Philippe-Charles, Duke of Anjou (5 August 1668 – 10 July 1671) was the fifth child and second son of King Louis XIV of France and

Maria Theresa of Spain Maria Theresa of Spain (; ; 10 September 1638 – 30 July 1683) was Queen consort of France, Queen of France from 1660 to 1683 as the wife of King Louis XIV. She was born an Infante, Infanta of Spain and Portugal as the daughter of King Philip IV ...

, and as such was a ''

fils de France ''Fils de France'' (, ''Son of France'') was the style (manner of address), style and Ranks of nobility and peerage, rank held by the sons of the French monarchy, kings and Dauphin of France, dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille d ...

''.

Life

Philippe-Charles de France was born at the

Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye The Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a former royal palace in the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the department of Yvelines, about 19 km west of Paris, France. Today, it houses the '' Musée d'Archéologie nationale'' (Nationa ...

, near Paris, and titled ''duc d'Anjou'' at birth, a title previously held by Philippe de France, ''duc d'Orléans'', his uncle and the younger brother of Louis XIV. He was baptised at the ''Chapelle des Tuileries à Paris'' on . As a younger son of Louis XIV, Philippe-Charles was not expected to become the Dauphin; however, it was hoped he would inherit the vast fortune of his second cousin,

Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in ...

, who had no children. According to Nancy Mitford, the Queen, his mother, suggested it many times. While at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Philippe-Charles died of a chest infection, like his elder sister, Anne-Élisabeth de France who had died six years before his birth. Upon his death, the

appanage An appanage, or apanage (; ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a monarch, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture (where only the eldest inherits). It was ...

of the Duchy of Anjou reverted to the Crown and was given to his younger brother, Louis François. Philippe-Charles was buried on 12 July 1671, at the

Basilica of Saint-Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building is of singular importance historically and archite ...

. At the death of the Duchess of Montpensier in 1693, her fortune went to her direct and legal heir, the

House of Orléans The 4th House of Orléans (), sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans () to distinguish it, is the fourth holder of a surname previously used by several branches of the House of France, Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimat ...

(Philippe's uncle

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans ''Monsieur'' Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (21 September 1640 – 9 June 1701) was the younger son of King Louis XIII of France and Anne of Austria, and the younger brother of King Louis XIV. He was the founder of the House of Orléans, a ...

Ancestry

Footnotes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philippe-Charles Of France, Prince 1668 births 1671 deaths 17th-century French people People from Saint-Germain-en-Laye Dukes of Anjou Courtesy dukes Princes of France (Bourbon) Burials at the Basilica of Saint-Denis Children of Louis XIV French royalty who died as children Sons of kings