Louis of Bourbon, Duke of Orléans
Encyclopedia
Louis d'Orléans (4 August 1703 – 4 February 1752) was the Duke of Orléans and a member of the royal family of France, the House of Bourbon
, and as such was a prince du sang
. At his father's death, he became the First Prince of the Blood (Premier Prince du Sang). Known as Louis le Pieux and also as Louis le Génovéfain, Louis was a pious
, charitable and cultured prince, who took very little part in the politics of the time.
in 1703 to Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
and his wife, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, the youngest legitimised daughter of Louis XIV
and of his mistress Madame de Montespan.
The only son of eight children, his siblings were:
At his birth, he was given the courtesy title of Duke of Chartres
as the heir to the Orléans fortune and titles. His maternal grandfather, the king, in addition gave him the pension reserved for the First Prince of the Blood, a rank he was not yet eligible to hold.
He was brought up by his mother and his grandmother, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
, and tutored by Nicolas-Hubert Mongault, the illegitimate son of Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Saint-Pouange, a cousin of Jean-Baptiste Colbert
, Louis XIV's minister. He was very close to his mother, the two remaining close till her death in 1749.
Louis was very close to his younger sister Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, who was to become Queen
of Spain for seven months in 1724. He was not, however, close to his older sister, Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans, the wife of Francesco d'Este, Duke of Modena. They were in frequent conflict during her many return visits to the French court from Modena
.
opposite the Palais-Royal, the Paris home of the Orléans family. During the regency, Louis was seen as the "third personage of the kingdom" immediately after Louis XV and his own father, the Regent. He was formally admitted to the Conseil de Régence on 30 January 1718. Despite his father's wishes, though, Louis was never to play an overly public or political role in France. The following year, he was made the governor of the Dauphiné
. He was not forced, however, to move there in order to fulfill his new duties. Later, he gave the title back to the Crown. In 1720, he became Grand Master of the Order of Saint-Lazare
and Jerusalem. In 1721, under his father's influence, he was named Colonel général de l'Infanterie
and held that post until 1730.
, the second son of the Grand Dauphin and uncle of the young king, had renounced his rights to the French throne for himself, and his descendants, upon his accession to the throne of Spain in 1700. Although the Regent had hoped that his son would assume as prominent a role in government as he had, the post of prime minister went to Louis' older cousin, Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon, when the Regent died. Constantly trying to consolidate and maintain his power at court, the Duke of Bourbon was always suspicious of Louis' motivations and was frequently opposed to him.
In 1723, Louis was conspicuous for his hostility to the former prime minister, Cardinal Dubois
. Louis also worked with Claude le Blanc
and Nicolas Prosper Bauyn d'Angervilliers
in the post of Secretary of State for War
; Louis himself worked in this position from 1723–1730
: the Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (known for her fluency in French) or her younger sister, Grand Duchess Yelizaveta Petrovna. But the idea of a marriage with a Russian Grand Duchess
had to be abandoned as there soon arose difficulties relative to religion and order of precedence. Louis was "only" a great-grandson of the king of France and as such was only entitled to the style of Serene Highness
. A Russian grand duchess, however, as a daughter of the tsar, was entitled to the style as Imperial Highness
. Anna Petrovna later married a duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp.
Another possible bride who was considered for him was his first cousin Élisabeth Alexandrine de Bourbon. She was the youngest daughter of his mother's older sister, Louise-Françoise de Bourbon
. Élisabeth Alexandrine was also, however, the younger sister of his main rival, the Duke of Bourbon.
In 1723, a German princess was suggested. She was Johanna of Baden-Baden (1704–1726), the daughter of Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden
and his wife Sibylle Auguste of Saxe-Lauenburg
. The marriage was agreed upon by his mother, and the bride's small dowry set at 80,000 livres. The marriage by proxy took place on 18 June 1724 at Rastatt
, in Baden-Württemberg
, Germany, then on 13 July in the town of Sarry
(Marne
), in France. It was at Sarry that the couple first met. They fell in love at first sight. At the French court, the new Duchess of Orléans was known as Jeanne de Bade.
The ducal couple had two children, but only one survived infancy.
to the Polish princess, Marie Leszczyńska at Fontainebleau
. Earlier, Orléans had represented Louis XV at the proxy marriage ceremony, which had taken place the previous 15 August at Strasbourg
. The young queen would later have a lot of sympathy for the quiet and pious Duke.
