Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Encyclopedia
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans (13 April 1747, – 6 November 1793) commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch
of the House of Bourbon
, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution
and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotine
d during the Reign of Terror
. His son Louis-Philippe
became King of the French after the July Revolution
of 1830. Following his career, the term Orléanist
came to be attached to the movement in France that favoured constitutional monarchy
.
, and Louise Henriette de Bourbon.
His mother came from the royal dynasty (the Bourbons) and Philippe himself was cousin to King Louis XVI. He was born at the Château de Saint Cloud, one of the residences of the Duke of Orléans a few miles west of Paris.
His eldest sister, born in 1745, had died when six months old. When he was three, his parents had another daughter:
After his grandfather's death in 1752, Philippe d'Orléans inherited the title, Duke of Chartres
. 1769, he married Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon
(1753–1821), daughter of his cousin, the Duke of Penthiêvre, a grand Admiral of France
and the richest man in the country at the time. Since it was certain that his wife would become the richest woman in France upon the death of her father, Louis Philippe was able to play a political role in court equal to that of his great-grandfather Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
, who had been the Regent
of France during the minority of King Louis XV
.
As Duke of Chartres, he opposed the plans of René de Maupeou
in 1771 when Maupeou successfully upheld royal interests in a confrontation with the Parlement de Paris, and was promptly exiled to his country estate of Villers-Cotterêts
in the former Picardy province, now in the modern Aisne
in northern France. When Louis XVI
became king in 1774, Philippe was still suspected of anti-royalist sentiment in the eyes of the court. Marie Antoinette
hated him for what she viewed as treachery, hypocrisy and selfishness, and he, in turn, scorned her for her lavish and immoral lifestyle.
, one of the wealthiest families of France, and Premier Prince du Sang
, addressed as Monsieur le Prince, the most important personage of the kingdom after the king's immediate family, and, as such, next in line to the throne should the main Bourbon line die out.
From his father, he also inherited the titles of:
at the Chapel of the Palace of Versailles
. Louise Marie Adélaïde brought to the already wealthy House of Orléans
a considerable dowry
of six million livres, an annual income of 240,000 livres (later increased to 400,000 livres), as well as lands, titles, residences and furniture.
Excepting their first child, a stillborn daughter, they had five children:
The Duke was a well-known womaniser and, like his ancestors Louis XIV of France
and Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
, had several illegitimate children.
During the first few months of their marriage, the couple appeared devoted to each other, but the duke went back to the life of "libertinage" he had led before his marriage. It is during the summer of 1772, a few months after his wife had given birth to a stillborn daughter, that began Philippe's secret liaison with one of her ladies-in-waiting, Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de St-Albin, comtesse de Genlis
, the niece of Madame de Montesson
, the Morganatic wife of Philippe's father. Passionate at first, the liaison cooled within a few months and, by the spring of 1773, was reported to be "dead". After the romantic affair was over, Félicité remained in the service of Marie-Adélaïde at the Palais-Royal, a trusted friend to both Marie-Adélaïde and Philippe. They both appreciated her intelligence and, in July 1779, she became the governess of the couple twin daughters born in 1777.
It was the custom in the French royal and noble families to "turn the boys over to the men" when they were seven years old. In 1782, the young Louis-Philippe was already nine and in dire need of discipline. The Duke of Chartres could not think of a man better qualified to "turn his sons over to" than… Mme de Genlis. This is how, nine years after their passionate liaison had ended and turned into deep friendship, Félicité became the "gouverneur" of the Duke and Duchess of Chartres’ children. Teacher and pupils left the Palais-Royal and went to live in a house built specially for them on the grounds of the Bellechasse convent (couvent des Dames de Bellechasse) in Paris.
It is alleged that Lady Edward FitzGerald
, born Stephanie Caroline Anne Syms, also known as Pamela, was a natural daughter of the Duke of Orléans and the Countess of Genlis.
He recognised a son he had with Marguerite Françoise Bouvier de la Mothe de Cépoy, comtesse de Buffon:
of the Count of Orvilliers
and was present in the Battle of Ushant, a naval battle against the British during the American War of Independence on 27 July 1778. He was removed from the navy due in part to the queen's hatred of him and also to his own incompetence and alleged cowardice. As compensation, he was given the honorary post of colonel-general of hussar
s.
