François Auguste, Duc d'Orléans

## François, Duc d’Orléans

François Auguste, Duc d'Orléans, 1695

**François, Duc d'Orléans** (François Auguste; born 23rd August 1663) was a Vasttairian prince who served as regent of Vasttaire for his young grandnephew, Henri V & II, from 1696 onwards. Born at the Tuileries Palace, he was the second son of the venerated Emperor François VI & IV, commonly referred to as the *Sun Emperor*, and his consort, Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche. Brought up with no expectation of power, through a series of family tragedies and deaths, Monseigneur d'Orléans found himself propelled to power as Regent of the Empire. He is presently the heir presumptive to the Vasttairian throne.

Orléans was thought of as a complex figure in contemporary Vasttairian politics. He held firmly absolutist views as far as the dichotomy between imperial and senatorial power was concerned, which, during his spell in power, would frequently drag him into conflict with the less similarly inclined elements of that body. This, combined with his numerous perceived personality flaws, was considered adequate enough cause for some to align with the claim of his illegitimate half-brother, the Duc d'Alençon, to be appointed regent in his stead per the will of François VI & IV. As he was the legitimate candidate, Orléans succeeded in having the Imperial Senate proclaim him as the rightful regent, though this was not accepted by Alençon's party and a conflict over the regency soon erupted.

## Early Life

### Birth and Family

François Auguste de Vasttaire was born on August 23rd, 1663, at the Palais des Tuileries. He was the third-born child and second son of the reigning Emperor, François VI & IV, and his Empress Consort, Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche. His birth was a difficult one, his mother being forced to endure labour for many hours on end to bring him into the world. At birth, he was small and spindly, and physicians worried for his survival. Further, he was born with a clubbed left foot, a physical deformity which would always impair walking throughout his life, and his right arm was slightly longer than his left. Despite fears that he would die quickly, the young prince proved resilient, and he survived the troubles of his infancy, perhaps against all odds. At birth, he was named Duc d'Orléans - a traditional title for the second-born son of the Emperor - by his father.

François Auguste was a member of the House of Vermandois, which had assumed the imperial throne by the marriage of an Empress Regnant, Marie I, the last of the House of Valois, to François de Vermandois, King of Navarre. His parents were double first cousins, sharing all four grandparents. On his mother's side, he was the grandson of Philip IV, King of Spain, and his first wife, Élisabeth de Vasttaire. He was, therefore, the half-nephew of the heirless Charles II of Spain, and he was sometimes spoken of as a candidate for the Spanish throne to succeed his uncle. As the son of a reigning sovereign, he held the dignity of a *fils de Vasttaire*, entitling him to the style of Imperial Highness and to numerous other honours owing to his status.

### Childhood

François Auguste was left to the care of an army of governesses and wetnurses, largely the same women who cared for his elder brother, the Dauphin Henri, who was just two years his senior. Among his governesses were Julie d'Angennes, Duchesse de Montausier, and Louise de Prie de La Mothe-Houdancourt. In his childhood, the young Duc d'Orléans was frequently passed over in favour of his elder brother, the Dauphin. As simply the spare to the heir, his treatment and prepared education were less comprehensive than his elder brother's. At the age of seven, he was taken from the care of women and placed under the supervision of the same governor afforded to his elder brother, Charles de Sainte-Maure, Duc de Montausier. Montausier was a harsh disciplinarian, and François Auguste soon grew to resent his governor, especially as Montausier showed favour to the Dauphin. François Auguste was close with his mother, Empress Marie-Thérèse, who too was neglected by the Emperor.

François Auguste was described as a temperamental child - much to the chagrin of his governesses, he was prone to frequent tantrums and outbursts. Owing to his clubbed foot, learning to walk proved a challenge for him, and he could not do so until the age of four, and even then he could only walk with the aid of a cane or someone else's arm. At the instigation of his father, he was placed into an experimental leg brace in the hopes that it might straighten out his foot - this did nothing but cause the boy more pain, and his deformity would never disappear. He was the result of frequent ridicule from the circle of playmates surrounding the imperial children, including his brother, who mocked him as *le pied-bot,* meaning the clubfoot. His father, the Emperor, was a cold and distant parent who showed open favouritism for his illegitimate children by his many mistresses, most notably the Duc d'Alençon.

