Philippe Dressed In Elaborate Gowns And Wore Makeup
Philippe was known for dressing up as a woman, often attending masquerade balls with his cousin Anne Marie Louise. The two liked to match costumes and look alike. Philippe hosted balls at his Palais Royal as well, where he openly appeared in women's clothing.
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Much to his brother's dislike, "perfumed, bejeweled and extravagantly clothed in lace and silk," Philippe did not hide his femininity. Philippe also cross-dressed alongside his childhood friend, Francois de Choisy.
Choisy was very close to Philippe and recorded in his memoirs that the "emasculation" of his friend had been carried out intentionally so that Philippe would not pose a threat to his brother.
Philippe's Attraction To Men Was Encouraged By The Family Who Tried To Help Matchmake
Philippe's interest in women's clothing and his increasingly apparent attraction to other men weren't all bad from the perspective of his mother and the king's chief minister Cardinal Mazarin. Louis XIV never approved of his brother's behavior and Philippe was excluded from a lot of political affairs as a result.
In the interest of keeping the two apart when it came to matters of the crown, Cardinal Mazarin went so far as to arrange for Philippe to lose his virginity to another man — his own nephew, Philippe Jules Mancini, the Duke of Nevers.
In 1658, the Duke of Nevers was supposed to have been the "first to [have] corrupted" Philippe in the "Italian vice." Italian vice was a euphemism for homosexuality.