Louis Philippe, a member of the Jacobin club
, used his wealth and family connections to help spread the revolutionary ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
and Montesquieu. Cousin to King Louis XVI and thus a member of the Bourbon
family line, Philippe opened the Palais-Royal to the Jacobins as a refuge from royalist censors. This palace, which was exempt from government censorship, allowed Jacobins to meet in Paris not only to discuss and debate revolutionary principles but also to print and distribute pamphlets to other Parisians. Although the philosophies of Rousseau and Montesquieu could not provide a concrete system for creating a moral government, the free exchange of ideas along with rising literacy rates fueled the changing social and political ideologies of Parisians. Because of his social, economic, and political power, Philippe was able to create a center for revolutionary ideology that played a large part in the undermining of the crown.
, strongly adhered to the principles of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
and was interested in creating a more moral and democratic form of government in France. As he grew more and more interested in Rousseau's ideas, he began to promote Enlightenment
ideology. He often visited Great Britain
, and became an intimate of the Prince of Wales
. In France, he made anglomanie fashionable, with an admiration for anything British, from liberalism
to jockey
s. He was also the Grand Master
of the Masonic Grand Orient de France from 1771–93, though he did not attend a meeting of the Grand Orient until 1777. He later distanced himself from Freemasonry in a letter dated January 1793, and the Grand Orient vacated his position on 13 December 1793. He also made himself very popular in Paris by his large gifts to the poor during times of famine
. To appear egalitarian, he opened up the gardens of the Palais Royal
to the public and allowed shops in the palace's arcades.
, where the King had been placed after being ousted from Versailles
, the Palais-Royal became a place for wealthy nobles who had joined the Jacobin club to meet. There, nobles began to debate and spread the ideas of the Enlightenment
and the King lost his access to some of the most influential aristocrats. Without Louis XVI's ability to keep the nobles in "constant attendance", it became impossible for him to monitor and reverse the growing anti-royalist sentiment.
He hired people, such as the Marquis Duquesne
, whose family took control of Philippe's political advisory service. Once Philippe spread power and positions to the people around him, his movement lost some of his original ideology. While it initially started to spread the word of anti-Bourbon liberalism, many people became interested in seeking power under a new form of government, which was something of little interest to the rich, quiet man. The movement, though somewhat altered by differing motives, still retained some of Louis Philippe's original beliefs. This became apparent when the Instructions and Deliberations were released by his administration. Though not written by Louis Philippe himself, the writings held values that were very close to his heart; the closest being that of the freedom to travel when and where he pleased.
in 1787, Philippe was very vocal in the anti-royalist, Enlightenment
ideas, leading to suspicions that he was plotting to displace Louis XVI. In November, he again showed his liberalism during the lit de justice
, which Étienne de Loménie de Brienne
had made the king hold. For this transgression, he was again exiled to Villers-Cotterêts.
The approaching convocation of the Estates-General
made his friends very active on his behalf. He circulated pamphlets, which the Abbé Sieyès
had drawn up at his request, in every bailliage. He was elected in three districts, by the nobility
of Paris, Villers-Cotterêts and Crépy-en-Valois
. During the opening procession of the Estates-General, Philippe "seemed anxious to march as close to the Third Estate as possible", as a display of his desire for a more democratic and representative government. After the Third Estate broke from the Estates-General in the Tennis Court Oath
and created the National Assembly
, Philippe was one of the first to break from the Estates-General and join the National Assembly. In the Second Estate he headed the liberal minority under the guidance of Adrien Duport
, and led the minority of forty-seven noblemen who seceded from their own estate (June 1789) and joined the Third Estate.
The part Philippe d'Orléans played during the summer of 1789 is one of the most debated points in the history of the French Revolution
. The royal court accused him of being at the bottom of every popular movement, and saw the "gold of Orléans" as the cause of the Réveillon riot
and the storming of the Bastille
(mirroring the subsequent belief held by the Jacobins
that everything opposing them relied on the "gold of Pitt the Younger
"). His hatred of Marie Antoinette
, his previous disgrace at court, and his liberalism (alongside his friendship with Duport and Choderlos de Laclos), all seem to point towards his involvement. The Duke is also alleged to have deliberately withheld grain from the people of Paris, being a direct cause of the 5 October March on Versailles. The Duke is also thought to have lied about his whereabouts when the Palace at Versailles was stormed in the early hours of the morning on the 6th of October, having stated he was at the General Assembly in Paris, yet several witness (including the Marquise de la Tour du Pin) saw him lead the bloodthirsty mob to a staircase leading to the Queen's bedroom, protected by Swiss Guard. The mob cried "Long live our King d'Orléans" during the raid.