The following year, on 8 August 1726, the duke's young wife died three days after the birth of her second child, Louise Marie, at the Palais-Royal in Paris. After the early death of his wife, and until his own death in 1752, Louis lived by strict rules.
His aunt, Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans Duchess of Lorraine, proposed her two daughters Élisabeth Thérèse de Lorraine and Anne Charlotte de Lorraine
as possible wives; Louis refused outright.
In 1730, Cardinal Fleury secured the duke's dismissal from the position of colonel-general of the infantry, a post he had held for nine years. Afterwards, Orléans became increasingly religious. Around 1740, he ordered the employment of a priest at the Palais Royal to stay with him during ill health. He later decided to retire at the Abbaye Sainte-Geneviève de Paris. From then on, he became known as Louis le Génovéfain. As he retired into private life, Louis spent his time translating the Psalms
and the Pauline epistles
, protecting men of science and managing his wealth. Like his cousin, the Duke of Penthièvre, he was praised for his charitable works. After the birth of his son, Louis was often preoccupied with the education of his son.
His son, Louis Philippe
would liked to have married Madame Henriette, the second daughter of Louis XV, but Louis XV refused. The king did not want the House of Orléans to be as powerful as it had been during the regency of Orléans' father. In 1737 he, along with his aunt the Dowager Duchess of Bourbon, were asked to be godparents of the kings son, Louis de France, Dauphin of France (1729–1765).
On 17 December 1743, Orléans' son married Louise Henriette de Bourbon, the daughter of Louis Armand, Prince of Conti
and his wife, Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon. The Condé and Orléans families had been at odds since the Orléans had assumed the rank of First Prince of the Blood in 1709, and it was hoped that the marriage would settle their mésentente. Although passionate at first, the marriage soon proved unhappy because of the young bride's débaucherie.
Louis Philippe d'Orléans would see the birth of his grandchildren Louis Philippe
(1747–1793) and Bathilde
(1750–1822) who, during the French Revolution
of 1789, would be known respectively as Philippe Égalité and Citoyenne Vérité. Because of the scandalous behaviour of their mother, he refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of his grandchildren.
In 1749, his mother died.
He died in 1752, at the age of forty-eight, at the Abbaye de Sainte Geneviève, having lost most of his sanity. On his deathbed, on suspicion of Jansenist views, he was refused communion by the Abbé Bouettin of the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
church, but was given the last rites by his own chaplain. Louis d'Orléans had outlived all his siblings apart from Charlotte Aglaé, the Duchess of Modena and Reggio.
He was buried at the Val-de-Grâce
in Paris.
(c.1735). Louis was also praised for giving generous financial aid to victims of floods in the Loire
in 1731 and again 1740;
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...
, and as such was a 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...
. At his father's death, he became the First Prince of the Blood (Premier Prince du Sang). Known as Louis le Pieux and also as Louis le Génovéfain, Louis was a pious
Piety
In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...
, charitable and cultured prince, who took very little part in the politics of the time.
Biography
Louis d'Orléans was born at the Palace of VersaillesPalace 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....
in 1703 to 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...
and his wife, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, the youngest legitimised daughter of Louis XIV
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 of his mistress Madame de Montespan.
The only son of eight children, his siblings were:
- Mademoiselle de Valois (17 December 1693 – 17 October 1694)
- Marie Louise Élisabeth d'OrléansMarie Louise Elisabeth d'OrléansMarie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchess of Berry , was a member of the House of Orléans who married Charles, Duke of Berry.-Biography:...
, Duchess of Berry (20 August 1695 – 21 July 1719) - Louise Adélaïde d'OrléansLouise Adélaïde d'OrléansLouise Adélaïde d'Orléans was the third daughter of Philippe d'Orléans, and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, a legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame de Montespan. She was Abbess of Chelles.-Biography:Marie Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans was born at the Palace of Versailles on...
, Abbess of Chelles (13 August 1698 – 10 February 1743) - Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans, Duchess of Modena and Reggio (20 October 1700 – 19 January 1761)
- Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Queen of Spain (11 December 1709 – 16 June 1742)
- Philippine Élisabeth d'Orléans, Mademoiselle de Beaujolais (18 December 1714 – 21 May 1734)
- Louise Diane d'OrléansLouise Diane d'OrléansLouise d'Orléans was the sixth daughter and last child of Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans and his wife, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, the youngest legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame de Montespan...
, Princess of Conti (27 June 1716 - 26 September 1736)
At his birth, he was given the courtesy title of 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...
as the heir to the Orléans fortune and titles. His maternal grandfather, the king, in addition gave him the pension reserved for the First Prince of the Blood, a rank he was not yet eligible to hold.
