procession through the royal residences, the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Palais du Louvre and the Palais Royal. When he was twelve, he followed his brother and mother to the Palais des Tuileries, which was part of the Louvre complex.

As an adult, Philippe resided in two of the most famous palaces in France:
*In Paris, he lived in the Palais Royal. Philippe and his first and second wives lived there at the pleasure of his brother, the king. In 1692, the king deeded the palace to Philippe's only son when he married the king's illegitimate daughter, Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, "Mademoiselle de Blois". The palace was used by the family until the arrest, on April 5, 1793, of his great-great-grandson, Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, by then known as "Philippe Égalité", who had sided with the French Revolution of 1789.
*In 1658, Philippe bought the château de Saint-Cloud. As his main country estate, Philippe lavishly entertained there. His first wife, Henriette-Anne died there. The château was eventually sold in 1785 by Philippe's descendant, Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, to Queen Marie Antoinette (also his descendant) for six million livres. Occupied by the Prussians during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, it was destroyed by French artillery on October 1, 1870.

In addition, Philippe and his wife had apartments at the Palace of Versailles as did all other members of the House of Bourbon.

Portrayals in fiction

Philippe was portrayed by Murray Lachlan Young, in Roland Joffé's 2000 film "Vatel". The film depicted him as an open homosexual with a court of male hangers-on. Early in the film, he displeased François Vatel (played by Gérard Depardieu) as he wanted one of the kitchenhands, Colin, to become his pageboy, to which Vatel responded:

"I do not get my kitchenhands from him, and I will not supply my kitchenhands to his brothel."

Later on, the Prince proves to be a friend, scuppering a plot by a courtier, the Marquis de Lauzun, to maim Vatel. The film's portrayal acknowledges both his homosexuality and his military skill.

He is also depicted by Christophe Maé in the French Musical "Le Roi Soleil", also as an open homosexual and friend to his brother, Louis XIV.

The 1998 film "The Man in the Iron Mask" inaccurately depicts Philippe as the twin of Louis XIV, whom he replaces as king. Not only is the character very different from the historical Philippe, but the description of his generosity as monarch is very different from the historical Louis XIV.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Philippe de France

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1= 1. Philippe de France, duc d'Orléans
2= 2. Louis XIII,
King of France and of Navarre
3= 3. Anne of Austria,
Infanta of Spain and of Portugal,
Queen of France and of Navarre
4= 4. Henri IV,
King of France and of Navarre
5= 5. Marie de' Medici,
Queen of France and of Navarre
6= 6. Philip III/II,
King of Spain and of Portugal
7= 7. Margarita of Austria,
Archduchess of Austria,
Queen of Spain and of Portugal
8= 8. Antoine de Bourbon,
Duke of Vendôme,
King of Navarre
9= 9. Jeanne III d'Albret,
Queen of Navarre
10= 10. Francesco I de' Medici,
Grand Duke of Tuscany
11= 11. Johanna of Austria,
Archduchess of Austria,
Grand Duchess of Tuscany
12= 12. Philip II/I,
King of Spain and of Portugal
13= 13. Anna of Austria,
Archduchess of Austria,
Queen of Spain and of Portugal
14= 14. Charles II,
Archduke of Austria,
Archduke of Inner Austria
15= 15. Maria Anna of Bavaria,
Archduchess of Inner Austria
16= 16. Charles de Bourbon,
Duke of Vendôme
17= 17. Françoise d'Alençon,
Duchess of Vendôme
18= 18. Henri II d'Albret,
King of Navarre
19= 19. Marguerite d'Angoulême,
Queen of Navarre
20= 20. Cosimo I de' Medici,
Grand Duke of Tuscany
21= 21. Eleonora di Toledo,
Grand Duchess of Tuscany
22= 22. Ferdinand I,
Archduke of Austria,
King of Bohemia and of Hungary,
Holy Roman Emperor
23= 23. Anna Jagellonica of Bohemia and Hungary,
Queen of Bohemia and of Hungary,
Holy Roman Empress
24= 24. Charles V,
King of Spain,
Holy Roman Emperor
25= 25. Isabel of Portugal,
Queen of Spain,
Holy Roman Empress
26= 26. Maximilian II,
King of Bohemia and of Hungary,
Holy Roman Emperor
27= 27. Maria of Spain,
Infanta of Spain,
Queen of Bohemia and of Hungary,
Holy Roman Empress
28= 28. Ferdinand I,
Archduke of Austria,
King of Bohemia and of Hungary,
Holy Roman Emperor
29= 29. Anna Jagellonica of Bohemia and Hungary,
Queen of Bohemia and of Hungary,
Holy Roman Empress
30= 30. Albert V,
Duke of Bavaria
31= 31. Anna of Austria,
Duchess of Bavaria

tyles

*S.A.R "Philippe de France, duc d'Anjou" 1640 - 1661
*S.A.R "Philippe de France, duc d'Orléans" 1661 - 1701
*"Le Petit Monsieur" (1640-1660)
*"Monsieur" (1660-1701)

Titles

References

Other

*1911