Grace Elliott
, who was one of Philippe's mistresses at the time, attested to the fact that during the riot of 14 July, the duke was on a fishing excursion, and that he was rudely treated by the king the next day when the duke went to offer his cousin his services. Supposedly, the duke was so disgusted by the accusation that he was seeking the crown, that he wanted to go to the United States. His favourite lover, the Countess of Buffon, however, would not go with him, so he decided to remain in Paris.
The Marquis de La Fayette, apparently jealous of Philippe's popularity, persuaded the king to send the duke to Britain on a mission, and he accordingly remained in England from October 1789 to July 1790. On 7 July 1790, he took his seat in the National Constituent Assembly
. On 2 October, both he and Honoré Mirabeau were declared by the Assembly entirely free of any complicity in the events of 5–6 October 1789.
in June 1791. In fact, Louis Philippe attempted to reconcile with the King in January 1792, but was rejected, and refused to aid the King any further. In an attempt to show his support of democratic and Enlightenment
philosophies, he changed his name to Philippe Citoyen Egalité, meaning Citizen Equality.
In the summer of 1792, he was present for a short time with the Army of the North
, together with his two sons, the Duke of Chartres, future King of the French, and the Duke of Montpensier, but had returned to Paris before the insurrection of 10 August
.
, the governor of the Tuileries Palace
, who was his personal enemy. He accepted the appellation Citoyen Égalité (Citizen Equality) conferred on him by the Commune
. He was elected twentieth and last deputy for Paris to the National Convention
, where he again made no notable contribution other than voting in the king's trial — he voted in favour of the death sentence
for Louis XVI. Many citizens of Paris saw this as an attempt by Philippe to overthrow the crown and seize power himself. They believed that not only was the Palais-Royal the center for revolutionary and philosophical debates, but that it was also his ground for recruiting and financing riots and rebellious activity.
His compliance with republican rules did not save him from this suspicion, which was especially aroused by the friendship of his eldest son, the Duke of Chartres, with Charles François Dumouriez
. When the news of the desertion of Chartres and Dumouriez reached Paris, all the Bourbons left in France, including Philippe-Égalité, were arrested on 5 April 1793. First imprisoned in Paris, he was later transferred to the Fort Saint-Jean
in Marseille
, then brought back to Paris in October, during the Reign of Terror
, the second phase of which had begun the preceding June with the arrest of the Girondists (Girondins).
As a member of the House of Bourbon
, Louis Philippe was shortlisted for a trial, and effectively tried and guillotine
d in the space of one day on 6 November 1793. Accounts of his incarceration and execution mention his exceptional courage.
Philippe d'Orléans was buried in the Madeleine cemetery
(closed in 1794), in Paris, where Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and hundreds executed on the Place de la Révolution during the Terror had been buried. His remains were never found.
in the 1938 film Marie Antoinette
, and by Jean-Claude Dreyfus in the 2001 Éric Rohmer
film The Lady and the Duke
.
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Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
of the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
d during the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
. His son Louis-Philippe
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
became King of the French after the July Revolution
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
of 1830. Following his career, the term Orléanist
Orléanist
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
came to be attached to the movement in France that favoured constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
.
Early life
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans was the son of Louis Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of ChartresLouis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe d'Orléans known as le Gros , was a French nobleman, a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the dynasty then ruling France. The First Prince of the Blood after 1752, he was the most senior male at the French court after the immediate royal family. He was the father of...
, and Louise Henriette de Bourbon.
His mother came from the royal dynasty (the Bourbons) and Philippe himself was cousin to King Louis XVI. He was born at the Château de Saint Cloud, one of the residences of the Duke of Orléans a few miles west of Paris.
His eldest sister, born in 1745, had died when six months old. When he was three, his parents had another daughter:
- Louise Marie Thérèse Bathilde d'OrléansBathilde d'OrléansLouise Marie Thérèse Bathilde d'Orléans, Princess of Condé , was a French princess. She was sister of Philippe Égalité, the mother of the executed duc d'Enghien and aunt of Louis-Philippe King of the French...
(9 July 1750 – 10 January 1822).
