Philippe de France (1640-1701)

Titles

Mister, single brother of the king, Wire of France, duke of Anjou (of its birth until 1668) then Duke of Orleans, duke of Chartres, Châtellerault.

Dolphin of Auvergne, marquis of Wall.

Biography

Childhood and education

Philippe, second wire of the king Louis XIII of France and Navarre, and his wife the infante Anne of Austria, was born two years after the birth from his brother Louis. Initially titrated duke of Anjou to the birth, he is heir apparent to the throne of the Couronnement of his brother to the birth of the large dolphin (thus of 1643 with 1661).

He will be called the small Mister to distinguish it from his uncle Gaston de France who is then called the large Mister . To died of Gaston and the advent of Louis XIV, Philippe will carry fully his title of Mister , brother of the king, and will recover like Apanage the duchy of Orleans.

As of its childhood (of which a part under the Sling), Philippe showed his originality, his play preferred being to wear dresses and to powder themselves. Its education is entrusted to the royal tutor François of Mothe Vayer.

It undergoes various brimades to make of it an effeminate and weak boy, on the other hand total of his brother. One regularly led it to play with another boy of his age, François-Timoléon de Choisy (future abbot of Choisy), that the mother also equipped wraps some on order of Anne of Austria with an aim of satisfying the small Mister. Even if this subject can be attenuated by the fact that to wear dresses was at the time normal for the boys in low age (until approximately the six years age), Philippe will carry to him from there occasionally even at the adulthood, being disguised as a woman and magnet to disguise women of the court.

Mazarin had also taken along to France its nephews and his/her nieces (Mancini). According to certain historians, it would be Philippe Mancini which would have initiated the young duke of Anjou to the vice Italian , as one called the homosexual practices and pederasts at the time; the Palatine Princess, his second wife, will use as for it the term of badly French .

This strategy of education of the two princes failed however to play of the turns with Mazarin and Anne of Austria when in 1658 Louis XIV fell seriously sick (following a food poisoning at the time of the catch of Bergues). Courtiers flowed then around Philippe, first in the order of succession, but which by received education would not have been ready for this load. Fortunately, Louis XIV will survive this episode.

Manners

Thereafter, Philippe was consequently manifestly known for his Libertinage, his Homosexualité, like for his extravagant ornaments and his expensive way of life. He will have several favorites of which the marquis de Châtillon, the count de Guiche and especially during thirty years the knight of Lorraine. This last will handle it until its death, intriguing against his two wives (going as far as making assassinate the first according to Saint-Simon), and obtaining any kind of favors whose best apartments in each residence of Mister or taking bribes on the agreements that this one had could pass.

Prerogative and finances

Financial side, the Apanage of Mister did of him one of the richest characters of the kingdom. It recovers inter alia the duchy of Orleans and the County of Chartres, which ensure him of living with the height of its row, but his/her brother will refuse however the County of Blois (and thus the Castle of Chambord) and Languedoc to him which should also have fallen to him to dead of his/her uncle Gaston. Philippe will receive in more one important revenue of the king and will draw also later from the incomes from construction from the channel from Orleans.

These incomes thus have enabled to him to live in an ostentation equivalent to that of the court and to be a large patron. He was for example the guard of Molière and of its troop, it is thanks to him that Molière will occur in front of the king. Moreover, Philippe accommodates the academy of music and the dancing school at the Palais Royal. It will collect also hundreds of masterpieces, and he will pile up jewels and precious stones.

He has two principal residences:

the Palais Royal which it received in prerogative and which it arranges with high expenses. He organizes festivals and plays there. Its favorite has its apartments of course there.
It arranges then the Château of Saint-Cloud who is offered to him by his brother in 1658 (one supposes in optics to ruin it) in which it still undertakes many work, in particular the construction of large gardens to the Frenchwoman and that of a trianon.

With the variation of the capacity

In spite of an undeniable courage with the combat, Louis XIV left him any room for maneuver nor no capacity. Philippe gains victories of the Guerre of Holland (Bataille of Peene to Noordpeene in 1677) against the prince d' Orange, his troops and the Parisian peasants acclaim it. By jealousy (or precaution), his/her brother removes to him as from this day any military command major. This battle of Peene will be thus its only feat of arms.

Mister will remain all his life isolated of the capacity by the sun king Soleil and will be satisfied to take care on the label of the court. This worship of the label was almost morbid according to its contemporaries. It fights with the other characters of the court so that the precise titles of each one are respected; for example, it disputes with the Condé to be the only one to carry the title of “Mister the Prince” ( to see Appellations of the princes of blood ).

Marriages

It Maria twice, two marriages imposed by Louis XIV. The first, with the princess Henriette-Anne of England was to reinforce the links of the two countries. The latter will live only of festivals and will have several lovers, of which (according to the historians) Louis XIV itself, which will irritate Philippe. On her side, Henriette does not support the favorites of Mister. They will have three children all the same.

