In Chevalier, Philippe d’Orléans advocates the values of the French Revolution, even though he himself is a nobleman. Alex Fitzalan plays the role of Philippe.
Philippe, a member of the royal family, is Joseph’s best friend in Chevalier. Unlike others, he considers Joseph to be a true son of France.
When Joseph gets Marie-Joséphine to be the lead in his opera, Philippe gets concerned about Joseph. He warns him that Marie-Joséphine’s husband, who is a tyrant and a bully, will not let this pass.
Later, when he finds out about Joseph and Marie-Joséphine’s affair, he reminds Joseph that he is inviting danger by being with her, but Joseph does not pay heed to his warnings. Eventually, when everything goes downhill for Joseph, Philippe continues to stand by his side.
Philippe’s radical ideas
Philippe is a member of the royal family, yet he supports the ideas of the French Revolution. He believes that the world is changing and that France should also transform in order to keep up.
This is the time when the people of France are starting to oppose monarchy, and Philippe is one of them. He attends secret meetings where men and women assemble to share radical ideas.
Sometimes, Philippe even drags Joseph to these meetings, who does not fail to remind him that Philippe’s open criticism of the king and the queen can be considered treason.
Philippe takes center stage at these meetings and talks about the universal rights of man that the monarchy needs to honor. He even questions the authority of monarchy when it is not supported by the masses.
Philippe believes in the equality of all men, regardless of class. His idea of equality even includes women, as when Marie-Joséphine questions him about the same, he states that he does not believe that women are inferior to men.
Furthermore, Philippe plans to go to England to attend a meeting of great minds like Paine, Brissot, and more. There will be artists, abolitionists, and philosophers present there. Philippe wishes to bring their ideas to France
He asks Joseph to accompany him, as he wants him to use his influence to change the world for the better. Joseph does not agree to join him then, but when he loses his son and witnesses innocent people getting killed on the streets for protesting against the monarchy, he decides to serve the revolution.
With Philippe’s help, he organizes a concert; the profits are used to help the needy and fund the revolution. Philippe, who has been working to provide food and resources to those in need, finally gets to see his friend use his influence to make a change.