You're Dead to Me Philippe, Duc d’Orléans: in the shadow of the Sun King
11 snips
Feb 13, 2026 
Tom Allen, comedian and witty commentator, riffs on court gossip. Dr Jonathan Spangler, historian of early modern French aristocracy, maps Philippe d’Orléans’ life. They explore Philippe’s cross‑dressing and theatrical provocation. They unpack his fraught role as the spare and near‑successor. They discuss his affairs, ménage dynamics with Liselotte and the Chevalier de Lorraine, military triumph at Cassel, and his financial and artistic patronage.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Upbringing Shapes A Lifetime Of Deference
- Philippe and Louis were raised to reinforce a lifetime of deference from the start of childhood routines.
- Early rituals set a power dynamic that defined Philippe's role as perpetual spare, not rival.
Childhood Dressup Memoir From Abbé de Choisy
- Abbé de Choisy recalled Philippe and companions dressing up and enjoying diamonds and hair play as children.
- Memoirs suggest Philippe loved cross-dressing, though later scholars warn of sensationalism.
Loyalty Over Ambition During Crisis
- When Louis fell ill in 1658, courtiers urged Philippe to seize power but he wept for his brother instead.
- Philippe's loyalty contrasted with earlier, more aggressive royal second sons like Gaston.