Whereas it had just obtained from the king the exile of the Knight of Lorraine, Henriette dies in a rather mysterious way at only 26 years (of the rumors of poisoning by the favorites of Mister circulate at once). This sudden death Madam will be worth with Bossuet celebrates it funeral oration: “ Madam dies, Madam died ”.

Mister Marie then with the Palatine princess which converts quickly with the Catholicisme for the occasion. Philippe is not interested much in it (if is not to obtain a male heir). There is no love between them but a mutual respect, Philippe being a husband rather reconciling. They will have three children of which the Duke of Chartres, future regent. After having had these three children, they agree to save the marital duty reciprocally.

Died

Philippe de France dies in Saint-Cloud the June 9th 1701 of a crisis of apoplexy, after an argument with the king about the marriage of their children.

Indeed, the Duc of Chartres (future Regent) had been constrained to marry Miss de Blois her cousin, bastard legitimated of Louis XIV, in the exchange of loads which it had never received. Mister and his brother the king thus disputed weeks about these loads, and these arguments worsened the health of Mister who died about it.

The king was very affected of his disappearance and cried of them much the following days according to the chroniclers of the time. In spite of constant vexations that it had subjected to his brother, Louis XIV would be, says one, felt guilty of his death. This sadness was shared neither by the Knight of Lorraine, nor by the Palatine one whose only thought was of knowing how not to finish with the convent (as the tradition was to impose to him).

Descent

With Henriette of England

It Marie the March 31st 1661 with his/her German cousin Henriette of England with which he had:

'' Marie Louise of Orleans '' (° March 27th 1662 † February 12th 1689), becomes queen of Espagnes and the Indies by marrying Charles II of Habsbourg. They did not have a descent because of the state of Charles.
Philippe Charles of Orleans , duke of Valois (° July 16th 1664 † December 8th 1666), died in low age.
'' Anne Marie of Orleans '' (° August 27th 1669 † August 26th 1728) wife the April 10th 1684 Victor-Amédée II of Savoy and becomes thus queen of Sardinia. She inherited by her mother seniority the British royal succession (succession jacobite), that she transmitted to her descent in the Maison of Savoy. Of this line result thus many Italian and Spanish princes.

With the Palatine one

Its second marriage, the December 21st 1671 with the Palatine princess, Elisabeth Charlotte Wittelsbach von Pfalz, with whom it had:

Alexandre Louis of Orleans , duke of Valois (° 1673 † 1676), died in low age.
'' Philippe of Orleans '' (° August 2nd 1674 † 1723) which inherits the titles and becomes regent of France.
De this line result (inter alia) Philippe Égalité, the king Louis-Philippe and all the Orléanistes applicants with the throne of France.
'' Elisabeth Charlotte of Orleans '' (° September 13rd 1676 † 1744), became duchess of Lorraine and Bar by marrying the duke Léopold I {{er}}.
Ils was the parents of François I {{er}}, emperor of the Saint Empire, and thus the paternal grandparents of the queen Marie-Antoinette (° 1755 † 1793). Of this line Napoleon II is also resulting, wire of Napoleon i and the archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria

Contemporary portraits

Saint-Simon made a portrait of Mister in his memories (Volume 3 - Chapter IX):

Nobody of so soft of body and spirit, weaker, more timid, moreover misled, moreover controlled, nor moreover scorned by its favorites, and very often moreover abused by them. Troublesome and incompetent to maintain any secrecy, suspicious, defying, sowing noises in its court to scramble, know, often also to have fun, and repeating ones with the others. (...)

It was a small corpulent man, assembled on stilts so much its shoes high, were always avoided like a woman, full with rings, bracelets and precious stones everywhere, with a long wig very spread out in front of, black and powdered and of the ribbons everywhere where it could put, full with kinds of perfumes and in all things cleanliness even.

One showed it to put red imperceptibly. Extremely long nose, the beautiful mouth and eyes, the full face but high length. All its portraits resemble to him. I was piqué to see it that it made remember that it was wire of Louis XIII with those of this large prince, of which, except for the value, it was so completely dissimilar.

The princess Palatine will describe her husband by these terms:

While the king liked hunting, the music and the comedy, my husband liked only the play, the table and the ornament. Undoubtedly he danced well, but with the manner of the women. He could not dance like a man because of his high-heeled shoes.

Fictional portraits

In the film Vatel of Roland Joffé, film on the Master of hotel François Vatel, Mister is represented like an eccentric man openly homosexual. Early in film, it makes ask Vatel that it bring to him one of its clerks of kitchen (a young boy) so that it becomes his page. Vatel refuses.
In the film Louis, child king of Roger Planchon, Philippe is represented child, persecuted by his mother and the relation with his/her brother, wanting to wear dresses, and hiding with boys.
In the musical comedy the Sun king of Kamel Ouali, Mister also is represented into homosexual extraverti played by Christophe Maé
Mister is also a supporting character in the Viscount of Bragelonne of Alexandre Dumas.

See too

References

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