Jean Philippe d'Orléans
Encyclopedia
Jean Philippe, bâtard d'Orléans (28 August 1702 – 16 June 1748), called le chevalier d'Orléans or le Grand Prieur d'Orléans, was an illegitimate son of Philippe d'Orléans
, nephew and son-in-law of Louis XIV
.
, 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.
His mother, known as Mademoiselle de Séry was Lady-in-waiting
to the Dowager Duchess of Orléans
. She started an affair with Philippe d'Orléans
, son of the Dowager Duchess. This infuriated Louis XIV, who maintained that actresses were bad enough, particularly when they gave birth to sons, but which the Duchess of Orléans
did not. As well, by flaunting Séry, Philippe was insulting not only his wife but also the King, Madame d'Orléans' father. However, for the first time in his life, Philippe was seriously in love. Within a short time of their first encounter, Marie Louise was pregnant and installed in a pretty house near the Palais-Royal.
After several years the Duke was forced to give her up as, the King maintained she was endangering the Duke's daughter's
prospects of marrying the Duke of Berry (1713), a grandson of Louis XIV.
His father had him legitimised in 1706 with the permission of his father in law then the reigning Louis XIV. His legitimisation was registered with letters patent at Versailles
signed in July 1706; these were then registered at the Chambre des comptes
on 18 July and the at the Parlement de Paris on 27 September the same year.
He was brought up at the College of Jesuits in Paris. Under the direction of the Maréchal de Tessé
, Jean Philippe was named the Général des galères (a sort of master of ships) in June 1716. At the death of Louis XIV in September 1715, his father Philippe d'Orléans was named a member of the Regency council
and the duc du Maine
was named Regent of France. Philippe d'Orléans had the will reversed and became Regent instead. The regency of Philippe d'Orléans lasted from 1715 till the majority of Louis XV in 1723.
This power, allowed his father to create him the général des galères on 27 August 1716. Jean Philippe remained the general till his death in 1748, when the charge was abandoned.
His paternal grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Orléans wrote of Jean Philippe;
He was later created the Grand Master
or Grand Prior of the Knights of the Order of Malta in France
which had previously been filled by the Chevalier de Vendôme
who had resigned. Vendôme was a grandson of César de Bourbon, illegitimate son of Henri IV
. The registration of this position occurred with the permission of Pope Clement XI
on 26 September 1719. He commissioned the artist Jean-Marc Nattier
to decorate the Palais du Temple
, the Parisian residence of the Grand Prieur.
The 8 January 1721 saw Jean Philippe created the Abbot
of the Abbaye Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers dans la Marne, four months after the death of the previous Abbot, Monseigneur de Noailles
. Jean Philippe officially became Abbot on 13 February 1722. According to contemporaries, he was very appreciative of religion, his father not being pious at all.
During the Regency, Jean Philippe had a range of diplomatic missions on behalf of his cousin Louis XV;
Jean Philippe had one natural daughter; named Amable Angélique de Villars, born in 1723, she was Jean Philippe's only child. Amable Angélique was the daughter of Amable Gabrielle de Noailles (18 February 1706 - 16 September 1742) who was in turn the daughter of Adrien Maurice de Noialles
and Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné
, niece of Madame de Maintenon.
The married Amable Angélique, was the wife on 5 August 1721 of the renowned homosexual Honoré-Armand de Villares, 2e duc de Villars
(4 December 1702 - May 1770), by whom she had no issue. Interestingly, Amable Angélique took de Villars name.
He was wounded in 1744 on the Rhine and commanded galleys in the Mediterranean in 1746. He died in 1748 in Paris in his 46th year; he was followed by debts to the tune of almost 1 million livres.
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...
, nephew and son-in-law 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...
.
Biography
Born at Chilly-MazarinChilly-Mazarin
Chilly-Mazarin is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.A small part of Orly International Airport lies on the territory of the commune of Chilly-Mazarin....
, a southern suburb of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, he was the illegitimate son of Philippe d'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...
(future Regent of France, 1715–1723, acting for the infant 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...
) and his mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
Marie-Louise Madeleine Victorine Le Bel de La Bussière (1684–1748), known as the comtesse d'Argenton or madame d'Argenton.
