Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans

Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans incorrectly named 'Philippe I, Duke of Orléans' on a certain online 'encyclopaedia' should actually be called Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans. As the son of the reigning King Louis XIII of France he was awarded the title Duke of Anjou at birth as what's called an ''appanage'' The dukedom of Anjou was merely a Dukedom awarded to him by the state via his father. As such he was not the sovereign Duke of Anjou. Similarly following the death of his uncle Gaston of France in May 1661, Philippe was awarded the more prestigious Dukedom of Orléans which had reverted to the state following Gaston's death. Philippe was not the sovereign Duke of Orléans either. Throughout the reign of his only brother King Louis XIV, Philippe was simply known as ''Monsieur'' with the additional ''Only brother of the king' ' often following his name as a reference to him being among the most senior males at the French court behind his brother, the king, then his nephew, the heir to the throne the Dauphin of France. Philippe was notoriously camp and an obvious raging queen who loved masquerade balls and dressing up in drag. Despite this his brother, the King adored his only sibling and politely ignored Philippe's numerous affairs with the handsome men in his household. Philippe married twice. Firstly to his notoriously charming and attractive first-cousin Princess Henrietta of England in Paris on 31 March 1661. The Duke and Duchess of Orléans had 4 children together prior to the Duchess's unexpected and notoriously excruciating death in in June of  1670. The widower Duke married for  second time on 16 November of 1671 at Châlons, this time to the plain and rather crass Princess Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate who was called the Princess Palatine at the French court. Much like Henrietta, Elisabeth Charlotte politely ignored Philippe's numerous male lovers whom he deliberately paraded around at court. Philippe and Elisabeth Charlotte had 3 further children and grew to respect each other over their 30 year long marriage, even though Elisabeth Charlotte detested Philippe's long term lover the Chevalier de Lorraine who she thought took advantage of Philippe. Philippe died in June of 1701 aged 60 after having suffered a stroke at his personal residence the Château de Saint-Cloud outside Paris. The Duke of Orléans was buried within the Royal Basilica of Saint-Denis outside Paris just 12 days after his death which devastated  his elder brother the King. The dukedom of . Orléans was inherited by his eldest surviving son Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Chartres who was his only surviving son from his second marriage to the Princess Palatine. The new Duke of Orléans would serve as the regent of France for the infant King Louis XV who was actually a descendant of the Duke of Orléans

Titles from birth till death

*21 September 1640 – 14 May 1643  The Duke of Anjou, Son of France.

*14 May 1643 – 2 February 1660  Monsieur, Duke of Anjou, Only brother of the King.

*2 February 1660 – 9 June 1701  Monsieur, Duke of Orléans, Only brother of the King.