ORLEANS, PHILIP II., DUKE OF (1674-1723), regent of France, son of Philip I., duke of Orleans, and his second wife, the princess palatine, was born on Aug. 2, 1674, and fought at the siege of Mons in 1691. His marriage with Mlle. de Blois, the legiti mized daughter of Louis XIV., won him the favour of the king.
He fought at Steinkerk, Neerwinden and Namur (1692-1695). During the next few years he studied natural science. He was next given a command in Italy (1706) and in Spain (1707-1708) where he gained some important successes, but his suspected desire to succeed Philip V. on the throne of Spain gained him Louis XIV.'s disfavour. In his will, however, he appointed him president of the council of regency of the young King Louis XV. (1715). After the death of the king, Orleans had the will annulled by the parlement, and himself invested with absolute power. At first he made a good use of this, counselling economy, decreasing taxation, disbanding 25,00o soldiers and restoring liberty to the persecuted Jansenists. But the inquisitorial measures which he had begun against the financiers led to disturbances. He also countenanced the risky operations of the banker John Law (1717) , whose bankruptcy led to a disastrous crisis.
A conspiracy under the inspiration of Cardinal Alberoni, first minister of Spain, to transfer the regency from Orleans to Philip V. of Spain was discovered and defeated in 1718. Dubois, for merly tutor to the duke of Orleans and now his all-powerful min ister, caused war to be declared against Spain, with the support of the emperor, and of England and Holland (Quadruple Alli ance). Philip V. made peace with the regent in 1720.
On the majority of the king (Feb. 15, 1723), the duke of Orleans resigned the supreme power ; but he became first minister to the king, and remained in office till his death on Dec. 2.3, 1723. The regent had great qualities, both brilliant and solid, but his dissolute manners found only too many imitators, and the regency was one of the most corrupt periods in French history.
See J. B. H. R. Capefigue, Histoire de Philippe d'Orleans, regent de France (2 vols., 1838) ; A. Baudrillart, Philippe V. et la tour de France, vol. ii. (1890) ; and L. Wiesener, Le regent, l'abbe Dubois et les Anglais (3 vols., 1891-99) .