Philip of Orléans, Count of Vertus (, 21/24 July 1396 – 1 September 1420), was the second son of

Louis I, Duke of Orléans Louis I of Orléans (13 March 1372 – 23 November 1407) was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death. He was also Duke of Touraine (1386–1392), Count of Valois (1386?–1406) Blois (1397–1407), Angoulême (1404–1407 ...

, and Valentina Visconti, and a grandson of

Charles V of France Charles V (21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380), called the Wise (french: le Sage; la, Sapiens), was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380. His reign marked an early high point for France during the Hundred Years' War, with his armi ...

. His older brother was the noted poet

Charles, Duke of Orléans Charles of Orléans (24 November 1394 – 5 January 1465) was Duke of Orléans from 1407, following the murder of his father, Louis I, Duke of Orléans. He was also Duke of Valois, Count of Beaumont-sur-Oise and of Blois, Lord of Coucy, and t ...

and his younger brother was

John, Count of Angoulême John of Orléans, Count of Angoulême and of Périgord (, 26 June 1399 – 30 April 1467), was a younger son of Louis I, Duke of Orléans, and Valentina Visconti, and a grandson of Charles V of France. He was the younger brother of the noted ...

Life

Little is known about his early years. His first important action took place on 15 April 1410, when he joined the Armagnac party in the League of Gien. Under the terms of the Peace of Auxerre (22 August 1412), Philip was betrothed to Catherine, ''demoiselle de Guise'', second daughter of

John the Fearless John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs during ...

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

; in the end, this marriage was never celebrated. He served in the army of King

Charles VI of France Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...

and accompanied him to

Picardy Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hi ...

and

Artois Artois ( ; ; nl, Artesië; English adjective: ''Artesian'') is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km2 and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras (Dutch: ''Atrecht'') ...

(1414). When his brother Charles was captured at the

Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...

(25 October 1415), he took care of all the family domains and supported the dauphin, Charles (future Charles VII), in his quarrel against the English and Burgundians. In 1418, Philip was appointed Lieutenant General of the King in the army which besieged and took

Parthenay Parthenay () is an ancient fortified town and ''commune'' in the Deux-Sèvres department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet, and is the su ...

Poitou Poitou (, , ; ; Poitevin: ''Poetou'') was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Both Poitou and Poitiers are named after the Pictones Gallic tribe. Geography The main historical cities are Poitiers (historical c ...

. He remained in the service of the dauphin and his army in Poitou and Berry, with custody of the lands situated between the Seine and Loire. Philip of Vertus suddenly died at the age of twenty-four, unmarried and without legitimate issue. His unexpected death was a terrible blow to the cause of the Dauphin, as he was his best supporter. He left a natural son named Philip Anthony, called the ''Bastard of Vertus'', who entered the service of his uncle Duke Charles of Orléans in 1436, and was later governor of Blois. He also participated in the siege of Montereau which was occupied by the English, and was appointed governor of Coucy by King Charles VII in 1443; his death took place certainly before 18 July 1445, when the executors of his will took actions related to his possessions. He died without issue (a family "of Vertus" claimed descendance from the bastard, but there is no indication who supported this argument and its origin remains unclear). According to a legend, the sculptor

Camille Claudel Camille Rosalie Claudel (; 8 December 1864 19 October 1943) was a French sculptor known for her figurative works in bronze and marble. She died in relative obscurity, but later gained recognition for the originality and quality of her work. The ...

and her brother, the poet

Paul Claudel Paul Claudel (; 6 August 1868 – 23 February 1955) was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism. Early lif ...

, descended from another bastard of Philip of Vertus conceived by him in his lands of Champagne.

References

*Françoise Autrand: ''Charles VI le roi fou'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Philip, Count of Vertus House of Valois-Orléans 1396 births 1420 deaths Burials at the Basilica of Saint-Denis