The Bisexual Brother Of King Louis XIV

Philippe of France had two wives and multiple male partners

Louis XIV was one of the greatest kings of France, dubbed as Louis the Great or the Sun King. He ruled for 72 years and 110 days that was the longest reign in European history. But this is not about him.

It is about his brother, Monsieur Philippe I, Duke of Orléans who was hidden from the limelight because of his brother. Philippe had a very colorful love live (or should I say lives) that was an open secret.

Philippe I was the younger son of Louis XIII and Anna of Austria, born just two years after the birth of his older brother Louis XIV (5 September 1638), on 21 September 1640.

Once Philippe was born, their mother feared that since Louis XIII and Gaston (Louis XIII’s brother) had a volatile relationship due to ambition, it was paramount that Philippe had less ambition for the throne.

There was a perfect solution to that. Raise Philippe as a female. What could go wrong?

As a child, Philippe was beautiful and intelligent. It was also mentioned that the Duchess of Montpensier called him the “Prettiest child in the world.” Queen Anna was also observed to have called her younger son “My little girl.”

Since childhood, Philippe was made to get dressed up in frocks and wigs by his mother, and he had also loved getting made up. Over the years, this trait did not vanish, as he was often found dressed up as a woman, for example, as a shepherdess in parties.

After the death of their father in 1643, Louis ascended the throne of France, and being his younger brother Philippe was called le Petit Monsieur (Duke) as Gaston (Brother of Louis XIII) was le Grand Monsieur.

Though it is not clear when Philippe started getting attracted to men, it is noted that his actions became more prominent in 1658. There are speculations that Philippe’s mentor, Cardinal Mazarin, tried to have him deflowered by his nephew, Philippe Jules Mancini, the Duke of Nevers in “Italian Vice” (a subtle reference to homosexuality).

But Philippe’s sexuality proved to be a good sign. At least to his mother. They deemed that he would not pose much of a threat to Louis if he was exhibiting homosexual traits (prejudice much, mother).

It was in that year Philippe met Philippe de Lorraine, known as the Chevalier de Lorraine (Oh boy! I guess Philippe had a fetish for men with the name Philippe) who turned out to be his sexual partner and emotional attachment throughout his life.

In the year 1660, Gaston had passed away, and Philippe became the Duke of Orléans. The French court asked for Princess Henrietta’s (Philippe’s first cousin) hands on the behalf of Philippe, and they got married.

That’s when rumors started flying. Many deemed that Henrietta was flirtatious and that Louis might have been the father to her first child. There were instances when Anna reprimanded Louis and Anna regarding this.

Many speculate that Henrietta’s nature enraged and emboldened Philippe to blatantly flaunt his male lovers. Despite the misgivings, the couple gave birth to two daughters but no male heir.

There were many times when even Henrietta was tickled by her husband’s rendezvous. She wanted Chevalier de Lorraine exiled from France for taking too much of her husband’s attention but in vain.

Then, she started an affair with one of Philippe’s ex-flame, Guy Armand de Gramont, Count of Guiche, a very good looking, arrogant bisexual man with a flair for affairs.

Henrietta died on 30 June 1670 at the age of 26. It took France by storm that she was poisoned by Chevalier de Lorraine and Philippe. Later, it was debunked by autopsy that said she had succumbed to peritonitis caused by a perforated ulcer.

When Philippe first saw her, he found her very unattractive. It was said that he complained,

But the couple ended up with three children, of which one passed away in childhood. She was even accepting, though reluctant, of Philippe’s multiple male affairs. Though she didn’t ridicule him about his interest in men, she was worried about his lavish spending on them.

It was, in fact, the frank letters of Elizabeth that give an insight into Philippe’s life and transgressions.

On 9 July 1701, Philippe passed away after suffering a stroke. His wife burned all his letters because she didn’t want them to fall into wrong hands. The Chevalier de Lorraine, the man who, till now, had lived lavishly because of Philippe, died impoverished in 1702.

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