Philippe Egalite French politician. Date of Birth: 13.04.1747 Country: France

1. Biography of Philippe Egalite
2. Political Career
3. Family and Legacy

Biography of Philippe Egalite

Louis-Philippe (II) Joseph, Duke of Orleans (French: Louis-Philippe-Joseph duc d'Orléans), known as Philippe Egalite (French: Philippe Egalité), was a French political figure. He was born on April 13, 1747, in Saint-Cloud, France, and died on November 6, 1793, in Paris. Philippe Egalite was a representative of the younger line of the Bourbon family, being the great-grandson of the Regent of France, Duke Philippe II. He was the son of Louis-Philippe I d'Orleans and Louise Henriette de Bourbon-Conti. Philippe Egalite was one of the wealthiest men in France, who further multiplied his fortune through a successful marriage.

Political Career

Before 1785, Philippe Egalite held the title of "Duke of Chartres" and later became the Duke of Orleans and the First Prince of the Blood after his father's death. He served as the Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge Grand Orient of France from 1771, which he sought to politicize. He was known for his liberal views.

During the French Revolution, Philippe Egalite joined the revolutionaries, renounced his title, became a "citizen," and adopted the surname Egalite, meaning "equality." In the National Convention, he voted for the execution of his relative, Louis XVI. However, in the same year of 1793, Citizen Egalite met his own demise. His son, the former Duke of Chartres, Louis-Philippe, was involved in a conspiracy led by General Dumouriez and betrayed the revolution by leaving the country. This led to the arrest, conviction, and execution of Egalite, the father. Before the guillotine, Philippe Egalite famously requested two bottles of champagne and ascended the scaffold with perfect fearlessness. His royalist enemies noted, "He lived like a dog, and died as befits the descendant of Henry IV."

Family and Legacy

Philippe Egalite was married to Adelaide of Penthièvre in 1769. Adelaide was the daughter of a great French admiral and one of the wealthiest heiresses of her time. They had several children, including their eldest son, Louis-Philippe, Duke of Chartres (1773-1850), who, despite the notoriety of his family, received the right to the title Duke of Orleans from Louis XVIII while living in exile in 1800. After the Restoration, he regained his immense inheritance from his parents and became the constitutional monarch of France as Louis-Philippe I. He was later overthrown in 1848.

Philippe Egalite also had two younger sons, Antoine Philippe, Duke of Montpensier (1775-1807), and Louis Charles Alphonse Léodégard, Count of Beaujolais (1779-1808), who also went into exile but died young without leaving any descendants. Additionally, he had a daughter named Louise (1777-1847), who emigrated to the United States. She married a German man and had children who remained in New York. After the Bourbon Restoration, she returned to France, became an advisor to her brother when he became king, and passed away two months before his overthrow.