Bourbon Claim to the Spanish Throne
Encyclopedia
After the death of the last Habsburg monarch of Spain
in 1700, the degenerate Charles II
, the Spanish throne was up for grabs between the various powers of Europe
, despite Charles having left a will, naming his heir. In this will, Charles left Philip, duc de Anjou
, the Kingdom of Spain and the Spanish possessions in the New World
.
However, since Philip's grandfather, the ambitious Louis XIV of France
, himself had a claim to the throne of Spain, the Habsburgs of Austria, who considered themselves the rightful heirs of Charles, formed a coalition against France
and Spain with the rest of Europe, fearing the Spanish throne and the vast Spanish empire passing into effective French control, therefore starting the War of the Spanish Succession
. In this article, the Bourbon
claim to the Spanish throne and its origins are explained in detail.
when he conquered lands north of river Ebro
, subservient to the Carolingian rulers of France till they declared independence after the gradual decline of Carolingian authority), had French Provençal blood in their matrilineal ancestry (Counts of Barcelona also simultaneously held the title of "Count of Provence").
In the 11th century, the Counts of Barcelona formed a dynastic union with the Kingdom of Aragon
, hence Alfonso II of Aragon
was the first Count of Barcelona to be crowned King of Aragon, succeeding his mother Petronila of Aragon
. Moreover, Alfonso's maternal grandparents were the Duke
and Duchess
of Aquitaine
, making Alfonso a first cousin once removed of the famous French, later English, Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine
.
authority. In 905, a coalition of neighbors forced Fortún Garcés, a grandson of Íñigo Arista, to retire to a monastery, and enthroned in his place a scion of a new dynasty, under which, the name Navarre began to supplant that of Pamplona. With the assassination of Sancho IV
, the last king of the aforementioned dynasty, Navarre was invaded by his cousins Alfonso VI of Castile
and Sancho Ramirez of Aragon
, and the latter made king, leading to a half-century of Aragonese control.
The death of Alfonso led to a succession crisis in Aragon, and the nobles of Navarre took advantage to reestablish an independent monarchy, crowning a grandnephew (through an illegitimate brother) of the assassinated Sancho IV. The death of Sancho VII, the last of the Jimenez kings, led to the crown of Navarre being inherited by the son of his sisterBlanca, Countess of Champagne, she having been regent during much of her brother's reign. Therefore her son Theobald
, was the first frenchman to rule Navarre. Through his granddaughter Joan, Queen consort of France
, Navarre passed into the control of the House of Capet
, succeeded by several Capetian
and Non-Capetian dynasties.
These dynasties finally culminated in the form of Henri III of Navarre
, who was poised and later succeeded as King of France. Likewise, every succeeding monarch in France assumed the double title of King of France and Navarre. However, this was essentially a title, since by the time Henry became King of Navarre, much of it had been overrun by Aragon. In 1512, John III of Navarre
, of the House of Albret, was defeated by Ferdinand II of Aragon
, who then conquered southern Navarre for the Crown of Aragon
and was crowned king. The monarchs of Navarre after 1512 (including Henri) thus only reigned over Lower Navarre, the part of Navarre north of the Pyrenees
. On a whole, the early French-Spanish relations can be described as turbulent and uneasy.
The first legitimate connection with Spain came with the marriage of Infanta Ana of Spain
to Louis XIII
. The Infanta was the daughter of Philip III of Spain
. As Spanish succession laws did not prevent a female from ascending the throne, she was the heiress presumptive to the throne. Likewise, her offspring would have a legitimate, if not strong, claim to the Spanish throne. However, this claim was never explored as Anne's brother Infante Felipe
was poised to succeed to the Spanish Throne and eventually did so as King Philip IV of Spain
Further cementing Habsburg-Bourbon relations, Philip married Elisabeth, a sister of Louis XIII. This marriage produced the desired male heir and also Maria Theresa, who was the second link between France and Spain.
Born as Archduchess María Teresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain at the Royal Monastery of El Escorial
. María Teresa thus combined the blood of Philip III of Spain
and Margarita of Austria
, on her father's side, and that of Henry IV of France
and Marie de' Medici
, on her mother's side. In his turn, Philip III was the son of Philip II of Spain
and Anna of Austria
who was, herself, a daughter of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
and Maria of Spain
. Philip II and Maria of Spain were siblings, being both children of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
and Isabella of Portugal
. María Teresa, therefore, like many Habsburgs, was a product of years and generations of royal intermarriage between cousins.
In 1659, as the war with France began to wind down, a union between the two royal families, of Spain and of France, was proposed as a means to secure peace. María Teresa and the French king were double first-cousins, and it was proposed that they wed. His father was Louis XIII of France
, who was the brother of her mother, while her father was brother to Anne of Austria
, his mother.
Such a prospect was intensely enticing to Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV and aunt of María Teresa, who desired an end to hostilities between her native country, Spain, and her adopted one, France, and who hoped this to come by her niece becoming her daughter-in-law.. However, Spanish hesitation and procrastination led to a scheme in which Cardinal Mazarin, the First Minister of France, pretended to seek a marriage for his master with Margaret of Savoy
. When Philip IV of Spain heard of the meeting at Lyon between the Houses of France and Savoy, he reputedly exclaimed of the Franco-Savoyard union that "it cannot be, and will not be". Philip then sent a special envoy to the French Court to open negotiations for peace and a royal marriage.
