In battle he fought with legendary valor . . . At court, dressed in silks and ribbons, he openly favored his male lovers . . . Despised but feared by his brother, he was the perpetual loser in a lifelong sibling rivalry . . . "Philippe, brother of Louis XIV, might have been a prince of great renown in the service of the king―had the king only shown him his faith and trust. . . . This is an excellent book. I congratulate the author on a work that is objective and of high quality." Henry, Count of Paris Combines archival research with twentieth-century psychological insights to illuminate a sad life of Philippe d'Orléans . . . Skillfully portrays Philippe's personality and that of others. ― Wilson Library Bulletin In battle he fought with legendary valor . . . At court, dressed in silks and ribbons, he openly favored his male lovers . . . Despised but feared by his brother, he was the perpetual loser in a lifelong sibling rivalry . . . Brother to the Sun King: Philippe, Duke of Orleans. Nancy Nichols Barker was professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin.