Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
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Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston in 1660. He was also granted the dukedoms of Valois, Chartres and Nemours. Known as le Petit Monsieur or simply Monsieur, Philippe was a distinguished military commander and took part in the War of Devolution and the Franco-Dutch War, the latter of which saw his victory over William of Orange at the Battle of Cassel . Through careful personal administration, he greatly augmented the fortunes of the House of Orléans, which rivalled that of the Bourbons.
Throughout his life, Philippe was open about his preference for male lovers, most notably the Chevalier de Lorraine, and freely acted with effeminacy. He married twice, first to Henrietta of England and then to Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate. Two of his daughters, Marie Louise and Anne Marie, married European sovereigns and became queens, while his son Philippe II served as regent of France from 1715 to 1723. Early yearsBirthPhilippe was born on 21 September 1640 at the Louis, Dauphin of France, who inherited the French throne before Philippe reached the age of three. From birth, Philippe was second in line to the throne of France and was entitled to the style of Royal Highness.[1]
He was born in the presence of his father Louis XIII, the Duke of Anjou instead, a title commonly granted to the younger sons of French kings since the fourteenth century. After his baptism, Philippe was put in the care of Françoise de Souvré, marquise de Lansac,[7] who also looked after his older brother, in 1643 succeeded by Marie-Catherine de Senecey .
Le Petit MonsieurAt the death of their father Louis XIII in May 1643, Philippe's older brother ascended to the throne of France as Louis XIV. Their mother Queen Anne revoked the late king's will to arrange for a power-sharing agreement with Cardinal Mazarin, who had been serving as Louis XIII's chief minister.[8] Anne was now in full control of her children, something she had been vying for since their birth. As the younger brother of the king, Philippe was addressed as le Petit Monsieur,[9] since his uncle Gaston, who had also been the younger brother of a French king, was still alive. Gaston was then known as le Grand Monsieur. It was not until 1660 at the death of Gaston that Philippe would be known simply as Monsieur or as the Duke of Orléans.[10] The child Philippe was acknowledged to be attractive, affectionate, and intelligent.[11] The Duchess of Montpensier dubbed him the "prettiest child in the world",[12] while his mother's friend and confidant, Madame de Motteville, later said of Philippe that he displayed a "lively intelligence" early on. From 1646 on Philippe spent some of his childhood at the Hôtel de Villeroy ("Cremerie de Paris"), house of Nicolas de Villeroy, tutor of his brother Louis XIV. The children played there with Catherine de Villeroy and François de Villeroy.[13] In the autumn of 1647, at age seven, Philippe caught maréchal du Plessis-Praslin. His tutors were chosen by Mazarin, who was created the superintendent of the prince's education by his mother. His education emphasized languages, history, literature, mathematics and dancing.[17] Despite having a household of his own, his behavior was closely watched by his mother and Mazarin, who made sure that Philippe had no meaningful financial freedom from the crown.[18]
When Philippe was eight, the civil war known as the Palais des Tuileries, previously the residence of the duchess of Montpensier opposite the Palais Royal.[22] At the coronation of Louis XIV on 7 June 1654, Philippe acted as dean, placing the crown of France on his brother's head. All his life, Philippe would be a noted lover of etiquette and panoply, ensuring that all ceremonial details were adhered to.[23]
In late June 1658, Louis became gravely ill. Presumed to have Duke of OrléansWhen Philippe's uncle Gaston died in February 1660, 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 made it a private policy to prevent Philippe from pursuing ambitions which might prompt rivalry with or defiance of the king. Aside from his appanage, he was given no meaningful financial freedom from the Crown.[29] Later, to his already rich holdings Philippe wanted to add the countship of Blois, with its Château de Chambord, and the governorship of Languedoc, but both would be refused him by his brother.[30] Marriages and love lifeSexuality
