# Duchy of Orléans

The Duchy of Orléanais (French: Duché d'Orléans) is a former royal duchy, which was created during reign of Hugh Capet by elevating the former County of Orléans. In 1498, as part of a centralisation of France under Louis XII, the duchy was dissolved and replaced by the Province of Orléanais which was informally still known as the 'Duchy of Orléanais'.

## History

The Duchy of Orléanais was created in 1344 by raising the former County of Orléans to a Dukedom under King Philip VI for his second son Philip de Valois. With the creation of the duchy, several localities around the former county were also integrated, they included the County of Beaugency and the Seigneurities of Neuville-aux-Bois, Yèvre-le-Châtel, Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais, Lorris, and Boiscommun. In 1375, Prince Philip died without a legitimate heir, the title of 'Duke of Orléans' and the duchy itself were merged into the royal domain (crown lands) of the King of France.
In 1392, the duchy was re-created by King Charles VI for his younger brother Louis de Valois-Orléans. The duke was later succeeded by his son Charles de Valois-Orléans who reigned until 1465 when he died of natural causes. He was succeeded by his own son Louis de Valois-Orléans, who became King Louis XII in 1498 and the title was merged into the crown once more.
In 1498, as part of a centralisation of the different regions of France, the duchy was dissolved and replaced by the new Province of Orléanais.
Dukes of Orléans :
| Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue |
| Philip Other titles List Duke of TouraineCount of Valois | 1 July 1336 Château de Vincennes Son of Philip VI of France and Joan of Burgundy | 1344 – 1 September 1375 | 1 September 1375 Orléans Died by natural causes (aged 39) | Blanche of France(m. 1345; wid. 1375) Childless |
| Louis IOther titles List Duke of TouraineDuke of ValoisCount of BloisCount of SoissonsCount of Angoulême | 13 March 1372 Hôtel Saint-Pol, ParisSon of Charles V of France and Joanna of Bourbon | 4 June 1392 – 23 November 1407 | 23 November 1407 Le Marais, ParisMurdered by Duke of Burgundy's hitmen (aged 35) | Valentina Visconti (m. 1389; wid. 1407) 8 children |
| Charles IOther titles List Duke of Milan (titular)Duke of ValoisCount of BloisCount of Soissons | 24 November 1394 Hôtel Saint-Pol, ParisSon of Louis I and Valentina Visconti | 23 November 1407 – 5 January 1465 | 5 January 1465 Château d'AmboiseDied of natural causes (aged 70) | (1) Isabella of France (m. 1406; d. 1409) 1 children (2) Bonne of Armagnac (m. 1410; d. 1430/35) Childless (3) Maria of Cleves (m. 1440; wid. 1465) 3 children |
| Louis IIOther titles List Duke of Milan (titular)Duke of ValoisCount of Blois | 27 June 1462 Château de BloisSon of Charles and Maria of Cleves | 5 January 1465 – 7 April 1498 (Merged into the Crown titles) | 1 January 1515 Hôtel des Tournelles, ParisDied of gout (aged 52) | (1) Joan of France (m. 1476; ann. 1498) Childless (2) Anne of Brittany (m. 1498; d. 1514) 2 children (3) Mary of England (m. 1514; wid. 1515) Childless |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Madelaine, p. 404
* 1 2 Polluche, Daniel (1778). Essais historiques sur Orléans ou description topographique et critique de cette capitale et de ses environs (in French). Couret de Villeneuve.
* ↑ "Provinces of France to 1791". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
* ↑ "Orléanais", Wikipédia (in French), 2022-02-23, retrieved 2022-10-27
* ↑ "Provinces of France to 1791". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
* ↑ Lavergne, Léonce de (1809-1880) Auteur du texte (1879). Les assemblées provinciales sous Louis XVI (2e édition) / par M. Léonce de Lavergne,...{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
* ↑ de Lavergne, p. 161–162
* ↑ Masson, p. 33