He was brought up by his mother and his grandmother, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV...
, and tutored by Nicolas-Hubert Mongault, the illegitimate son of Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Saint-Pouange, a cousin of Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing...
, Louis XIV's minister. He was very close to his mother, the two remaining close till her death in 1749.
Louis was very close to his younger sister Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, who was to become Queen
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Spain for seven months in 1724. He was not, however, close to his older sister, Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans, the wife of Francesco d'Este, Duke of Modena. They were in frequent conflict during her many return visits to the French court from Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
.
Regency
Upon the death of his maternal grandfather Louis XIV in 1715, his father (the old king's nephew) was selected to be the regent of the country for the five year old new king, Louis XV. The court was moved to Paris so his father could govern the country with the young king close by his side. Louis XV was installed in the Palais du LouvrePalais du Louvre
The Louvre Palace , on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, is a former royal palace situated between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois...
opposite the Palais-Royal, the Paris home of the Orléans family. During the regency, Louis was seen as the "third personage of the kingdom" immediately after Louis XV and his own father, the Regent. He was formally admitted to the Conseil de Régence on 30 January 1718. Despite his father's wishes, though, Louis was never to play an overly public or political role in France. The following year, he was made the governor of the Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
. He was not forced, however, to move there in order to fulfill his new duties. Later, he gave the title back to the Crown. In 1720, he became Grand Master of the Order of Saint-Lazare
Saint-Lazare
Saint-Lazare, French name of Lazarus of Bethany, may refer to:*Saint-Lazare, Quebec*Gare Saint-Lazare** Réseau Saint-Lazare*Prison Saint-Lazare, north of Paris, France*Autun Cathedral in Autun, France...
and Jerusalem. In 1721, under his father's influence, he was named Colonel général de l'Infanterie
Colonel General (France)
A Colonel General was an officer of the French army during the Ancien Régime, Napoleonic era and the Bourbon Restoration.The positions were not military ranks, but rather offices of the crown. The position was first created under François I. The Colonels General served directly below the Marshals...
and held that post until 1730.
Duke of Orléans
Upon the death of his father on 2 December 1723, the twenty-year old Louis assumed the hereditary title of Duke of Orléans and became the head of the House of Orléans. He also became the next in line to the throne of France until the birth of Louis XV's first-born son in 1729. This was because King Philip V of SpainPhilip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
, the second son of the Grand Dauphin and uncle of the young king, had renounced his rights to the French throne for himself, and his descendants, upon his accession to the throne of Spain in 1700. Although the Regent had hoped that his son would assume as prominent a role in government as he had, the post of prime minister went to Louis' older cousin, Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon, when the Regent died. Constantly trying to consolidate and maintain his power at court, the Duke of Bourbon was always suspicious of Louis' motivations and was frequently opposed to him.
In 1723, Louis was conspicuous for his hostility to the former prime minister, Cardinal Dubois
Guillaume Dubois
Guillaume Dubois was a French cardinal and statesman.-Early years:Dubois, the third of the four great Cardinal-Ministers , was born in Brive-la-Gaillarde, in Limousin...
. Louis also worked with Claude le Blanc
Claude le Blanc
Claude Le Blanc was a French royal official of the ancien regime. He was an intendant in several provinces and was twice Secretary of State for War...
and Nicolas Prosper Bauyn d'Angervilliers
Nicolas Prosper Bauyn d'Angervilliers
Nicolas Prosper Bauyn, seigneur d’Angervilliers was a French politician. He served as intendant de Dauphiné, intendant d'Alsace, and finally as Secretary of State for War from July 1728 until his death.-Life:...
in the post of Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War (France)
The Secretary of State for War was one of the four or five specialized secretaries of state in France during the Ancien Régime. The position was responsible for the Army and for overseeing French border provinces...
; Louis himself worked in this position from 1723–1730
Marriage
The fifth child and only son out of eight children, Louis was still not married at the death of his father. In 1721, the ambassador of France to Russia suggested a marriage between Louis and one of the two unmarried daughters of Peter I of RussiaPeter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
: the Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (known for her fluency in French) or her younger sister, Grand Duchess Yelizaveta Petrovna. But the idea of a marriage with a Russian Grand Duchess
Grand Duke
The title grand duke is used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns. Grand duke is of a protocolary rank below a king but higher than a sovereign duke. Grand duke is also the usual and established translation of grand prince in languages which do not...
had to be abandoned as there soon arose difficulties relative to religion and order of precedence. Louis was "only" a great-grandson of the king of France and as such was only entitled to the style of Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/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...