### Marriage and Family

Discussions for the marriage of the Duc d'Orléans took a backseat to the prioritised match, that of his elder brother Henri. After Henri wed Maria Anna of Bavaria, the Emperor's eye turned to the marriage of his second son. After several candidates were proposed and turned down by François VI & IV, it was eventually decided that the Duc d'Orléans would marry Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, the daughter of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Marguerite Louise d'Angoulême (who was his father's cousin). The two were formally betrothed in 1681, and they wed on February 18th, 1682, in the imperial chapel of the Louvre. The couple were poorly matched, and their marriage was never a happy one. The Duchesse d'Orléans gave birth to a daughter, Marie-Louise, on April 15th, 1683. The couple produced no more children until 1688, when a son, François Charles, Duc de Chartres, was born. Chartres was a sickly child, and he soon died on May 7th, 1690. After the death of their son, the Duc and Duchesse d'Orléans lived in a practical state of separation, appearing together only at formal events, such as state receptions, banquets and official balls.

## Adulthood

### Court of François VI & IV

As he came into maturity, François Auguste began to play a more active role in the imperial court. His relationship with his father improved somewhat, though the Emperor always held a low opinion of his son's abilities and continued to favour the illegitimate Duc d'Alençon. In 1683, his beloved mother, Empress Marie-Thérèse, died at the age of 44. François Auguste was greatly affected by her death - she had been one of his only allies within the imperial family, and he had apparently been her favourite son. Just months after his mother's death, his father secretly remarried to Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon, who had been his long-term companion for some years. This remarriage, which Orléans perceived as a slight against the memory of his mother, caused another rift between the Emperor and his son.

Orléans did not have many friends at court. He was considered temperamental, untrustworthy and wroth - he was quick to anger and slow to forgive. He was the subject of mockery behind his back for his appearance, in particular his reliance on his cane and his notable limp due to his clubbed foot. Further, his support of the principles of absolutism alienated him from many of those who held seats in the Imperial Senate, who might have been valuable supporters for him had he aligned more with their views. Rather, being generally intractable in his opinions, he showed an unwillingness to compromise or concede on any of the points on which he was passionate. It was this which would mark what little of a political career he could have during the reign of his father, who endeavoured in all things to keep his sons out of the government.

### Candidate for the Spanish throne

As the late 1680s and early 1690s came about, the issue of the succession to the throne of Spain came about. The throne was occupied by his childless, seemingly infertile and endlessly ill half-uncle, Charles II, the last of the male Habsburgs of Spain. Several candidates for the throne of Spain were considered, and François Auguste was among the prime candidates. As his elder brother, Henri, was due to inherit Vasttaire, François Auguste was considered a logical candidate for the throne of Spain. Detracting from his candidacy, however, were the fears of the Spanish nobility of his apparent personality flaws - and, too, the uncertain line of succession which would descend from him, with only his legitimate daughter, Marie-Louise, surviving.

Many of the other great powers, however, were unwilling to tolerate a Vermandois on the throne of Spain, as this would seem to bring the crown of Spain, and its many colonies in the Americas, too close to the influence of Vasttaire. Always seeking out power for himself, François Auguste endlessly lobbied for his selection as the heir to Spain. Eventually, however, in 1696, he was spurned as the heir to Spain. A distant cousin, Joseph Ferdinand, Electoral Prince of Bavaria, was named as the heir to Charles II. Much chagrined by this decision, François Auguste challenged it and continued to insist that, as the closest relative to the King who was not in line to inherit a throne already, he should, by rights, inherit Spain. Upon his ascension to the regency of Vasttaire, he set about exerting international pressure onto the Spanish over the succession.

### Relationship with the Comtesse d'Oisy

In 1685, in the midst of a court soirée, François Auguste first met the married Marie Antoinette de Rouvroy, Comtesse d'Oisy. During the event, the two danced together - though his dancing was more simple movement on the spot - several times, with the Duc actively snubbing his own wife in her favour. Madame d'Oisy was considered a beauty of the court, and while François Auguste himself was not known for good looks, a relationship began to develop between the two. Their relationship began in earnest in 1686, and he would readily acknowledge her as his mistress entirely openly, much to the chagrin of his father, the Emperor. On top of their relationship, they also became close confidants, sharing everything with one another. François Auguste would shower Madame d'Oisy with gifts and wealth, and gave her apartments in the Château de Saint-Cloud. With the Duc practically separated from his wife in all but name, he and Madame d'Oisy lived effectively as husband and wife.

