Louis-Philippe II, or Philippe-Égalité as he was styled after the French Revolution, emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of the ancien régime. In October 1773, he was elected as the first grand master of perhaps the most important Freemason order in continental Europe, the Grand Orient de France. Conveniently, as the residence of a prince of the blood, the Palais-Royal was exempt from government censorship and intrusion. It was not long before Louis-Philippe II made it a haven for groups and individuals who, like himself, were critics of Louis XVI and the house of Bourbon. It is not clear when SaintGeorges became a Freemason, but he was a brother in the legendary NeufSœurs (Nine Sisters), an affiliate of the Grand Orient de France and an order filled with notable revolutionaries from both sides of the Atlantic. The Concert des Amateurs was hit hard by the financial crisis that accompanied the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and was forced to close in 1781. Even under these circumstances, Saint-Georges was well enough connected and resourceful enough that a new replacement, an orchestra of 65 musicians, Le Concert de la Loge Olympique or Concert Olympique, was founded under the umbrella of the Masonic lodge Société Olympique.  
Unfortunately, Saint-Georges's woes were not over. In 1785, the Duc d'Orléans died and, after the King refused to allow her to ceremonially mourn the loss of her husband, Madame de Montesson shuttered her home and theatre and moved to a convent. For Saint-Georges, this meant not only the loss of an