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Philippe II, Duke of Orleans,
Regent of France 1715-1723, (1674-1723)
Born 2 August 1674 St.Cloud
Died 2 December 1723 Versailles
Buried St.Denis
Married 18 February 1692 Versailles
Francoise Marie de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Blois,
daughter of Louis XIV, King of France and Navarre 1643-1651-1715
and Athenais de Rochechouart
Born 9 February 1677 Chateau de Maintenon
Died 1 February 1749 Paris
Child by (a) Leonore
Child by (b) Florence Pellegrin
Child by (c) Charlotte Desmares, Actress,
daughter of Nicolas Desmares and Anne Dennehault
Born 1682 Copenhagen
Died 12 September 1753 St.Germain-en-Laye
Child by (d) Marie Louise Le Bel de La Bussiere,
Mademoiselle de Sery, Comtesse d'Argenton,
daughter of Daniel Le Bel de La Bussiere and Anne (de) Masparant
Born 1684
Died 4 March 1748 Paris
Affaire with (e) Marie-Madeleine Coskaer de La Vieuville,
Comtesse de Parabere
Died 1759
Affaire with (f) Madeleine Louise Charlotte de Foix-Rabat,Comtesse
de Sabran,
daughter of Francois Gaston de Foix, Comte de Rabat
and Dorothee Theodore de Poudens de Villepinte
Born 1693
Affaire with (g) Marie-Therese Blonel d'Haraucourt,
Duchesse de Falaris
Born 1697
Died 1782
Affaire with (h) Sophie de Bregy, Comtesse d'Averne |
When as a young boy he was asked whether he liked beautiful clothes,
he answered: "I like them more than Madame (his mother) but not as much
as Monsieur (his father)". Philippe grew up without religion and felt contempt
for the Church and every other kind of authority. He acted, sang, painted,
distilled perfumes, and composed, but was never interested in any subject
for very long. He became debauched and gave orgiastic suppers which included
nude girls served in silver dishes. Later in life he was rumoured to have
had an incestuous affair with one of his own daughters. He loved women,
but none more than his remarkable mother; and it was to her that he uttered
the famous rebuke when she complained that he chose such ugly mistresses:
"Bah! Mama, all cats look grey in the dark!" He was forced to marry his
first cousin, an illegitimate daughter of Louis XIV. On receiving this
news his mother became hysterical and, apparently in front of the Court,
slapped his face. However Louis XIV celebrated their wedding in magnificent
fashion.
In 1701 he had an affaire with one of his mother's attendants as well
having both his wife and an actress pregnant at the same time. When he
went to Paris to visit both new mothers, his wife complained to her father,
Louis XIV, who passed on this complaint to his brother, Philippe's father.
However, the latter merely pointed out to the king that he should be the
last to complain, and reminding him of his own early days when he went
to Flanders and travelled in the same coach as his wife and both Madames
de La Valliere and Montespan, both mothers of the king's illegitimate children.
Louis XIV was furious as his
brother also pointed out that his son had been forced into his marriage
by promises the king had not kept. Later that night Philippe sent a message
to the king that his father was seriously ill but, still angry, Louis XIV
went to bed. Only after another message was sent did Louis XIV go to see
his brother but found him unconscious, and soon afterwards the Duc d'Orl‚ans
died. Louis XIV felt guilty as he had always been close to his brother;
and so he told his nephew and son-in-law Philippe, now the new Duc d'Orleans,
to regard him as his
father.
In 1711 the king's only legitimate son died and, to the surprise of
the Duc de Saint Simon, the Duc d'Orleans burst into tears. Even though
the Dauphin and Philippe had been estranged for a long time, Philippe nevertheless
regarded the Dauphin as a good man he had known all his life; and although
his sadness would not last for very long, he did grieve for his cousin.
When Louis XIV's heir and great-grandson died in 1712, it was said
that Philippe had not only poisoned the little boy but also the Duc de
Berry as this could make him the next French king. However, knowing his
nephew, Louis XIV took no notice of these rumours.
In 1714 Louis XIV drew up a will intended to prevent the Duc d'Orleans
from becoming Regent after his own death. He also created a Council of
fourteen noblemen with Orleans as its president. However, on his deathbed
Louis XIV asked Orleans to serve the future Louis XV as loyally as he had
served himself. Then he announced, "my nephew shall rule our country" so
that nothing came of the Council.
As Regent Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, although dissolute in his private
life, was intelligent and cultured. He was also greatly influenced by Cardinal
Dubois and in 1718 backed the Scottish banker John Law. However, this venture
collapsed in 1720, ruining many people. When Louis XV came of age in February
1723, he was asked to continue as the king's chief minister; but on 2 December
1723, while visiting his mistress, the Duchesse de Falari, Philippe suddenly
died.
Source: Leo van de Pas |
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