Dukes of Orleans - Henry III of France, Louis XII of France, Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, Charles, Duke of Orleans, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 41. Chapters: Henry III of France, Louis XII of France, Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, Charles, Duke of Orleans, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans, House of Orleans, Prince Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orleans, Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, Louis d'Orleans, Duke of Orleans, Gaston, Duke of Orleans, Louis I, Duke of Orleans, Charles II de Valois, Duke of Orleans, Chapelle royale de Dreux, Valentina Visconti, Duchess of Orleans, Princes of Orleans, Nicolas Henri, Duke of Orleans, Philip of Valois, Duke of Orleans. Excerpt: Philippe of France (21 September 1640 - 9 June 1701) was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orleans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orleans. During the reign of his brother he was known simply as Monsieur, the traditional style at the court of France for the younger brother of the king. Unabashedly effeminate and notoriously homosexual, he nonetheless fulfilled his dynastic duty by marrying twice and begetting several children. In fact, he was the founder of the House of Orleans, a cadet branch of the ruling House of Bourbon, and thus the direct ancestor of Louis Philippe I, who ruled France from 1830 till 1848 in the July Monarchy. Through the children of his two marriages, Philippe became an ancestor of most modern-day Roman Catholic royalty, giving him the nickname of "the grandfather of Europe." Philippe's other achievements include his decisive victory as military commander at the Battle of Cassel in 1677. Through careful personal administration, Philippe greatly augmented the fortunes of the House of Orleans. Philippe was born on 21 September 1640 at the Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. As the ...