Philip Frederick of the Palatinate


Philip Frederick of the Palatinate, was the seventh son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, the "Winter King" of Bohemia, by his consort, the English princess Elizabeth Stuart.

Early years

Prince Philip was born in The Hague, where his parents lived in exile after his father lost the Battle of White Mountain and was driven from the thrones of both Bohemia and the Palatinate. His father, a Calvinist, died on 29 November 1632, when Philip was five years old.
He and his older brother Edward were educated at the French court, at the request of his elder brother, Charles I Louis, but were sent back to The Hague by request of their mother after the French temporarily took Charles Louis prisoner.

Scandal and exile

On the night of June 20th, 1646 Prince Philip killed the French exile Lieutenant Colonel Jacques de l'Epinay, Sieur de Vaux, in a duel or fight. Rumours declared that the taunt which had provoked Prince Philip to murder had been a boast of the French Don Juan that he had enjoyed the favours not only of his older sister, the Princess Louise, but also of their widowed mother.
In spite of repeated summonses, Prince Philip never appeared to answer the Dutch legal authorities. He became what Elizabeth had sworn that none of her sons should become, a soldier of fortune.

Military career and death

Philip entered the military service of the Duke of Lorraine, with the rank of colonel. He was killed at the Battle of Rethel, on 16 December 1650, during the Fronde. His remains were returned to Sedan and were buried in the Church of Saint Charles.

Ancestry