Philippe of Orleans , grandson of France, duke of Chartres, Duke of Orleans (1701), duke of Valois, duke of Nemours and duke of Montpensier, regent of the kingdom of France during the minority of Louis XV, known as the Regent , was born the August 2nd 1674 with Saint-Cloud and died the December 2nd 1723 with Versailles.

Biography

Youths

Wire of Mister, brother of Louis XIV, and the Palatine princess, Philippe of Orleans is initially titrated duke of Chartres. He receives a looked after education, mainly turned towards the military and diplomatic thing, like he sied with a grandson of France. It is interested particularly in the history, the geography, philosophy and sciences. Contrary to his uncle and his father, it goes up badly, is bad dancer and does not like hunting. On the other hand, it with the extraordinary memory of his/her uncle: very early, he knows on the end of the fingers the memories and genealogies of the big families of the court. He has of it also the great capacity of work and the intelligence.

The marriage

Nevertheless, with the birth of three wire of the Grand Dolphin, oldest son of Louis XIV - the duke of Burgundy in 1682, the duke of Anjou in 1683, the duke of Berry in 1686 - the duke of Chartres finds sixth in the line of succession to the throne, which leaves him only well few hopes reign and does not place it in the best situation to make an advantageous marriage. Moreover, France is in war with the almost-totality of Europe, which makes impossible a foreign marriage.

Also, as of 1688, Louis XIV refers to Miss de Blois, bastard legitimated. This marriage would complete the policy of lowering of the branches juniors by the house of Bourbon wanted by the Sun king. But Mister and his wife, the Palatine Princess, considers such a union quite simply unimaginable.

The duke of Chartres is more hesitant, the more so as the idea is supported by its tutor, the abbot Dubois. At the beginning of 1692, Louis XIV convenes his nephew and that it can better testify his affection to him only by giving him his own daughter in marriage, it declares to him what the young man can answer only by stammering an embarrassed thanks. The Palatine one, learning the exit from the interview, throws high cries but does not dare to face the King, the more so as it can be able to count on the support of her husband (who revolted only little time before his death, launching to his brother that: “ Without benefitting any from this marriage, Chartres will keep of it only shame and dishonor ”). It limits the expression of its dissatisfaction to turn the back on the King after him to have made a deep reverence; but then, it gives to her son an enormous slap before all the court. The marriage does not take place of it less, the January 9th 1692.

This arranged marriage, nondesired, was hardly happy. Philippe, become duke of Orleans in 1701 with died of his father, called his wife “Mrs Lucifer”. They had eight children of which only one son:

  1. NR… of Orleans, “Miss de Valois” (December 17th 1693 - October 17th 1694);

  2. Marie Louise Elisabeth of Orleans (August 20th 1695 - July 21st 1719), wife (1710) Charles, duke of Berry;
  3. Louise '' Adélaïde '' of Orleans (August 13rd 1698 - February 10th 1743), “Miss d' Orléans”;
  4. Charlotte Aglaé of Orleans (October 20th 1700 - January 19th 1761), “Miss de Valois”, marries (1720) François Marie of Este-Modena, duke of Modena;
  5. Louis I {{er}} of Orleans, duke of Chartres, then duke of Orleans (1723), called “the Piles” (August 4th 1703 - February 4th 1752);
  6. Louise '' Elisabeth '' of Orleans (December 11th 1709 - June 16th 1742), “Miss de Montpensier”, marries (1723) Louis I {{er}}, king d' Espagne;
  7. Filipino Elisabeth of Orleans (December 18th 1714 - May 21st 1734), “Miss de Beaujolais”;
  8. '' Louise '' Diane of Orleans (June 27th 1716 - September 26th 1736), “Miss de Chartres”, marries (1732) Louis François of Bourbon-Conti, prince de Conti.

It also had several natural children of which:

  • Charles of Saint-Albin (1698 - 1764), born from Florence Pellerin, which was bishop-duke of Laon (1721) then archbishop-duke of Cambric (1723);
  • Jean Philippe of Orleans (1702 - 1748), born from Marie Louise the Beautiful one of Boissière, said Nickle silver countess, which was legitimated in 1706 and was Grand Prior of the Ordre of Malta in France (known as “the knight of Orleans” or “the Large Prior of Orleans”);
  • Angelica of Froissy (1702 - 1785), born from Christine Charlotte Desmares (1682 - 1753), which was legitimated in 1722 and married the count de Ségur.

