If you’ve ever walked through the gardens of the Palais-Royal in Paris or grabbed a drink in the city of New Orleans, you’ve brushed up against the ghost of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans.
He was the man left holding the bag when Louis XIV—the Sun King—finally kicked the bucket in 1715. France was broke. The debt was astronomical. The people were exhausted by decades of war and religious repression. And here comes Philippe: a guy who liked his wine a little too much, painted in his spare time, and frankly, didn’t give a damn about the stifling etiquette of Versailles.
History books often paint him as a debauched rake who almost crashed the French economy with a Scottish gambler named John Law. But honestly? That’s only half the story. Philippe II was probably the most intellectually gifted ruler France ever had, and he spent his eight-year regency trying to drag a medieval country into the modern age.
The Regent Who Hated the Job (But Did It Anyway)
When Louis XIV died, he left a five-year-old heir, Louis XV. Philippe was the kid's uncle, so the Regency naturally fell to him. But the old King didn't trust Philippe. He tried to hamstring him in his will, setting up a council to basically keep him in a cage.
Philippe wasn't having it.
He marched into the Parlement of Paris, got the will annulled, and took full power. It wasn't a power grab because he wanted to be King—he actually seemed quite content being the "First Prince of the Blood"—but because he knew the old system was a rotting corpse.
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He moved the seat of government from the gilded prison of Versailles back to Paris. Specifically to his own home, the Palais-Royal. Suddenly, the stuffy atmosphere of the court evaporated. Paris became the heart of Europe again. Intellectuals, artists, and scientists started hanging out in the Duke's salons. It was the birth of the Enlightenment, and Philippe was its first major patron.
The John Law Experiment: A Financial Train Wreck
You can't talk about Philippe II Duke of Orléans without talking about the "Mississippi Bubble."
France was literally drowning in debt. Gold and silver were scarce. Enter John Law, a Scottish economist (and convicted murderer) with a wild idea: paper money. Law convinced Philippe that by issuing paper notes backed by the "unlimited" wealth of the French territories in America—specifically Louisiana—they could pay off the national debt.
It worked. Sorta.
For a few years, France went into a speculative frenzy. People became "millionaires" overnight (a word actually coined during this era). But since the "wealth" of Louisiana was mostly swamp and mosquitoes, the bubble burst in 1720.
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- The Good: It temporarily wiped out the state's debt and got money moving through the economy again.
- The Bad: Thousands of people lost their life savings when the paper became worthless.
- The Legacy: It left the French with a deep, soul-level distrust of banks and paper money that lasted until the 20th century.
Despite the crash, Philippe’s support of the project led to the founding of New Orleans in 1718. He named it after himself, obviously. It’s funny to think that one of America's most iconic cities exists because a French Duke took a massive gamble on a Scottish fugitive’s math.
Debauchery or Just Good Living?
The rumors about Philippe’s private life were legendary. His "Little Suppers" at the Palais-Royal were said to be nightly orgies. He was a self-proclaimed atheist who allegedly read satirical books hidden inside a Bible during Mass.
Was he a bit of a libertine? Yeah.
But he was also a soldier who fought with legitimate bravery at the Battle of Turin. He was a composer who wrote two operas. He was a chemist who had his own laboratory. He was even a talented engraver. Most rulers of the time were lucky if they could read a map; Philippe was a true polymath.
He was also weirdly progressive. He stopped the persecution of the Jansenists (a Catholic sect the previous King hated) and generally leaned toward a "live and let live" policy. He promoted free education at the Sorbonne and opened the Royal Library to the public for the first time in 1720.
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What Really Happened with the Orléans Collection
One of the Duke's biggest contributions to history wasn't political—it was artistic. He amassed the Orléans Collection, which was arguably the greatest private art collection in history. We're talking 500+ masterpieces by Titian, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Veronese.
He didn't just buy them for status. He actually understood them.
After his death, the collection stayed in the family until the French Revolution, when his great-grandson (Philippe Égalité) sold it to pay off debts. Today, those paintings form the backbone of the National Gallery in London and the Scottish National Gallery. If you want to see Philippe's taste, you have to go to the UK.
Why He Matters Today
Philippe II Duke of Orléans died in 1723, just months after his regency ended. He was only 49. He literally worked himself to death trying to keep the French state from collapsing while still making it to his nightly parties.
His reign—the Régence—is often seen as just a "bridge" between two Louis, but it was the moment France exhaled. It was a period of frantic creativity, social shifting, and economic experimentation. He proved that an absolute monarchy could be, well, a little less absolute.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the Duke's world, here is how you can actually connect with his legacy today:
- Visit the Palais-Royal: Walk through the arcades in Paris. It’s no longer his house, but the vibe of "public luxury" he created is still there.
- Look for the Orléans Provenance: Next time you're in a major art museum (like the Louvre or the National Gallery), check the labels on 16th-century Italian paintings. If it says "Ex-Coll. Orléans," you’re looking at something Philippe personally picked out.
- Read Saint-Simon: If you want the juicy, unfiltered gossip, the Memoirs of the Duc de Saint-Simon are the gold standard. He was Philippe’s best friend and didn't hold back on the details—good or bad.
- Explore New Orleans: If you ever visit the French Quarter, remember that the city was a "startup" project funded by a Duke who was obsessed with the future.
Philippe wasn't a saint, but he wasn't the villain history sometimes makes him out to be. He was a man of his time who was, in many ways, way ahead of it.