X-Nico

4 unusual facts about Philippe II, Duke of Orléans


Marie-Anne de La Ville

Among her clients were Madame de Grancey, an acquaintance of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, and the marquis de Feuquieres, previously the client of La Voisin, who reportedly hired her to summon a demon by the name of Prince Babel.

Already in 1696, six years before, a professional female fortune teller had been arrested of black magic, although the case was never brought to trial since it was discovered that the Duke of Chartres and the marquis de Feuquieres was among her clients.

Philippe d'Orléans

Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1674-1723), son of Philippe I and Regent of France, 1715-23

Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1747-1793), great grandson of Philippe II and father of Louis Philippe of France


Anne d'Arpajon

Her father, Louis de Sévérac, Marquis of Arpajon-sur-Cère (1667–1736), bought the Marquisat of Saint-Germain-lès-Châtres in 1720, and was granted permission by Philippe d'Orléans (régent for Louis XV), to rename it Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon, and its seat Arpajon.

Chronomètre of Loulié

Circa 1694 Étienne Loulié, a musician who had recently collaborated with mathematician Joseph Sauveur on the education of Philippe, Duke of Chartres, was asked by Chartres to work with Sauveur on a scientific study of acoustics sponsored by the Royal Academy of Science.

Count of Orléans

The lands formed part of the appanages granted to various younger sons of Kings of France with the title Duke of Orléans.

Duke of Montmorency

On the death of the last duke in 1830, the title passed to Louis Philippe III, Duke of Orléans, a great-great-grandson of the Louis I, Duke of Enghien through the female line.

Île d'Orléans

Officials later changed the name to Île d'Orléans in honour of the second son of King Francis I, Henri II, the Duke of Orléans.

Jacques-Marie Rouzet

He was the lover of Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon after the death of her husband the duke of Orleans.

Jean Philippe d'Orléans

Born at Chilly-Mazarin, a southern suburb of Paris, he was the illegitimate son of Philippe d'Orléans (future Regent of France, 1715–1723, acting for the infant Louis XV) and his mistress Marie-Louise Madeleine Victorine Le Bel de La Bussière (1684–1748), known as the comtesse d'Argenton or madame d'Argenton.

John Singleton the Younger

After his big race success, Singleton spent time in France, as trainer to the Duke of Orleans, but this employment came to an end with the coming of the French Revolution.

Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme

Following the departure of Vendôme to shore up the shattered army in the Flanders, Prince Eugène and the Duke of Savoy inflicted a heavy loss on the French under the duc d'Orléans and Ferdinand de Marsin at the Battle of Turin, driving the French out of Italy by the end of the year.

Margaret Bingham

In Paris, she was provided access to the Palais-Royal to copy works of the artists on display that were owned by the Duke of Orléans.

Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise du Deffand

Madame du Deffand is said by Horace Walpole (in a letter to Thomas Gray) to have been for a short time the mistress of the regent, the duke of Orléans.

Nicolas Henri, Duke of Orléans

The title of Duke of Orléans reverted to the crown and was later given to his younger brother Gaston who outlived him for another four decades.

Sidney J. A. Churchill

In 1901 he was entrusted with the last message from Queen Victoria to the Duke of Orleans.

Swallowfield Park

In 1717, Thomas 'Diamond' Pitt, the Governor of Fort St. George, bought Swallowfield Park from Edward Hyde, reputedly using part of the proceeds of his sale of the Regent Diamond to Philippe II, Duke of Orléans.

The Honest Man's Fortune

The Duke of Orleans is a rich and powerful aristocrat, arrogant and ruthless, "a spleenful detracting Lord."


see also

Louis, Duke of Orléans

Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans (1703–1752), son of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans

Mademoiselle de Chartres

Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans (1698–1743) second daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Françoise-Marie de Bourbon

Louise Diane d'Orléans (1716–1736) youngest daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Françoise-Marie de Bourbon

Mademoiselle de Valois

Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (1700–1761) daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Françoise Marie de Bourbon