Fils de France

A coronet of a child of France.

Fils de France (French pronunciation: ​[fis də fʁɑ̃s], Son of France) was a title used by children of the reigning King of France. It entitled the holder of the title to the style of Royal Highness. However, that was rarely used. The French court preferred to use terms such as "Madame" and "Monsieur". The reigning king, his wife and their children were collectively referred to as the Famille de France ("Family of France"). The grandchildren of the king were entitled to the rank of "Grandson or Granddaughter of France". But the more senior of the two titles was that of "Child of France" due to being a child of a monarch. In French a "Child of France" was a Fils de France.

Examples

• Philippe, Duke of Orléans - the only brother of Louis XIV of France and known as Monsieur all his life
• Marie Louise d'Orléans eldest daughter of the above and known simply as Mademoiselle prior to her marriage
• Henrietta of England the first wife of "Monsieur" and known simply as Madame
• Marie Clotilde of France a granddaughter of Louis XV and known as Madame Clotilde prior to her marriage
• Marie Adélaïde of Savoy daughter-in-law of Louis XIV and known as Madame la Dauphine