After his grandfather's death in 1752, Philippe d'Orléans inherited the title, Duke of Chartres
Duke of Chartres
Originally, the Duchy of Chartres was the comté de Chartres, an Earldom. The title of comte de Chartres thus became duc de Chartres. This duchy–peerage was given by Louis XIV of France to his nephew, Philippe II d'Orléans, at his birth in 1674...
. 1769, he married Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon
Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon
Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, Duchess of Orléans, , was the daughter of Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre and of Princess Maria Theresa Felicitas of Modena. At the death of her brother, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, prince de Lamballe, she became the wealthiest heiress in France...
(1753–1821), daughter of his cousin, the Duke of Penthiêvre, a grand Admiral of France
Admiral of France
The title Admiral of France is one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, the naval equivalent of Marshal of France.The title was created in 1270 by Louis IX of France, during the Eighth Crusade. At the time it was equivalent to the office of Constable of France. The Admiral was responsible...
and the richest man in the country at the time. Since it was certain that his wife would become the richest woman in France upon the death of her father, Louis Philippe was able to play a political role in court equal to that of his great-grandfather Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
, who had been the Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of France during the minority of King Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
.
As Duke of Chartres, he opposed the plans of René de Maupeou
René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou
René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou was a French politician, chancellor of France, whose attempts at fiscal reform signalled the failure of enlightened despotism in France.-Biography:...
in 1771 when Maupeou successfully upheld royal interests in a confrontation with the Parlement de Paris, and was promptly exiled to his country estate of Villers-Cotterêts
Villers-Cotterêts
Villers-Cotterêts is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Geography:It is located NE of Paris via the RN2 facing Laon...
in the former Picardy province, now in the modern Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
in northern France. When Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
became king in 1774, Philippe was still suspected of anti-royalist sentiment in the eyes of the court. Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
hated him for what she viewed as treachery, hypocrisy and selfishness, and he, in turn, scorned her for her lavish and immoral lifestyle.
Duke of Orléans
In November 1785, upon his father's death, Philippe, the new Duke of Orléans, became the head of the House of OrléansHouse of Orleans
Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king...
, one of the wealthiest families of France, and Premier Prince du Sang
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
, addressed as Monsieur le Prince, the most important personage of the kingdom after the king's immediate family, and, as such, next in line to the throne should the main Bourbon line die out.
From his father, he also inherited the titles of:
- Duke of NemoursDuke of NemoursIn the 12th and 13th centuries the Lordship of Nemours, in the Gatinais, France, was in possession of the house of Villebeon, a member of which, Gautier, was marshal of France in the middle of the 13th century...
- Prince of Joinville
Marriage
On 6 June 1769, Louis Philippe married Louise Marie Adélaïde de BourbonLouise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon
Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, Duchess of Orléans, , was the daughter of Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre and of Princess Maria Theresa Felicitas of Modena. At the death of her brother, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, prince de Lamballe, she became the wealthiest heiress in France...
at the Chapel of the Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
. Louise Marie Adélaïde brought to the already wealthy House of Orléans
House of Orleans
Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king...
a considerable dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
of six million livres, an annual income of 240,000 livres (later increased to 400,000 livres), as well as lands, titles, residences and furniture.
- Louis-Philippe d'OrléansLouis-Philippe of FranceLouis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
(6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850),- became King of the French (1830–1848);
- Louis Antoine Philippe d'OrléansAntoine Philippe, Duke of MontpensierLouis Antoine Philippe d'Orléans, duc de Montpensier was a son of Louis Philippe d'Orléans and his duchess Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon...
(3 July 1775 – 18 May 1807), who died in exile in Salthill, England; - Louise Marie Adélaïde Eugénie d'Orléans;
- Françoise d'Orléans Mademoiselle d'Orléans (twin sister of Adélaïde) (1777–1782);
- Louis Charles d'Orléans (17 October 1779 – 30 May 1808), who died in exile in MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
.
The Duke was a well-known womaniser and, like his ancestors Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
, had several illegitimate children.
During the first few months of their marriage, the couple appeared devoted to each other, but the duke went back to the life of "libertinage" he had led before his marriage. It is during the summer of 1772, a few months after his wife had given birth to a stillborn daughter, that began Philippe's secret liaison with one of her ladies-in-waiting, Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de St-Albin, comtesse de Genlis
Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de St-Albin, comtesse de Genlis
Madame de Genlis, full name Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de St-Aubin, comtesse de Genlis, or Madame Brûlart, was a French writer, harpist and educator.-Biography:...