The soldier

The previous year, Chartres had begun the military career to the Netherlands, at the sides of Louis XIV. Very quickly, it proves to be a good officer, loved his soldiers, connecting the campaigns. In 1693, it is characterized by brilliant led to Mons, Steinkerque and Bataille of Neerwinden. It is also shown very critical with respect to the strategy of the army of Flanders. Its some initiatives, of range certainly modest, prove on the other hand successes. At the court, the comparisons fuse with the Grand Cop, which attracts to him the jealousy of the other princes of blood.

Eager to calm the play, Louis XIV points out all the princes in 1697. The duke of Chartres saw this decision like a personal snub: one grants no large government to him, unlike the bastard ones, and one deprives it of great command. It knows that his/her uncle disapproves his control: since adolescence, he attends the libertines mediums and carries out a life dissolue, which rejects strict the duke of Saint-Simon, his/her friend of childhood, which however remains at its sides during this period of disgrace. He receives, with dead of his father, the title of duke of Orleans. Recalled to the army at the time of the difficult campaigns of the War of succession of Spain, it proves its bravery with Turin in 1706. After having been isolated of the possible successions, in France as in Spain, it intrigues. Its badly disguised ambition and its taste for chemistry make it suspect of having contributed to died of the dolphin and its family. Louis XIV testifies coldness to him and distrust and imposes to him, by its secret will, the presence of legitimated in the Council of regency.

The Regent

With died of Louis XIV, the duke of Orleans, adult of the royal family nearest to the king, becomes naturally the regent of the kingdom. However its capacity is limited by the requests of the will of Louis XIV, who indicates the composition of the council of regency, true government council, and leaves with the duke of Maine, one of bastard of the Sun king, the education of the young person Louis XV. Philippe makes to break will by Parliament (September 1715) which only recognizes it like regent, which enables him to reorganize the Council with its liking and of évincer the duke of Maine, soon excluded from the succession to the throne that his/her father had granted to him. However, the Regent had to reconcile the Parliament to return to him the right of remonstrance S removed by Louis XIV, which weighs heavily at the 18th century.

He tries to allure the French by a new policy: peace is restored. It supports the Jansenists, gives up the cause of the Stuarts, tries to restore finances and the economy with the audacities of Law. By starting its regency, he addresses, the October 4th 1715, a “ Lettre in Mrs the intendans police chiefs separated in the provinces ”, in which he declares that its major concern is the excessive weight of the various taxes and announces its intention to just establish a system of imposition and more egalitarian. In the field of the organization of the government, the Regent starts the policy of Polysynodie, undoubtedly under the influence of his friend Saint-Simon: the gathering replacement of the ministers by councils of the large lords and the technicians. But it is binding on the Parliaments and with legitimated (September 1718), takes the weapons against Spain in an alliance with London and Vienna (January 1719). The personality of the abbot Dubois, his former tutor, become archbishop, cardinal and minister, is essential more and more at Philippe, the operation of the polysynodie becoming increasingly difficult.

On the personal level, the regent did not change anything with its frivolous life. The Palais Royal is the theater of its abandonments to the vice in company of its “coiled” (deserving the torture of the wheel), “will fanfarons of incredulity and crimes”; the small suppers turn there sometimes to the orgy.

The sacring of Louis XV and the death of Philippe of Orleans

But when the calamities base on the kingdom: fires, plague of Marseilles, collapse of the system of Law, the country suffer and groan, one shows the irreligion of the Regent. The sagacity and the smoothness of the cardinal Dubois in the businesses, the intermittent energy of the Regent and the absence of any organized opposition make that monarchy remains upright. Louis XV is crowned on October 25th 1722 and confirms the Dubois cardinal like principal minister, but this one dies on August 10th, 1723.

Philippe of Orleans then asks for the place of principal minister to him that Louis XV, who has for him the sharpest affection, grants to him without hesitating. It is the first time in the history of the monarchy which a grandson of France is invested such functions. The duke of Orleans plunges himself in the businesses with heat. But it is not in good health, having grown bigger much and being prone to frequent somnolences. He dies little of time after, on December 2nd, 1723.

The artist

Philippe of Orleans composed two operas, Hypermnestre and Panthée , painted and serious with talent (one owes him the illustrations of an edition of Daphnis and Chloé ). He buys for his crown the Régent, the famous diamond most beautiful of Europe.

References

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