Philippe I, Duke of Orléans

Born 21 September 1640, Philippe was the second son of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria - styled Duke of Anjou until his uncle Gaston's death in 1660 made him Duke of Orléans, along with Valois, Chartres, and Nemours. Known as Monsieur, he fought in the War of Devolution and the Franco-Dutch War, defeating William of Orange at the Battle of Cassel. While his brother lorded over Versailles, Philippe displayed open effeminacy and kept male lovers, most famously the Chevalier de Lorraine, in a court where such visibility was unthinkable for anyone less protected. He married twice: first to Henrietta of England, then to Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate. Through shrewd management he amassed a fortune that rivalled the main Bourbon line, founding the House of Orléans. His daughters became queens of Spain and Sardinia; his son Philippe II would serve as regent of France from 1715 to 1723, three years after the elder Philippe died on 9 June 1701.