. A Russian grand duchess, however, as a daughter of the tsar, was entitled to the style as Imperial Highness
Imperial Highness
His/Her Imperial Highness is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote imperial - as opposed to royal - status to show that the holder in question is descended from an Emperor rather than a King .Today the style has mainly fallen from use with the exception of the Imperial Family of...
. Anna Petrovna later married a duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp.
Another possible bride who was considered for him was his first cousin Élisabeth Alexandrine de Bourbon. She was the youngest daughter of his mother's older sister, Louise-Françoise de Bourbon
Louise-Françoise de Bourbon
Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest surviving legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan. She was said to have been named after her godmother, Louise de La Vallière, the woman that her mother had replaced as the king's...
. Élisabeth Alexandrine was also, however, the younger sister of his main rival, the Duke of Bourbon.
In 1723, a German princess was suggested. She was Johanna of Baden-Baden (1704–1726), the daughter of Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden
Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden
Louis William, Margrave of Baden was the ruler of Baden in Germany and chief commander of the Imperial army. He was also known as Türkenlouis...
and his wife Sibylle Auguste of Saxe-Lauenburg
Sibylle Auguste of Saxe-Lauenburg
Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg was Margravine of Baden-Baden. Born a Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg, she was the wife of Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden, a famous Imperial general who was known as the Türkenlouis...
. The marriage was agreed upon by his mother, and the bride's small dowry set at 80,000 livres. The marriage by proxy took place on 18 June 1724 at Rastatt
Rastatt
Rastatt is a city and baroque residence in the District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 50'000...
, in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany, then on 13 July in the town of Sarry
Sarry, Marne
Sarry is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
(Marne
Marne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
), in France. It was at Sarry that the couple first met. They fell in love at first sight. At the French court, the new Duchess of Orléans was known as Jeanne de Bade.
The ducal couple had two children, but only one survived infancy.
Later life
On 5 September 1725, the court celebrated the marriage of Louis XVLouis 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...
to the Polish princess, Marie Leszczyńska at Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
. Earlier, Orléans had represented Louis XV at the proxy marriage ceremony, which had taken place the previous 15 August at Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. The young queen would later have a lot of sympathy for the quiet and pious Duke.
The following year, on 8 August 1726, the duke's young wife died three days after the birth of her second child, Louise Marie, at the Palais-Royal in Paris. After the early death of his wife, and until his own death in 1752, Louis lived by strict rules.
Princess Anne Charlotte of Lorraine
Anne Charlotte of Lorraine was the Abbess of Remiremont, Mons and Essen. She was the youngest daughter and the youngest of thirteen children of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, and his spouse Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans...
as possible wives; Louis refused outright.
In 1730, Cardinal Fleury secured the duke's dismissal from the position of colonel-general of the infantry, a post he had held for nine years. Afterwards, Orléans became increasingly religious. Around 1740, he ordered the employment of a priest at the Palais Royal to stay with him during ill health. He later decided to retire at the Abbaye Sainte-Geneviève de Paris. From then on, he became known as Louis le Génovéfain. As he retired into private life, Louis spent his time translating the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
and the Pauline epistles
Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul as the first word, hence claiming authorship by Paul the Apostle. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant Christian documents...
, protecting men of science and managing his wealth. Like his cousin, the Duke of Penthièvre, he was praised for his charitable works. After the birth of his son, Louis was often preoccupied with the education of his son.
His son, Louis Philippe
Louis 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...
would liked to have married Madame Henriette, the second daughter of Louis XV, but Louis XV refused. The king did not want the House of Orléans to be as powerful as it had been during the regency of Orléans' father. In 1737 he, along with his aunt the Dowager Duchess of Bourbon, were asked to be godparents of the kings son, Louis de France, Dauphin of France (1729–1765).
On 17 December 1743, Orléans' son married Louise Henriette de Bourbon, the daughter of Louis Armand, Prince of Conti
Louis Armand II, Prince of Conti
Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti was Prince of Conti, from 1709 to his death, succeeding his father François Louis, Prince of Conti. As a member of the reigning House of Bourbon, he was a Prince du Sang. His mother was the pious Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, a grand daughter of Louis de...
and his wife, Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon. The Condé and Orléans families had been at odds since the Orléans had assumed the rank of First Prince of the Blood in 1709, and it was hoped that the marriage would settle their mésentente. Although passionate at first, the marriage soon proved unhappy because of the young bride's débaucherie.
