Louis is wearing the ribbon of the Order of St Esprit (the Holy Spirit). He was the son of Philip II, Duke of Orléans. He became Governor of Dauphiné in 1719, Commander of the Infantry in 1721, and Chief of the Conseil d'État (Council of State). He was deeply affected by the death of his wife, Auguste-Marie-Jeanne, Princess of Bade, in 1726, and he retired to the Abbey of Sainte-Geneviève, where he turned to theological studies including translating the Psalms and St Paul's Epistles.

The miniature is based on the portrait of the Duke by the French artist Charles-Antoine Coypel (1694 -1752) at Versailles, France, in which he wears the Golden Fleece in addition to the St Esprit. The identity of the artist is unknown.