Father Louis XV of France | Mother Marie Leszczynska Name Philippe, of | |
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Born 30 August 1730Palace of Versailles, France ( 1730-08-30 ) Burial Basilica of Saint Denis, Paris, France | ||
Prince Charles Philippe, Duke of Anjou Profile Piece
Philippe de France, Duke of Anjou (30 August 1730 – 7 April 1733) was a French prince and second son of king Louis XV of France and Marie Leszczyńska. He was the Duke of Anjou from birth.
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Biography
Philippe was born at the Palace of Versailles to the young, 20 year old King Louis XV of France and his wife, the 27 year old Queen of France Maria Leszczyńska on the 30 August 1730, a year after the birth of his elder brother, Louis. He was the second son and fifth child to be born to the royal family. A member of the House of Bourbon and son of a king, he held the rank of a fils de France ("son of France"); this entitled him to the style of Royal Highness; in his short lifetime, he was the third most important male at court after his father Louis XV and his elder brother, Louis, Dauphin of France.
Named Philippe, that was the traditional name of the second son - the first being called Louis. He was created the Duke of Anjou at birth, this title was associated with the second son. The last duke of Anjou had been his father, 15 years earlier in 1715, during the reign of his own great-grandfather, Phillippes great-great- grandfather Louis XIV
He was the favourite child of his mother Marie Leszczyńska.
The little Philippe grew up at Versailles with his brother the Dauphin and their twin sisters Madame Élisabeth "Madame de France" (future Duchess of Parma) and Madame Henriette "Madame de Navarre". In March 1732, Philippe saw the birth of the future Madame Adélaïde. The next year his older sister Marie Louise de France died at Versailles on 19 February 1733 of a Common cold. She had been known as Madame Louise and named after her parents.
Always a sickly child, Philippe was cared for by a group of female attendants, as royal children were cared for by women until the age of 5. As part of their intensely superstitious beliefs, the women mixed in earth from the grave of Saint Medard with his food; the child was given so much earth that his organs failed.
As a result, Philippe died at Versailles on 7 April 1733 at the age of 2, two months after Madame Louise. He was buried at the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis outside Paris.
Doctors reported that large amounts of earth were found in his intestines.