, the niece of Madame de Montesson
Charlotte-Jeanne Béraud de la Haye de Riou, marquise de Montesson
Charlotte-Jeanne Béraud de La Haye de Riou was a mistress to Louis Philippe d'Orléans, duc d'Orléans, and ultimately, his wife; however, Louis XV would not allow her to become the duchesse. She wrote and acted in several plays...
, the Morganatic wife of Philippe's father. Passionate at first, the liaison cooled within a few months and, by the spring of 1773, was reported to be "dead". After the romantic affair was over, Félicité remained in the service of Marie-Adélaïde at the Palais-Royal, a trusted friend to both Marie-Adélaïde and Philippe. They both appreciated her intelligence and, in July 1779, she became the governess of the couple twin daughters born in 1777.
It was the custom in the French royal and noble families to "turn the boys over to the men" when they were seven years old. In 1782, the young Louis-Philippe was already nine and in dire need of discipline. The Duke of Chartres could not think of a man better qualified to "turn his sons over to" than… Mme de Genlis. This is how, nine years after their passionate liaison had ended and turned into deep friendship, Félicité became the "gouverneur" of the Duke and Duchess of Chartres’ children. Teacher and pupils left the Palais-Royal and went to live in a house built specially for them on the grounds of the Bellechasse convent (couvent des Dames de Bellechasse) in Paris.
It is alleged that Lady Edward FitzGerald
Lady Edward FitzGerald
Lady Edward FitzGerald was married to Lord Edward FitzGerald, and was an enthusiastic supporter of Irish independence, scarcely less celebrated at the time than Lord Edward himself.-Background:...
, born Stephanie Caroline Anne Syms, also known as Pamela, was a natural daughter of the Duke of Orléans and the Countess of Genlis.
He recognised a son he had with Marguerite Françoise Bouvier de la Mothe de Cépoy, comtesse de Buffon:
- Victor Leclerc de Buffon (6 September 1792 – 20 April 1812),
- known as the chevalier de Saint-Paul and chevalier d'Orléans.
Military service
In 1778, Philippe served in the squadronSquadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
of the Count of Orvilliers
Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers
Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers was a French admiral.D'Orvilliers was born in Moulins, Allier, but spent most of his childhood in Cayenne, capital of the French colony French Guiana, where his father was governor. In 1723, aged fifteen, he joined the colony's infantry regiment and quickly rose...
and was present in the Battle of Ushant, a naval battle against the British during the American War of Independence on 27 July 1778. He was removed from the navy due in part to the queen's hatred of him and also to his own incompetence and alleged cowardice. As compensation, he was given the honorary post of colonel-general of hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
s.
Role in the French Revolution
Jacobin Club
The Jacobin Club was the most famous and influential political club in the development of the French Revolution, so-named because of the Dominican convent where they met, located in the Rue St. Jacques , Paris. The club originated as the Club Benthorn, formed at Versailles from a group of Breton...
, used his wealth and family connections to help spread the revolutionary ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
and Montesquieu. Cousin to King Louis XVI and thus a member of the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
family line, Philippe opened the Palais-Royal to the Jacobins as a refuge from royalist censors. This palace, which was exempt from government censorship, allowed Jacobins to meet in Paris not only to discuss and debate revolutionary principles but also to print and distribute pamphlets to other Parisians. Although the philosophies of Rousseau and Montesquieu could not provide a concrete system for creating a moral government, the free exchange of ideas along with rising literacy rates fueled the changing social and political ideologies of Parisians. Because of his social, economic, and political power, Philippe was able to create a center for revolutionary ideology that played a large part in the undermining of the crown.
Liberal Ideology
Philippe, like most Jacobins during the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, strongly adhered to the principles of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
and was interested in creating a more moral and democratic form of government in France. As he grew more and more interested in Rousseau's ideas, he began to promote Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
ideology. He often visited Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
, and became an intimate of the Prince of Wales
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. In France, he made anglomanie fashionable, with an admiration for anything British, from liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
to jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
s. He was also the Grand Master
Grand Master (Masonic)
In Freemasonry a Grand Master is the leader of the lodges within his Masonic jurisdiction. He presides over a Grand Lodge, and has certain rights in the constituent lodges that form his jurisdiction....
of the Masonic Grand Orient de France from 1771–93, though he did not attend a meeting of the Grand Orient until 1777. He later distanced himself from Freemasonry in a letter dated January 1793, and the Grand Orient vacated his position on 13 December 1793. He also made himself very popular in Paris by his large gifts to the poor during times of famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
. To appear egalitarian, he opened up the gardens of the Palais Royal
Palais Royal
The Palais-Royal, originally called the Palais-Cardinal, is a palace and an associated garden located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris...
to the public and allowed shops in the palace's arcades.