Louis Philippe d'Orléans would see the birth of his grandchildren Louis Philippe
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans 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 guillotined during the Reign of Terror...
(1747–1793) and Bathilde
Bathilde d'Orléans
Louise 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...
(1750–1822) who, during 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...
of 1789, would be known respectively as Philippe Égalité and Citoyenne Vérité. Because of the scandalous behaviour of their mother, he refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of his grandchildren.
In 1749, his mother died.
He died in 1752, at the age of forty-eight, at the Abbaye de Sainte Geneviève, having lost most of his sanity. On his deathbed, on suspicion of Jansenist views, he was refused communion by the Abbé Bouettin of the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is a church in Paris, France, located on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the Ve arrondissement, near the Panthéon. It contains the shrine of St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris....
church, but was given the last rites by his own chaplain. Louis d'Orléans had outlived all his siblings apart from Charlotte Aglaé, the Duchess of Modena and Reggio.
He was buried at the Val-de-Grâce
Val-de-Grâce
This article describes the hospital and former abbey. For the main article on Mansart and Lemercier's central church, see Church of the Val-de-Grâce....
in Paris.
Legacy
Louis was praised as a very charitable man; in Versailles the now destroyed College d'Orléans was named after him due to his generous patronage of the college's construction. He also remodelled the gardens at the Palais-Royal as well as the Orléans country residence, the Château de Saint-CloudChâteau de Saint-Cloud
The Château de Saint-Cloud was a Palace in France, built on a magnificent site overlooking the Seine at Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, about 10 kilometres west of Paris. Today it is a large park on the outskirts of the capital and is owned by the state, but the area as a whole has had a large...
(c.1735). Louis was also praised for giving generous financial aid to victims of floods in the Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
in 1731 and again 1740;
Issue
| Name | | Portrait | Lifespan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Philippe d'Orléans Louis 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... Duke of Orléans |
 |
12 May 1725 – 18 November 1785 |
Born at Versailles, he was titled Duke of Chartres (duc de Chartres) at birth; became Duke of Orléans (duc d'Orléans) upon his father's death in 1752; married Louise Henriette de Bourbon in 1743 and had issue; |
| Louise Marie d'Orléans Louise Marie d'Orléans Louise Marie d'Orléans was a French princess by birth.-Biography:Louise Marie d'Orléans was born at the Palais-Royal to Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans and his Duchess, the Margravine Johanna of Baden-Baden, who died three days after giving birth.Her father was a second cousin of the then King... Mademoiselle |
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5 August 1726 – 14 May 1728 |
Born at the Palais Royal, she was known as Mademoiselle till her early death at Saint Cloud |
Ancestors
Titles and styles
- 4 August 1703 – 2 December 1723 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) - 2 December 1723 – 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 Orléans (Monseigneur le duc d'Orléans) - Monsieur le PrincePrince du SangA 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...
Military ranks
- 1721–1730 Created Colonel General of the Infantry
Colonel General (France)A Colonel General was an officer of the French army during the Ancien Régime, Napoleonic era and the Bourbon Restoration.The positions were not military ranks, but rather offices of the crown. The position was first created under François I. The Colonels General served directly below the Marshals...
Honours
- 1719–1742 Created Governor of DauphinéDauphinéThe Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
- 27 October 1722 Knight of the Order of the Holy SpiritOrder of the Holy SpiritThe Order of the Holy Spirit, also known as the Order of the Knights of the Holy Spirit, was an Order of Chivalry under the French Monarchy. It should not be confused with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost or with the Order of the Holy Ghost...
(2rd Promotion at Versailles) - 1724 – 4 February 1752 Knight of the Golden Fleece
- 1730–1742 Created Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of JerusalemOrder of Saint LazarusThis article concerns the order of knighthood named after Saint Lazarus. For other uses of the name Lazarus, see Lazarus .The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is an order of chivalry which originated in a leper hospital founded by the Knights Hospitaller in 1098 by the...
Sources
- This article is based on the current French Louis d'Orléans (1703-1752) page
- Nouvelle biographie générale depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu'à nos jours, Firmin Didot Frères, Paris, 1862, Tome 38.
- Dufresne, Claude, Les Orléans, Critérion, Paris, 1991.
- Gordien, Marie-Estelle, Louis d'Orléans (1703-1752), premier prince du sang et mystique érudit, Thèse Sorbonne, 2002.
Titles
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