His mother, known as Mademoiselle de Séry was Lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to the Dowager Duchess of Orléans
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...
. She started an affair with Philippe d'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...
, son of the Dowager Duchess. This infuriated Louis XIV, who maintained that actresses were bad enough, particularly when they gave birth to sons, but which the Duchess of Orléans
Françoise-Marie de Bourbon
Françoise Marie de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the youngest legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Originally known as the second Mademoiselle de Blois, that style eventually gave way to the name Françoise Marie de...
did not. As well, by flaunting Séry, Philippe was insulting not only his wife but also the King, Madame d'Orléans' father. However, for the first time in his life, Philippe was seriously in love. Within a short time of their first encounter, Marie Louise was pregnant and installed in a pretty house near the Palais-Royal.
After several years the Duke was forced to give her up as, the King maintained she was endangering the Duke's daughter's
Marie Louise Elisabeth d'Orléans
Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchess of Berry , was a member of the House of Orléans who married Charles, Duke of Berry.-Biography:...
prospects of marrying the Duke of Berry (1713), a grandson of Louis XIV.
His father had him legitimised in 1706 with the permission of his father in law then the reigning Louis XIV. His legitimisation was registered with letters patent at 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...
signed in July 1706; these were then registered at the Chambre des comptes
Chambre des comptes
Under the French monarchy, the Courts of Accounts were sovereign courts specialising in financial affairs. The Court of Accounts in Paris was the oldest and the forerunner of today's French Court of Audit...
on 18 July and the at the Parlement de Paris on 27 September the same year.
He was brought up at the College of Jesuits in Paris. Under the direction of the Maréchal de Tessé
René de Froulay de Tessé
René de Froulay, comte de Tessé was a French Marshal and diplomat.- Military career :Tessé was born at Le Mans...
, Jean Philippe was named the Général des galères (a sort of master of ships) in June 1716. At the death of Louis XIV in September 1715, his father Philippe d'Orléans was named a member of the Regency council
Régence
The Régence is the period in French history between 1715 and 1723, when King Louis XV was a minor and the land was governed by a Regent, Philippe d'Orléans, the nephew of Louis XIV of France....
and the duc du Maine
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
was named Regent of France. Philippe d'Orléans had the will reversed and became Regent instead. The regency of Philippe d'Orléans lasted from 1715 till the majority of Louis XV in 1723.
This power, allowed his father to create him the général des galères on 27 August 1716. Jean Philippe remained the general till his death in 1748, when the charge was abandoned.
His paternal grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Orléans wrote of Jean Philippe;
My son has three illegitimate children, two boys and a girl; but only one of them is legitimated, that is, his son by Mademoiselle de Séry, a lady of noble family, and who was my Lady in waiting. The younger Margrave of Anspach was also in love with her. This son is called the Chevalier d'Orléans. The other, who is now [1716] about eighteen years old, is an Abbe; he is the son of La Florence, a dancer at the Opera House. The daughter is by Desmarets, the actress. My son says that the Chevalier d'Orléans is more unquestionably his than any of the others; but, to tell the truth, I think the Abbé has a stronger family likeness to my son than the Chevalier, who is like none of them. I do not know where my son found him; he is a good sort of person, but he has neither elegance nor beauty. It is a great pity that the Abbe is illegitimate: he is well made; his features are not bad; he has very good talents, and has studied much. He is a good deal like the portraits of the late MonsieurPhilippe I, Duke of OrléansPhilippe of France 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 Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
in his youth, only that he is bigger. When he stands near Mademoiselle de Valois it is easy to see that they belong to the same father. My son purchased for the Chevalier d'Orléans the office of General of the Galleys from the Marechal de Tasse. He intends to make him a Knight of Malta, so that he may live unmarried, for my son does not wish to have the illegitimate branches of his family extended. The Chevalier does not want wit; but he is a little satirical, a habit which he takes from his mother.,
He was later created the Grand Master
Grand Master (order)
Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
or Grand Prior of the Knights of the Order of Malta in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
which had previously been filled by the Chevalier de Vendôme
Philippe de Vendôme
Philippe de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme the "Grand Prior" was the fourth Duke of Vendôme and Grand Prior for France in the Order of Malta, a French army commander and the younger brother of Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme....