The negotiations for the marriage contract were intense. Eager to prevent a union of the two countries or crowns, especially one in which Spain would be subservient to France, the diplomats sought to include a renunciation clause which would deprieve María Teresa and her children of any rights to the Spanish succession. This was eventually done but, by the skill of Mazarin and his French diplomats, the renunciation and its validity were made conditional upon the payment of a large dowry. As it turned out, Spain, impoverished and bankrupt after decades of war, was unable to pay such a dowry, and France never received the agreed sum of 500,000 écus.
on the throne of Spain. This was because the Spanish Habsburgs followed a Semi-Salic succession law, where only male heirs could inherit the throne, which was followed by their cousins in Austria
. Ironically, the Habsburgs had come into possession of Spain through a female line, i.e. Joanna of Castile, the last heir of the joint sovereigns Isabella I of Castile
and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon
, as her elder brother and the heir apparent died childless.
Probably, (similar to what Philip V attempted to secure the possession of his dynasty of Spain) the Habsburgs wanted to prevent the succession of any other royal house to the throne of Spain through a female line. Hence a male-to-male succession was followed. No flaws were evident in this arrangement, until the death of Baltazar Carlos, Philip IV's heir apparent.
Therefore, with her brother's death, as a birth right, María Teresa could inherit the vast Spanish Empire
and all the wealth it offered, since there was no restriction in Spanish succession law to the accession of a queen regnant
(unlike in France with the Salic Law
). Likewise, if María Teresa refused the throne, it would pass to the next blood descendants, the Austrian Habsburgs, who were also descended from a female line of the Spanish Habsburgs.
Desperate for a male heir, and fearing the extinction of the dynasty, Philip married his late son's intended bride, his own niece, Mariana of Austria
, the daughter of his sister Maria Anna of Spain (1606–46) and Emperor Ferdinand III. Thus, Empress Maria Anna was "simultaneously his sister and mother-in-law"..
The degree of inbreeding between the Spanish and Austrian branches of the House of Habsburg came to its zenith with this marriage and likewise, the resultant offspring was a culmination of nearly a century of incest
uous marriages. This inbreeding in the Habsburg family genealogy had given many in the family hereditary weaknesses and left later generations prone to still-births. Charles's birth was greeted with joy and relief by the Spaniards, who had feared the disputation which could have ensued if Philip IV had left no male heir. However Charles was mentally and physically disabled as well as disfigured, which in turn limited his efficacy as a leader and earned him the name El Hechizado ("The Hexed") in Spanish history.
Of Maria's six children only one survived her, the Dauphin Louis, who died in 1711. Marie-Thérèse's grandson, Philippe, duc d'Anjou
, would eventually come to inherit her rights to the Spanish Throne, after the death of her mentally unstable half-brother Charles II of Spain
. He acceded to that throne in 1700. It is through him that her descendants now reign over Spain. The War of the Spanish Succession
was caused by this.
Philip of Anjou was the second son of Louis, le Grand Dauphin and Maria Anna of Bavaria, known as Dauphine Victoire, a younger brother of Louis, duc de Bourgogne and an uncle of Louis XV of France
.
Philip was born at the Palace of Versailles
in France. His older brother, Louis de France, duc de Bourgogne, was in line to the throne right after his father, Le Grand Dauphin, thus leaving him and his younger brother, Charles de France, duc de Berry little expectation to ever rule over France. However, his fortune (and that of his Grandfather Louis XIV) started looking up when the degenerate last monarch of Spain, Charles II, fell ill. Both of Charles's marriages had failed to produce any, let alone male, offspring.
Charles II married Marie Louise of Orléans (1662–1689), eldest daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the only sibling of Louis XIV
, and his first wife Princess Henrietta of England. It is likely that Charles was impotent, and no children were born. Marie Louise became deeply depressed and died at 26, ten years after their marriage, leaving 28-year-old Charles heartbroken. Still in desperate need of a male heir, the next year he married the 23-year-old Palatine princess Maria Anna of Neuburg
, a daughter of Philip William, Elector of the Palatinate
, and sister-in-law of his uncle Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
. However, this marriage was no more successful than the first in producing the much-desired heir.
Having failed to produce the desired male heir, towards the end of his life, Charles became increasingly hypersensitive and strange, at one point demanding that the bodies of his family be exhumed so he could look upon the corpses. He reportedly wept upon viewing the body of his first wife, Marie Louise.
This spelled good news for his French relatives as they could now forward their dormant claims to the Spanish throne. Initially, Louis XIV wished to further his own ambitions by placing himself on the throne and gaining control of the vast Spanish empire, using his claim as heir to the Spanish throne, through his mother, daughter of Philip III
. Among all the contenders, it was Louis XIV's son, Louis the Grand Dauphin, who was the closest heir, as the son of the oldest sister of Charles II.