Revolutionary Politics
Philippe's inheritance of the Palais-Royal allowed him the ability to house a massive number of Jacobins. Only blocks away from the Tuileries PalaceTuileries Palace
The Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
, where the King had been placed after being ousted from Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, the Palais-Royal became a place for wealthy nobles who had joined the Jacobin club to meet. There, nobles began to debate and spread the ideas of the Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
and the King lost his access to some of the most influential aristocrats. Without Louis XVI's ability to keep the nobles in "constant attendance", it became impossible for him to monitor and reverse the growing anti-royalist sentiment.
He hired people, such as the Marquis Duquesne
Marquis Duquesne
Michel-Ange Du Quesne de Menneville, Marquis Du Quesne was a French Governor General of New France. He was born in Toulon....
, whose family took control of Philippe's political advisory service. Once Philippe spread power and positions to the people around him, his movement lost some of his original ideology. While it initially started to spread the word of anti-Bourbon liberalism, many people became interested in seeking power under a new form of government, which was something of little interest to the rich, quiet man. The movement, though somewhat altered by differing motives, still retained some of Louis Philippe's original beliefs. This became apparent when the Instructions and Deliberations were released by his administration. Though not written by Louis Philippe himself, the writings held values that were very close to his heart; the closest being that of the freedom to travel when and where he pleased.
Leadership in the Estates-General
At the Assembly of NotablesAssembly of Notables
The Assembly of Notables was a group of notables invited by the King of France to consult on matters of state.-History:Assemblies of Notables had met in 1583, 1596–97, 1617, 1626, 1787, and 1788. Like the Estates General, they served a consultative purpose only...
in 1787, Philippe was very vocal in the anti-royalist, Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
ideas, leading to suspicions that he was plotting to displace Louis XVI. In November, he again showed his liberalism during the lit de justice
Bed of Justice
In France under the Ancien Régime, the lit de justice was a particular formal session of the Parlement of Paris, under the presidency of the king, for the compulsory registration of the royal edicts. It was named thus because, rather than sit on a throne, the king would sit in an impromptu "bed"...
, which Étienne de Loménie de Brienne
Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne
Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne was a French churchman, politician and finance minister of Louis XVI.-Life:...
had made the king hold. For this transgression, he was again exiled to Villers-Cotterêts.
The approaching convocation of the Estates-General
Estates-General of 1789
The Estates-General of 1789 was the first meeting since 1614 of the French Estates-General, a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the nobility, the Church, and the common people...
made his friends very active on his behalf. He circulated pamphlets, which the Abbé Sieyès
Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès
Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès , commonly known as Abbé Sieyès, was a French Roman Catholic abbé and clergyman, one of the chief theorists of the French Revolution, French Consulate, and First French Empire...
had drawn up at his request, in every bailliage. He was elected in three districts, by the nobility
French nobility
The French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
of Paris, Villers-Cotterêts and Crépy-en-Valois
Crépy-en-Valois
Crépy-en-Valois is a large town in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise. It is located northeast of the center of Paris.-History:...
. During the opening procession of the Estates-General, Philippe "seemed anxious to march as close to the Third Estate as possible", as a display of his desire for a more democratic and representative government. After the Third Estate broke from the Estates-General in the Tennis Court Oath
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was a pivotal event during the first days of the French Revolution. The Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members from the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of the Estates-General on 20 June 1789...
and created the National Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
, Philippe was one of the first to break from the Estates-General and join the National Assembly. In the Second Estate he headed the liberal minority under the guidance of Adrien Duport
Adrien Duport
Adrien Duport was a French politician, and lawyer.-Life:He was born in Paris...
, and led the minority of forty-seven noblemen who seceded from their own estate (June 1789) and joined the Third Estate.