During his childhood, Queen Anne was observed to address Philippe by such nicknames as "my little girl" and encouraged him to dress in feminine clothing even as a young man – a habit he would retain all his life. Even once married, he reportedly carried on open romantic affairs with German nobles, with no regard to either of his two wives.[38] Philippe's favorites, invariably younger, handsome men, dominated contemporary and historical commentaries about his role at court, as had the mignons of Henry III. Philippe was infatuated with the famously arrogant Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche. There were also rumors at court that Philippe in fact had a mistress[39] and had shown an interest in the Duchess of Mercœur, Mazarin's niece.[40] Another lover of Philippe at this time was Antoine Coiffier, the Marquis d'Effiat. The latter had entered Philippe's life as captain of the chase and stayed in his household until Philippe's death.[41]
Among the lovers, one man stands out, Philip of Lorraine-Armagnac, After Louis XIV's marriage to restoration of the House of Stuart to the throne of England under her brother Charles II, Princess Henrietta returned to England to visit her sister, the Princess of Orange,[51] who later caught smallpox and died. The French court officially asked for Henrietta's hand on behalf of Philippe on 22 November 1660 while she was in England.[52] The couple signed their marriage contract at the Palais Royal on 30 March 1661.[53] The ceremony took place the next day in the same building in front of select members of the court.[54] The dowry promised was a hefty 840,000 livres.[55] Known as Henriette d'Angleterre in France, and Minette to her intimates, she was known officially as Madame and was ever popular with the court. Court gossip later said that the king was the father of Henrietta's first child. Henrietta's very open flirting is said to have caused a jealous Philippe to retaliate by beginning to flaunt his sexuality openly in a less than accepting era.[56] Henrietta's flirting with the king started early in the summer of 1661 while the newlyweds were staying at the Palace of Fontainebleau for the summer. Philippe complained to his mother about the intimacy that Louis and Henrietta displayed, which led Queen Anne to reprimand both son and daughter-in-law.[57] Relations were further strained when Henrietta allegedly seduced Philippe's old lover, the Comte de Guiche.[58]
The couple moved from the Tuileries in early 1662 to the Marie Louise, the future wife of Charles II of Spain.[60] Henrietta's disappointment at the birth of a daughter was great, and she even remarked that she should "throw her into the river!"[61] This greatly offended Queen Anne, who adored her first granddaughter.[62] For his part, Philippe would always consider Marie Louise his favourite child. The girl was baptized on 21 May 1662.[63] On the same day Philippe took part in the famous Carrousel du Louvre, where he dressed extravagantly as the King of Persia with the king as the King of the Romans and all ladies of the court in attendance.[63]
In 1664, Henrietta gave birth at Fontainebleau to a son who was given the title Duke of Valois.[64] Philippe wrote to his brother-in-law Charles II of England "that your sister was this morning safely delivered of a fine boy. The child seems to be in excellent health."[65] The child nonetheless died of convulsions in 1666, having been baptized Philippe Charles d'Orléans hours before death.[66] The loss of the little Duke of Valois affected Henrietta greatly. Philippe, however, was anxious to maintain the allowance which his son had received from the king.[67] This death only augmented the grief of a court still in mourning for the death of Queen Anne in January.[68] The previous year, the Comte de Guiche has been exiled from court with Philippe reporting to his mother that Henrietta had had private interviews with the dashing nobleman.[69] Philippe took part in the War of Devolution in 1667 while Henrietta remained at Saint Cloud due to her pregnancy. On the field, Philippe took an active part in the trenches at Tournai and Douai and distinguished himself through his valor and coolness under fire.[70] But Philippe later became bored with battle and interested himself more in the decoration of his tent. Hearing that Henrietta was ill due to a miscarriage, he returned to Saint Cloud, where she was recovering from an ordeal which almost cost her her life.[71] Upon her recovery, Philippe returned to the battlefield and distinguished himself at the Siege of Lille.[72] In January 1670, Henrietta prevailed upon the king to imprison the Palais Royal on 8 April 1670 by Philippe's first chaplain, the bishop of Vabres .
