François-Jules de France

François-Jules de France (Full name: François-Jules Philippe Emmanuel Anne Charles Marie; 9th January, 1662 - present) is the Grand Dauphin of France, being the only legitimate child and only son of François IV. As the heir-presumptive to the Kingdom of France, he is the premier member of the Royal Family and a visible presence at court.

Known for his attractive physique, the Prince was known to sit in the shadow of his father "François the Great" and as such grew to be incredibly insecure and weak-willed; his actions were impulsive and often manipulatable. His contemporaries recall his dependence on the company of women for his own self-esteem, including his extensive affair with the Duchesse de Mortemart. Despite his shortcomings, the Dauphin did show a particular knack for statesmanship and stewardship, and when properly paired was a shining example of his father's legacy.

Early Life
In the early morning hours of the 9th of January, 1662, courtiers from all walks of life crowded the second floor of the Château de Versailles as they awaited the birth of the first child of the King; it was reported over a thousand nobles convened in the chateau and on the marble court as early as the fifth hour of the day. As the clock struck noon, the Duc d'Anjou led a procession of the princes of the blood from the King's apartments, wherein they proceeded to announce the birth of an heir to the throne immediately known as "François-Jules". Throughout Versailles, and later extended to every corner of France, celebrations were held in light of the birth of a Dauphin to the universally beloved François IV and his wife, Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche. A healthy child, the Dauphin was found to have been of an above-average size and jaundice at birth; this would proceed to rectify as time went on.

At the age of six months, the Dauphin was baptized in a grand ceremony at the Ile-de-la-Cite in Paris, with his uncle Henri de France as his god-father and Adelaïde de Joyeuse as his god-mother. In this ceremony, he was bestowed with his full name; Francois as recognition of his dynasty, Jules as his personal name, Philippe in recognition of the great Capetian King Philippe I, Emmanuel in recognition of Immanuel the Great Protector of Christian Kings, Anne in recognition of the grace of his dynasty, Charles in recognition of Charlemagne and Marie in recognition of his grandmother.

Under the guidance of his god-mother, Jules was assigned various distinguished enfants; Louis de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Henri Emmanuel d'Orléans-Longueville-Anjou, the young Duc d'Elbeuf and the Marquis de Seignelay, son of his father's First Minister.

Education and Adolescence
From an early age, Jules would undergo an extensive royal education at Versailles where he was assigned the finest tutors; the great Colbert was the young Dauphin's précepteur and would be the first to introduce him to his life-long friend, Marie-Anne Colbert. While being quite studious, it was found that he often would lack fair judgement without outside influence; he was often manipulated into mischief by his enfants. At the age of 6, he would be introduced to Élisabeth Henriette Charlotte d'Orléans-Longueville-Anjou, his first cousin and the Mademoiselle d'Anjou also known simply as Mademoiselle, wherein the two were officially betrothed to marry upon her fifteenth birthday.

While not particularly devious, Jules often was found to be the subject of controversy amongst his circles for his adolescent behavior and as such was believed to have suffered from a developmental disability. His behavior would ultimately impact his relationship with his father, causing him to be viewed as a burden to the ever-busy King even in his adulthood.

Introduction to Court
At his 12th Birthday, Jules was welcomed to the royal court in an official presentation at the Hall of Mirrors; during this celebration, he would be inducted into the Orders of the Holy Spirit and Saint Michael. From this point on, the Dauphin would be highly involved in court ceremony as well as the life surrounding it. For his first years at court, he commonly was found to be at the side of the King throughout the day, sitting in on various meetings of council and apprenticing his distinguished father. During this time, Jules was first able to show both his prowess for stately affairs and his weakness in conducting everyday life.

At the death of his mother, Jules' mental state rapidly deteriorated as he'd lost his last form of familial support. The young Dauphin, despite his insecurities, was quite the gregarious individual and as such often found himself the subject of Gazette Articles; most notably would be his liaisons with three of the four daughters of the Spanish Ambassador and his overall philandering. Upon his 18th Birthday, the Dauphin would be gifted a military command at the behest of his uncle; Colonel-General of the Swiss and Grisons.