The part Philippe d'Orléans played during the summer of 1789 is one of the most debated points in the history of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. The royal court accused him of being at the bottom of every popular movement, and saw the "gold of Orléans" as the cause of the Réveillon riot
Reveillon riot
The Réveillon Riot occurred on 28 April 1789 in the St. Antoine district of Paris where a factory which produced luxury wallpaper was owned by Jean-Baptiste Réveillon. The factory employed around 300 people. The Réveillon Riot was one of the first instances of violence during the French Revolution...
and the storming of the Bastille
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
(mirroring the subsequent belief held by the Jacobins
Jacobin Club
The Jacobin Club was the most famous and influential political club in the development of the French Revolution, so-named because of the Dominican convent where they met, located in the Rue St. Jacques , Paris. The club originated as the Club Benthorn, formed at Versailles from a group of Breton...
that everything opposing them relied on the "gold of Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
"). His hatred of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
, his previous disgrace at court, and his liberalism (alongside his friendship with Duport and Choderlos de Laclos), all seem to point towards his involvement. The Duke is also alleged to have deliberately withheld grain from the people of Paris, being a direct cause of the 5 October March on Versailles. The Duke is also thought to have lied about his whereabouts when the Palace at Versailles was stormed in the early hours of the morning on the 6th of October, having stated he was at the General Assembly in Paris, yet several witness (including the Marquise de la Tour du Pin) saw him lead the bloodthirsty mob to a staircase leading to the Queen's bedroom, protected by Swiss Guard. The mob cried "Long live our King d'Orléans" during the raid.
Grace Elliott
Grace Elliott
Grace Dalrymple Elliott was a Scottish socialite and courtesan who was resident in Paris at the time of the French Revolution and an eyewitness to events. She was once mistress of the Duke of Orléans, who was cousin to King Louis XVI....
, who was one of Philippe's mistresses at the time, attested to the fact that during the riot of 14 July, the duke was on a fishing excursion, and that he was rudely treated by the king the next day when the duke went to offer his cousin his services. Supposedly, the duke was so disgusted by the accusation that he was seeking the crown, that he wanted to go to the United States. His favourite lover, the Countess of Buffon, however, would not go with him, so he decided to remain in Paris.
The Marquis de La Fayette, apparently jealous of Philippe's popularity, persuaded the king to send the duke to Britain on a mission, and he accordingly remained in England from October 1789 to July 1790. On 7 July 1790, he took his seat in the National Constituent Assembly
National Constituent Assembly
The National Constituent Assembly was formed from the National Assembly on 9 July 1789, during the first stages of the French Revolution. It dissolved on 30 September 1791 and was succeeded by the Legislative Assembly.-Background:...
. On 2 October, both he and Honoré Mirabeau were declared by the Assembly entirely free of any complicity in the events of 5–6 October 1789.
Citoyen Égalité
Philippe d'Orléans subsequently tried to keep himself distant from the political world, but he was still suspect to the King and subject to pressures from his partisans to replace Louis XVI. His lack of political aspirations could be proven by noting that he did not attempt to obtain any leading position after the King's flight to VarennesFlight to Varennes
The Flight to Varennes was a significant episode in the French Revolution during which King Louis XVI of France, his wife Marie Antoinette, and their immediate family attempted unsuccessfully to escape from Paris in order to initiate a counter-revolution...
in June 1791. In fact, Louis Philippe attempted to reconcile with the King in January 1792, but was rejected, and refused to aid the King any further. In an attempt to show his support of democratic and Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
philosophies, he changed his name to Philippe Citoyen Egalité, meaning Citizen Equality.
In the summer of 1792, he was present for a short time with the Army of the North
French Revolutionary Army
The French Revolutionary Army is the term used to refer to the military of France during the period between the fall of the ancien regime under Louis XVI in 1792 and the formation of the First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary...
, together with his two sons, the Duke of Chartres, future King of the French, and the Duke of Montpensier, but had returned to Paris before the insurrection of 10 August
10th of August (French Revolution)
On 10 August 1792, during the French Revolution, revolutionary Fédéré militias — with the backing of a new municipal government of Paris that came to be known as the "insurrectionary" Paris Commune and ultimately supported by the National Guard — besieged the Tuileries palace. King Louis XVI and...
.
During the Grand Terror
After the fall of the monarchy, Philippe risked his own life by saving suspects of the revolutionary regime — in particular, and at the request of Grace Elliott, he saved the life of Louis René Quentin de Richebourg de ChampcenetzMarquis de Champcenetz
Louis René Quentin de Richebourg, marquis de Champcenetz was governor of the Tuileries Palace at the time of the French Revolution. He was the father of his namesake, the journalist Louis René Quentin de Richebourg de Champcenetz. He was the personal enemy of Louis Philippe, who nevertheless...