who had resigned. Vendôme was a grandson of César de Bourbon, illegitimate son of Henri IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
. The registration of this position occurred with the permission of Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI , born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was Pope from 1700 until his death in 1721.-Early life:...
on 26 September 1719. He commissioned the artist Jean-Marc Nattier
Jean-Marc Nattier
Jean-Marc Nattier , French painter, was born in Paris, the second son of Marc Nattier , a portrait painter, and of Marie Courtois , a miniaturist...
to decorate the Palais du Temple
Temple (Paris)
The Temple was a medieval fortress in Paris, located in what is now the IIIe arrondissement. It was built by the Knights Templar from the 12th century, as their European headquarters. In the 13th century it replaced earlier works of the Vieille Temple in Le Marais...
, the Parisian residence of the Grand Prieur.
The 8 January 1721 saw Jean Philippe created the Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the Abbaye Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers dans la Marne, four months after the death of the previous Abbot, Monseigneur de Noailles
Noailles
Noailles is the name of several communes in France:* Noailles, Corrèze, in the Corrèze département* Noailles, Oise, in the Oise département* Noailles, Tarn, in the Tarn département* Noailles, a neighborhood of Marseilles and its metro station...
. Jean Philippe officially became Abbot on 13 February 1722. According to contemporaries, he was very appreciative of religion, his father not being pious at all.
During the Regency, Jean Philippe had a range of diplomatic missions on behalf of his cousin Louis XV;
- He accompanied the infant Mademoiselle de Beaujolais (his legitimate half sister) to SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
when she was engaged to Infante Carlos of SpainCharles III of SpainCharles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
in 1726. For this he was created a Grandee of Spain by Philip VPhilip V of SpainPhilip 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...
despite the marriage between Beaujolais and Carlos never materialising; - On behalf of Louis XV himself, Jean Philippe went from Paris to CannesCannesCannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, in southern France, to greet the newly created Duke of Parma; The duke was the previously mentioned Infante Carlos who was later King of Naples and Sicily and later the King of Spain; he married in 1738 to Maria Amalia of SaxonyMaria Amalia of SaxonyMaria Amalia of Saxony was a German princess from the House of Wettin and was the wife of Charles III of Spain; she was the Queen consort of Naples and Sicily from 1738 till 1759 and then Queen consort of Spain from 1759 until her death in 1760...
, the marriage with Mademoiselle de Beaujolais being cancelled and she dying in 1734 aged 19.
Jean Philippe had one natural daughter; named Amable Angélique de Villars, born in 1723, she was Jean Philippe's only child. Amable Angélique was the daughter of Amable Gabrielle de Noailles (18 February 1706 - 16 September 1742) who was in turn the daughter of Adrien Maurice de Noialles
Adrien-Maurice, 3rd duc de Noailles
Adrien Maurice de Noailles, 3rd Duke of Noailles was a French aristocrat and soldier.-Biography:Son of Anne Jules de Noailles, he inherited the title duc de Noailles on his father's death in 1708....
and Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné
Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné
Françoise Charlotte Amable d'Aubigné, Duchess of Noailles was the wife of Adrien Maurice de Noailles, 3rd Duke of Noailles. She was the niece of Françoise d'Aubigné, Madame de Maintenon, and her heiress.-Biography:...
, niece of Madame de Maintenon.
The married Amable Angélique, was the wife on 5 August 1721 of the renowned homosexual Honoré-Armand de Villares, 2e duc de Villars
Honoré-Armand de Villars
Don Honoré Armand de Villars, 2e duc de Villars , Duke and Peer of France, Prince of Martigues, Grandee of Spain, Knight of the Golden Fleece, Viscount of Melun, Marquis of la Melle, Count of Rochemiley, was a French nobleman, soldier and politician.-Early life:He was the son of Claude Louis Hector...
(4 December 1702 - May 1770), by whom she had no issue. Interestingly, Amable Angélique took de Villars name.
He was wounded in 1744 on the Rhine and commanded galleys in the Mediterranean in 1746. He died in 1748 in Paris in his 46th year; he was followed by debts to the tune of almost 1 million livres.
Ancestors
Source
- Abbé Manceaux, Histoire de l'abbaye et du village d'Hautvillers, 1880.