Marriage to the Mademoiselle d'Anjou
In June of 1678, the Dauphin was officially wed to the Mademoiselle d'Anjou in a modest ceremony at the court of Versailles; the future-Dauphine wore an ensemble of striking red and gold with fine lapis-blue details, her gown studded with an assortment of jewels. Although their relationship was not found to be cold, the two were rather distant due in part to the emotional nature of young Jules; he often would seek the company of his mother at night, leaving his young bride to reside in her apartments alone at night. It wasn't until 1680, during a visit to Rome, where the two consummated their relationship on a chaise in the tent which they resided on their return trip. The couple was, however, plagued by misfortune in that the Dauphine would shortly miscarry; the union would remain childless until 1683 when their first child was born, the young Madame Royale. After this time, the two would produce a succession of offspring.

As the years went by, however, the young Dauphin's attention continually was drawn away by dalliances with other women at court until 1691, when he began a permanent relationship with his childhood friend, the Duchesse de Mortemart. With the affair solidifying, Jules would grow ever hostile with his wife's attempts to interfere with his affections; this hostility would continue piling until the Dauphin attempted separation in December of 1692, only ending with a reconciliation spearheaded by his aunt and uncle. From this point on, the two would retain a flippant relationship in which jealousy and anger continually manifested into their souls, while Jules himself grew ever more confused and disoriented.

Personality
A gregarious individual, the Dauphin rarely struggled in conversation and was overall a friendly individual. Similar to his father, he carried with him a haughty sense of entitlement, however would balance it with a humble demeanor when able to unwind. Although somewhat xenophobic, overall Jules was an accepting and kind individual. While not a family man, he held an extremely close relationship with his eldest daughter and sought to make her a better version of himself.

While one could say Jules was a bright individual, it ultimately proved to be of little use to him as his own mental capability was restricted by layers of insecurities and dependencies. Because of these dependencies, he became something of a philanderer in an effort to boost his own self esteem; this was particularly notable in his childlike need for female attention. Especially susceptible to outside influence, Jules was incredibly weak-willed and therefore would be easily manipulated. Regarding his bedroom activities, while remaining flirtatious Jules was an incredibly submissive being and almost incapable of initiating sexual activities on his own initiative. Despite his practicing of vices, he continually shrugged off consumption of alcohol unless in an extreme scenario.

Despite his gregarious personality, he possessed a ferocious temper which could not easily be quelled and would easily come to it when provoked. Modern psychiatrists would find the young Dauphin to suffer from anxiety and be on the autistic spectrum, albeit high functioning.

Appearance
Bearing a strong resemblance to his father, Jules was the spitting image of the ideal Frenchman; his height was just above normal in a way which give him an advantage over various of his contemporaries. His smooth and pale skin was often complimented by a light and nonchalant smile which carefully rested for the majority of the day. Jules' eyes were a particular draw for many, as they displayed his true child-like demeanor as well as absorbed the attention of everyone who gazed into them. From a young age, he was found to be a "pretty" individual and, combined with his social placement, would have his pick of women to seduce.

Issue
By his wife, Élisabeth Henriette Charlotte d'Orléans-Longueville-Anjou, the Dauphin has fathered six children:


 * Miscarriage [1681]
 * Sophie Françoise Charlotte de France, Madame Royale [1683 - Present]
 * Xavier-Francois Henri, Monsieur le Petit Dauphin et Duc de Bourgogne [1685 - Present]
 * Anne Louise Sophronie, Madame Seconde [1687 - Present]
 * Anne Marie Olympe, Madame Troisième [1688 - Present]
 * Louis-Francois Charles Marie Dieudonne, Duc de Berry [1688 - Present]
 * Elisabeth Juliette Antoinette, Madame Quatrième [1691 - Present]

Courtly Relationships
As should be expected by an individual with many insecurities, Jules was highly reliant on a close circle of friends. In his case, the Dauphin found the most security in relying on his uncle, the Duc d'Anjou; Henri was found to be Jules' trusted advisor throughout his life and almost a father figure in place of the emotionally absent King. No friend, however, would be as close as his half sister, the Duchesse de Valois; outside of his lover and Anjou, she was the only of whom he considered an equal and one of the few confidantes he had.

An emotionally gullible individual, Jules has often been susceptible to seduction by members of the opposite sex. The Duchesse de Mortemart, however, would be the only female to truly capture his fragile heart and would remain his closest and most true lover. His affair with the Duchesse would continue to the point that she received apartments adjoined to his, being the only non-royal in the center of Versailles. Valued romantically more than his own wife, Jules would refer to Mortemart as his "Reinette." Although dedicated to Mortemart, his weakness when it came to women would continue to haunt him and would lead to multiple short dalliances; he notably maintained the sister of his Premiere Gentilhomme as his "Petit-Maitresse" and would personally pay her dowry to the Duc de Montfort.