, the governor of the Tuileries Palace
Tuileries Palace
The Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
, who was his personal enemy. He accepted the appellation Citoyen Égalité (Citizen Equality) conferred on him by the Commune
Paris Commune (French Revolution)
The Paris Commune during the French Revolution was the government of Paris from 1789 until 1795. Established in the Hôtel de Ville just after the storming of the Bastille, the Commune became insurrectionary in the summer of 1792, essentially refusing to take orders from the central French...
. He was elected twentieth and last deputy for Paris to the National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
, where he again made no notable contribution other than voting in the king's trial — he voted in favour of the death sentence
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for Louis XVI. Many citizens of Paris saw this as an attempt by Philippe to overthrow the crown and seize power himself. They believed that not only was the Palais-Royal the center for revolutionary and philosophical debates, but that it was also his ground for recruiting and financing riots and rebellious activity.
His compliance with republican rules did not save him from this suspicion, which was especially aroused by the friendship of his eldest son, the Duke of Chartres, with Charles François Dumouriez
Charles François Dumouriez
Charles-François du Périer Dumouriez was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars. He shared the victory at Valmy with General François Christophe Kellermann, but later deserted the Revolutionary Army and became a royalist intriguer during the reign of Napoleon.-Early life:Dumouriez...
. When the news of the desertion of Chartres and Dumouriez reached Paris, all the Bourbons left in France, including Philippe-Égalité, were arrested on 5 April 1793. First imprisoned in Paris, he was later transferred to the Fort Saint-Jean
Fort Saint-Jean (Marseille)
Fort Saint-Jean is a fortification in Marseille, built in 1660 by Louis XIV at the entrance to the Old Port. Fort Saint-Nicolas was constructed at the same time on the opposite side of the harbour. Commenting on their construction, Louis XIV said, "We noticed that the inhabitants of Marseille were...
in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, then brought back to Paris in October, during the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
, the second phase of which had begun the preceding June with the arrest of the Girondists (Girondins).
As a member of the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, Louis Philippe was shortlisted for a trial, and effectively tried and guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
d in the space of one day on 6 November 1793. Accounts of his incarceration and execution mention his exceptional courage.
Philippe d'Orléans was buried in the Madeleine cemetery
Chapelle Expiatoire
The Chapelle expiatoire is a chapel located in the eighth arrondissement, of Paris, France. This chapel is dedicated to King Louis XVI and his Queen Marie Antoinette, although they are formally buried in the Basilica of St Denis....
(closed in 1794), in Paris, where Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and hundreds executed on the Place de la Révolution during the Terror had been buried. His remains were never found.
Popular culture
He was portrayed by Joseph SchildkrautJoseph Schildkraut
Joseph Schildkraut was an Austrian stage and film actor.-Early life:Born in Vienna, Austria, Schildkraut was the son of stage actor Rudolph Schildkraut. The younger Schildkraut moved to the United States in the early 1900s. He appeared in many Broadway productions...
in the 1938 film Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette (1938 film)
Marie Antoinette is a 1938 film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starred Norma Shearer as Marie Antoinette...
, and by Jean-Claude Dreyfus in the 2001 Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter and teacher. A figure in the post-war New Wave cinema, he was a former editor of Cahiers du cinéma....
film The Lady and the Duke
The Lady And The Duke
The Lady and the Duke is a 2001 feature film by French director Éric Rohmer.The film was inspired by Ma vie sous la révolution, the colourful memoirs of Grace Elliott, an Edinburgh-born royalist caught up in the political intrigue following the French Revolution...
.
Ancestors
Titles and succession
- 13 April 1747 – 4 February 1752 His Serene HighnessSerene HighnessHis/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
the Duke of Montpensier (Monseigneur le duc de Montpensier) - 4 February 1752 – 18 November 1785 His Serene HighnessSerene HighnessHis/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
the Duke of Chartres (Monseigneur le duc de Chartres) - 18 November 1785 – 6 November 1793 His Serene HighnessSerene HighnessHis/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
the Duke of Orléans (Monseigneur le duc d'Orléans)- Succeeded to this style on the death of his father. Was entitled to this style and rank due to him being the First Prince of The Blood.
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