Henrietta is best known to political historians in France for her part in negotiating the Roman Catholic Church and England to assist France in her war of conquest against the Dutch Republic. The Third Anglo-Dutch War was a direct consequence of this treaty. Having returned to France at the end of June 1670, Henrietta had to endure Philippe's blatant spite[77] for her part in the Chevalier's exile and her secret mission to Dover. Despite tense relations, she traveled to Saint Cloud on 24 June, when she started to complain of pains in her side.[78] Relaxing at Saint Cloud on 29 June, she collapsed on the terrace at the palace. Taken inside, she was undressed and started to exclaim that she had been poisoned.[77] She subsequently died between the hours of two and three in the morning of 30 June 1670 at the age of 26.[79] An autopsy was performed which found that Henrietta died of peritonitis caused by a perforated ulcer;[80] however public rumor claimed she had been poisoned by her husband, and, according to Saint-Simon in his Memoirs, even the king suspected it at first, but the inquiry he conducted revealed that it was the Chevalier de Lorraine and the Marquis d'Effiat who had poisoned her.[81][82]
Search for a second brideHenrietta was mourned greatly at the court of France, but little by her husband, due to their strained relationship. Louis XIV himself looked for a second wife for Philippe, who was eager to have a male heir to continue the Orléans line. Marriage with Princess Palatine Elizabeth CharlottePhilippe married the nineteen-year-old Elizabeth Charlotte, who converted to Roman Catholicism, The couple were very happy in the first years of their marriage. The Chevalier de Lorraine was in Italy, but returned in spring 1672. Pregnant later that year, Elizabeth Charlotte gave birth to a son in June 1673 who was named Alexandre Louis and given the title Duke of Valois.[49] The child died, however, in 1676.[92] A second son, Philippe, followed in 1674,[93] and then a daughter, Élisabeth Charlotte, in 1676,[94] after which the two mutually agreed to sleep in separate beds.[95] Elizabeth Charlotte was praised as being a natural mother.[96] Philippe's second son with Elizabeth Charlotte, known as the Duke of Chartres until he inherited the dukedom of Orléans in 1701,[97] later served as Regent of France during the minority of Louis XV.[93] Elizabeth Charlotte acted as a mother to Philippe's children by Henrietta and maintained correspondence with them until her last days.[94] Battle of CasselHaving already established himself as a successful military commander during the War of Devolution in 1667, Philippe was eager to return to the field. In 1676 and 1677 he took part in sieges in Flanders, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, which made him second-in-command to Louis XIV himself.[98]
The most impressive victory won under Philippe's command took place on 11 April 1677: the Battle of Cassel against William III, Prince of Orange,[100] later the king of England and son of Philippe's own first cousin Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange. William decided to relieve some besieged towns; from Ypres he marched with 32,000 men through Poperinge and Oxelaëre in the Cassel Valley. Philippe, who learned of his plans, arranged to meet William's forces at Penebeek between Noordpeene and Zuytpeene. Louis XIV sent him some 25,000 foot-soldiers and 9,000 cavalry from Cambrai under the command of Marshal Luxembourg. By nightfall there were 66,000 soldiers ready for battle. The Dutch attacked the French positions without scouting first. Marshal Luxembourg surprised the Dutch with a cavalry attack that practically destroyed three battalions and routed William's army. In all, casualties on both sides amounted to 4,200 dead and 7,000 wounded. Philippe was hailed for his skill as a military commander, much to the annoyance of his brother, the king.[101] He was presumably jealous of Philippe's growing popularity at court as well as on the battlefield.[3] In honor of his victory at Cassel, Philippe set up a Barnabite College in Paris.[102] The campaign marked the end of his military career; he soon immersed himself once again in a life of pleasure.[100] Cultural expansion and propertyFrom the time of the victory at Cassel until the 1690s, Philippe mainly concentrated his energies on the expansion of his estates, personal fortune, and art collection, including the renovation of his residences, the Palais Royal and the Château de Saint-Cloud. The latter was his favorite residence,[103] the home of an ever-expanding and "stormy" court.[82] Philippe became an important patron of the artists Jean Nocret and Pierre Mignard, both of whom were employed to elaborate the décor at Saint Cloud and the Palais Royal. As early as 1660, Philippe also ordered Antoine Lepautre to begin extensions at Saint Cloud; later he became contrôleur général of Philippe's properties.[100] Following Lepautre's death in 1679, work on Saint Cloud was continued by his executive assistant Mansart to design a grand staircase in the left wing in the manner of the Ambassadors' Staircase at Versailles. The gardens were redesigned by André Le Nôtre , while the basin and lowermost canal were added by Mansart in 1698. At the time of Philippe's death in 1701, the estate of Saint Cloud covered some 1,200 acres (4.9 km2).