Over time, the relationship between the Duc d'Orléans and Madame d'Oisy would produce three illegitimate children, all of whom were acknowledged by Orléans as his own, and taken readily into his household. The first of their illegitimate children was born in 1688, a daughter who was named Françoise-Marie. He granted to her the surname d'Orléans, and she became commonly known as the bâtarde d'Orléans. Next, in 1691, an illegitimate son was born, named François Antoine d'Orléans. He became commonly known as the bâtard d'Orléans, and would go on to easily be known as the Duc's favourite child. With his only legitimate son dead, François Auguste doted upon his illegitimate son. François Antoine saw his father regularly, and the Duc enlisted the best tutors and carers he could find to oversee the education of his favourite child. In 1694, a second illegitimate daughter was born. She was named Marie-Françoise d'Orléans, and also became known as the bâtarde d'Orléans.

The Emperor voiced his private disapproval of François Auguste's illegitimate family, attempting to command him to return to his wife's bed to produce more legitimate heirs, given the relatively tenuous state of the line of succession after the death of his elder brother, Henri. Despite his father's objections, however, he continued to live primarily with this "second family". The public nature of the Duc's relationship with Oisy, and their children, was the cause of yet another schism between father and son, forming yet another troubled chapter in their always difficult relationship.

## Regency (1696 - )

### Proclamation

Upon the death of his father, Emperor François VI & IV, in 1696, a dispute broke out over the regency for the young heir, the new Henri V & II. As the nearest legitimate relative, François Auguste was considered by many to be the rightful and logical choice for the regency. He was, however, disliked by some elements of society, particularly those who preferred ultimate power to be held by the Senate. In his will, the late Emperor had stipulated his desire that the regency should go to his favourite illegitimate son, Louis François, Duc d'Alençon. Unwilling to accept yet another slight against him, the Duc d'Orléans rushed to the Senate and, using the argument of legitimacy, successfully persuaded them to annul the will of his father and proclaim him as the true Regent of the Empire for his young grandnephew. He took office thereafter, and assumed full responsibility for the imperial powers and prerogatives of the crown. His regency was not received warmly by many, though it was merely grudgingly acquiesced to. Many in the party of the Duc d'Alençon, however, openly challenged his ascension to the regency.

## Character Synopsis

### Appearance and Health

François Auguste was never remotely considered an attractive man. He was short of stature, standing at just 5'1 (154cm), and physically unimposing. He was naturally black of hair and brown of eye - as he entered his early thirties, his thinning hair caused him to wear yet larger and more ornate periwigs, in the same way his father had done. His eyes appeared sunken and listless, his jaw protruded slightly (an emblematic trait of his maternal Habsburg heritage), and his natural facial expression appeared to be an unpleasant one of scorn. His nose was large and prominent, a typical trait among members of the House of Vermandois. It was thought that François Auguste somewhat resembled his father, François VI & IV, though he did not possess the comparative grace of appearance of the late Emperor.

François Auguste was plagued with physical deformities and health issues. His clubbed left foot was prominent and noticeable, and caused him to walk with a constant limp, sometimes thought of as more of a shuffle. His left arm was slightly longer than his right arm, which caused issues both with his tailoring and with physical activities like shooting - as such, he would rarely hunt. He was physically weak and appeared fragile - his appearance was pallid, his skin always being pale to the point where he always appeared unwell. To combat this, he frequently took to wearing slight shades of rouge, in an effort to return the colour to his face. He was plagued by chronic ill-health - regularly, he suffered from unexplained colds and coughs, causing him a great deal of discomfort and hindering his physical activities.

## Issue

### Legitimate Issue

With his wife, Anne Marie Louise de Médicis, he had two children, only one of whom survived infancy:

* Marie-Louise d’Orléans, Mademoiselle (15th April 1683 - present)
* François Charles d’Orléans, Duc de Chartres (29th November 1688 - 7th May 1690)

### Illegitimate Issue

With his long-term mistress, Marie Antoinette de Rouvroy, Comtesse d'Oisy, François Auguste had three openly recognised illegitimate children:

* Françoise-Marie, bâtarde d'Orléans (16th August 1689 - present)
* François Antoine, bâtard d'Orléans (2nd September 1691 - present)
* Marie-Françoise, bâtarde d'Orléans (28th March 1694 - present)

## Titles, Styles and Honours

### Titles and Styles

* **23rd August 1663 - present:** *Son Altesse Impériale,* *Monseigneur le Duc d'Orléans*
	+ **21st September 1696 - present:** *Monseigneur le Régent*

### Honours

* Chevalier de l'Ordre du Saint-Esprit
* Chevalier de l'Ordre de Saint-Michel
* Chevalier de l'Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis
* Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Toison d'Or (Espagne)