Louis Philippe d'Orléans (1725–1785), Duke of Orléans and father of Philippe Égalité

Life and family

Born in 1725, Louis Philippe became head of his branch of the royal family and carried the rank and responsibilities associated with the ducal title. He married Louise Henriette de Bourbon, and their children included the future Philippe Égalité, who succeeded him as head of the family on his death in 1785.

Wealth and activities

During his tenure as duke, Louis Philippe expanded the family's financial base through management of estates, inheritance, and financial arrangements typical for high-ranking aristocrats of the period. Contemporary accounts and later historians credit him with substantially enlarging the resources available to the House of Orléans, which helped shape that branch's political and social influence in the decades leading up to the French Revolution.

Death and legacy

Louis Philippe died on 18 November 1785. His death passed the ducal responsibilities to his son, who would later adopt the revolutionary epithet Philippe Égalité. The fortunes and position that Louis Philippe consolidated remained significant factors in the family's role during the turbulent era that followed.