Saint Cloud remained with the Orléans family until 1785, when Philippe's great-grandson Louis Philippe d'Orléans sold it to Marie Antoinette, Philippe's great-granddaughter, for the sum of 6,000,000 livres.[104]
Minor improvements at the Palais Royal began in 1661 at the time of Philippe's marriage to Henrietta, but the property was part of the crown holdings, and had not been used officially for years.[105] Philippe was limited in what he could do to renovate the building until it was given to him in 1692.[106] Philippe again turned to Mansart for assistance in modernizing it. The interior décor was entrusted to Antoine Coypel, whose father Noël Coypel had previously worked at the palace.[107] In 1695, Philippe bought a small island in the Seine directly opposite the château, which he renamed the "Île de Monsieur". Philippe not only enjoyed architecture and court society, but also music and dancing; he was in fact famed for his exceptional dancing abilities. Philippe was a patron of musicians such as Anglebert, Dumont, Arlaud, and Marie Aubry, many of whom would stay part of his son's household after his death in 1701. Lully was also a protégé of Philippe after he left Mademoiselle's household. Philippe's small art collection created the basis for the Orleans Collection, one of the most important art collections ever assembled.[108] With the permission of the Later yearsUpon the death of Mademoiselle in 1693, Philippe acquired the Dukedoms of Montpensier, Châtellerault, Saint-Fargeau and Beaupréau.[112] He also became prince of Joinville, count of Dourdan, Mortain and Bar-sur-Seine and viscount of Auge and Domfront. In later life, Philippe was thus able to maintain his lavish lifestyle easily, and he found much satisfaction in the activities of his children and grandchildren. Both of his daughters by his first wife Henrietta married influential European sovereigns, eventually becoming queens, and his son the Duke of Chartres pursued an active and distinguished military career, having served at the Battle of Steenkerque in 1692 as well as the Siege of Namur, much to his father's pride.[113] As he had with Philippe, Louis XIV was careful to limit the power of Chartres.
In 1696, Philippe's granddaughter Marie-Adélaïde came to the French court from Italy for her marriage to Louis, Duke of Burgundy, who was third in line to the throne.[115] The two were married in 1697 and became the parents of Louis XV.[116] In 1701, Chartres was denied a position on the front in the War of the Spanish Succession, which began that year.[117] This slight was the source of great bitterness on the part of both father and son after. The pretext seems to have been the behavior of Chartres in parading his mistress Mademoiselle de Séry in view of his wife.[118] On 8 June 1701, Louis XIV and Philippe met at the Château de Marly to dine together. At first meeting, Louis XIV attacked Philippe about Chartres' conduct with Mademoiselle de Séry.[119] Philippe responded by reprimanding Louis for similar conduct with his own mistresses during his marriage to Queen Marie Thérèse,[120] adding that Chartres had still not received the favors promised to him for having married the King's legitimized daughter, Françoise Marie.[121] Nonetheless, the announcement of dinner halted the argument, and the brothers sat down to dine.[122]
Philippe angrily returned to Saint Cloud early the same evening to dine with his son. Philippe collapsed onto his son after suffering a fatal Basilica of St Denis, where it remained until the French Revolution, at which time the basilica was desecrated and all graves destroyed.[126]
Elizabeth Charlotte, worried that she would be put in a convent (a stipulation of her Duchess of Modena, and the Princess of Wales.[132] She herself died at Saint Cloud in December 1722[133] and was also buried at Saint Denis.[49]
Portrayals in mediaPhilippe has been portrayed in various modern media:
IssueFirst marriageMarried his first cousin, Princess Henrietta of England, daughter of Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France, on 31 March 1661, at the Palais Royal. The couple had three children, in addition to four miscarriages and one stillbirth:
Second marriageMarried Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, daughter of Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine and Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel,[3] on 16 November 1671 at Châlons. The couple had three children:[137]
Ancestors
See alsoReferences
BibliographyWikimedia Commons has media related to Philippe de France.
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