Philippe I, Duke of Orléans

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701) was the younger brother of Louis XIV and a French prince and military commander. He founded the House of Orléans branch of the Bourbon dynasty.

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Louis XIV: King of France from 1643 to 1715, whose reign established an unusually powerful monarchy and a celebrated royal court. Philippe's elder brother ruled France throughout his life and defined his position at court.
Siege of Lille (1667): A French siege during the War of Devolution that captured Lille from Spanish Habsburg rule. Philippe commanded French troops in this prominent early campaign.
House of Bourbon: A European royal dynasty that ruled France from 1589 to 1792 and again from 1814 to 1830. Philippe belonged to the ruling dynasty as Louis XIII's younger son.
Regency of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans: The period from 1715 to 1723 when Philippe II governed France for the child king Louis XV. Philippe I's son used the dynastic standing inherited from his father to become regent.
Henrietta of England: The youngest daughter of Charles I of England, she became Duchess of Orléans through her marriage to Philippe I. Philippe's first wife negotiated diplomatic ties between France and England.
Battle of Cassel (1677): A French victory over the Dutch army in Flanders during the Franco-Dutch War. Philippe led the French force that won this major battlefield success.
Louis XIII: King of France from 1610 to 1643, father of Louis XIV and Philippe I. His sons' birth order established Philippe's status as a prince of the blood.
Louis Philippe I: King of the French from 1830 to 1848, descended from Philippe I through the House of Orléans. His accession demonstrated the eventual political reach of Philippe's family branch.
Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine: A German princess who became Philippe I's second wife and left a large correspondence describing the French court. Her letters offer a vivid account of Philippe's household and court life.
House of Orléans: A French royal house descending from Philippe I and forming a branch of the House of Bourbon. His descendants inherited the Orléans title and later produced a king of France.