Duchy of Orléans

Duchy of Orléans
Duché d'Orléanais
987–1498
Coat of arms of Orléans
Coat of arms

Location of the duchy within France (1477 borders)
CapitalOrléans
DemonymOrléanois
Government
 • TypeFeudalism (Royal duchy)
King of France 
• 987–996
Hugh Capet
• 1498
Louis XII
Duke of Orléans 
• 1344–1375
Prince Philip de Valois
• 1465–1498
Prince Louis de Orléans
History 
• Established
987
• Became a province
1498
Preceded by
Succeeded by
County of Orléans
Orléanais
Today part of France

The Duchy of Orléanais (French: Duché d'Orléans) is a former royal duchy, which was created during reign of Hugh Capet by elevating the former County of Orléans. In 1498, as part of a centralisation of France under Louis XII, the duchy was dissolved and replaced by the Province of Orléanais which was informally still known as the 'Duchy of Orléanais'.

History

The Duchy of Orléanais was created in 1344 by raising the former County of Orléans to a Dukedom under King Philip VI for his second son Philip de Valois. With the creation of the duchy, several localities around the former county were also integrated, they included the County of Beaugency and the Seigneurities of Neuville-aux-Bois, Yèvre-le-Châtel, Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais, Lorris, and Boiscommun. In 1375, Prince Philip died without a legitimate heir, the title of 'Duke of Orléans' and the duchy itself were merged into the royal domain (crown lands) of the King of France.[1][2]

In 1392, the duchy was re-created by King Charles VI for his younger brother Louis de Valois-Orléans. The duke was later succeeded by his son Charles de Valois-Orléans who reigned until 1465 when he died of natural causes. He was succeeded by his own son Louis de Valois-Orléans, who became King Louis XII in 1498 and the title was merged into the crown once more.[2][3][4]

In 1498, as part of a centralisation of the different regions of France, the duchy was dissolved and replaced by the new Province of Orléanais.[5][6][7][8]

Dukes of Orléans
Duke Birth Tenure Death Marriage(s)

Issue

Philip
Other titles
1 July 1336

Château de Vincennes


Son of Philip VI of France

and Joan of Burgundy

1344

– 1 September 1375

1 September 1375

Orléans


Died by natural causes

(aged 39)

Blanche of France(m. 1345; wid. 1375)

Childless


Louis I
Other titles
13 March 1372
Hôtel Saint-Pol, Paris
Son of Charles V of France
and Joanna of Bourbon
4 June 1392

23 November 1407
23 November 1407
Le Marais, Paris
Murdered by Duke of
Burgundy's hitmen

(aged 35)
Valentina Visconti
(m. 1389; wid. 1407)
8 children

Charles I
Other titles
24 November 1394
Hôtel Saint-Pol, Paris
Son of Louis I
and Valentina Visconti
23 November 1407

5 January 1465
5 January 1465
Château d'Amboise
Died of natural causes
(aged 70)
(1) Isabella of France
(m. 1406; d. 1409)
1 children
(2) Bonne of Armagnac
(m. 1410; d. 1430/35)
Childless
(3) Maria of Cleves
(m. 1440; wid. 1465)
3 children

Louis II
Other titles
27 June 1462
Château de Blois
Son of Charles
and Maria of Cleves
5 January 1465

7 April 1498

(Merged into the Crown titles)
1 January 1515
Hôtel des Tournelles, Paris
Died of gout
(aged 52)
(1) Joan of France
(m. 1476; ann. 1498)
Childless
(2) Anne of Brittany
(m. 1498; d. 1514)
2 children
(3) Mary of England
(m. 1514; wid. 1515)
Childless

Footnotes

  1. ^ Madelaine, p. 404
  2. ^ a b Polluche, Daniel (1778). Essais historiques sur Orléans ou description topographique et critique de cette capitale et de ses environs (in French). Couret de Villeneuve.
  3. ^ "Provinces of France to 1791". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  4. ^ "Orléanais", Wikipédia (in French), 2022-02-23, retrieved 2022-10-27
  5. ^ "Provinces of France to 1791". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  6. ^ Lavergne, Léonce de (1809-1880) Auteur du texte (1879). Les assemblées provinciales sous Louis XVI (2e édition) / par M. Léonce de Lavergne,...{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ de Lavergne, p. 161–162
  8. ^ Masson, p. 33

References