So when Charles II died in 1700, the line of the Spanish Habsburgs died with him. Charles' last will and testament named the 16-year old Philip, duc d'Anjou, second son of the Grand Dauphin, as his successor. Upon any possible refusal the Crown of Spain would be offered next to Philip's younger brother Charles, duc de Berry, or, next, to Archduke Charles of Austria
, Charles's blood cousin from the Austrian branch of the Habsburg dynasty
Both claimants had a legal right due to the fact that Philip's grandfather, King Louis XIV of France and Charles's father, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold, were both the husbands of Charles' older half sisters and sons of Charles' aunts.
Philip had the better claim because his grandmother and great-grandmother were older than Leopold's. However, the Austrian branch claimed that Philip's grandmother had renounced the Spanish throne for her descendants as part of her marriage contract. This was countered by the French branch's claim that it was on the basis of a dowry that had never been paid.
After a long council meeting where the Dauphin spoke up in favour of his son's rights, it was agreed that Philip would ascend the throne but would forever renounce his claim to the throne of France for himself and his descendants.
However, the spectre of the multi-continental empire of Spain
passing under the effective control of Louis XIV provoked a massive coalition of powers to oppose the Duc d'Anjou's succession.
of Paris (a court) to register a decree that should Louis himself have no heir that the Duc d'Anjou—Phillip V of Spain—would surrender the Spanish throne for that of the French, ensuring dynastic continuity in Europe's greatest land power.
However, a second act of the French King "justified a hostile interpretation": pursuant to a treaty with Spain, Louis occupied several towns in the Spanish Netherlands (modern Belgium and Nord-Pas-de-Calais). This was the spark that ignited the powder keg created by the unresolved issues of the War of the League of Augsburg (1689–97) and the acceptance of the Spanish inheritance by Louis XIV for his grandson.
Almost immediately the War of the Spanish Succession
(1702–1713) began. After eleven years of bloody, global warfare, fought on four continents and three oceans, the Duc d'Anjou, as Philip V, was confirmed as King of Spain on substantially the same terms that the powers of Europe had agreed to before the war. Thus the Treaties of Utrecht and Rastatt ended the war and "achieved little more than...diplomacy might have peacefully achieved in 1701." A proviso of the peace perpetually forbade the union of the Spanish and French thrones.
Louis' position in the Conseil d'en haut gave him an opportunity to have his voice heard in the years and crises leading up to the War of the Spanish Succession
. From his mother, Louis had rights and claims to the Spanish throne. His uncle Charles II of Spain
had produced no descendants and, as he lay dying, had no heir to whom he could pass the throne. The choice of a successor was essentially split between the French and Austrian claimants. In order to improve the chances of a Bourbon succession, Louis gave up his rights in favour of his second son, Philippe, duc d'Anjou (later Philip V of Spain
), who, as second son, was not expected to succeed to the French throne, thus keeping France and Spain separate. Moreover, in the discussions in the Conseil d'en haut regarding the French response to Charles II's last will and testament, which did indeed leave all Spanish possessions to Anjou, Louis persuasively argued for acceptance. He opposed those who advocated a rejection of the will and the adherence to the Partition Treaty
signed with William III of England
, even though that Treaty had awarded Naples
, Sicily
and Tuscany
to him.
The House of Bourbon
, founded by Philip V, has intermittently occupied the Spanish throne ever since, and sits today on the throne of Spain in the person of Juan Carlos I of Spain
(1975–present).
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1700, the degenerate Charles II
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
, the Spanish throne was up for grabs between the various powers of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, despite Charles having left a will, naming his heir. In this will, Charles left Philip, duc de Anjou
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
, the Kingdom of Spain and the Spanish possessions in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
.
However, since Philip's grandfather, the ambitious Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, himself had a claim to the throne of Spain, the Habsburgs of Austria, who considered themselves the rightful heirs of Charles, formed a coalition against France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spain with the rest of Europe, fearing the Spanish throne and the vast Spanish empire passing into effective French control, therefore starting the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
. In this article, the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
claim to the Spanish throne and its origins are explained in detail.
Counts of Barcelona
France and Spain had had earlier connections, although the latter was not yet a country in its true sense. Ironically, some dynasties that ruled in Spain had French origins - for example, the rulers of the County of Barcelona (created by CharlemagneCharlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
when he conquered lands north of river Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
, subservient to the Carolingian rulers of France till they declared independence after the gradual decline of Carolingian authority), had French Provençal blood in their matrilineal ancestry (Counts of Barcelona also simultaneously held the title of "Count of Provence").
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
, hence Alfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II or Alfons I ; Huesca, 1-25 March 1157 – 25 April 1196), called the Chaste or the Troubadour, was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1164 until his death. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragon and the first King of Aragon who was...
was the first Count of Barcelona to be crowned King of Aragon, succeeding his mother Petronila of Aragon
Petronila of Aragon
Petronilla of Aragon , whose name is also spelled Petronila or Petronella , was Queen regnant of Aragon from 1137 until 1164. She was the daughter and successor of Ramiro II by Agnes of Aquitaine...
. Moreover, Alfonso's maternal grandparents were the Duke
William IX of Aquitaine
William IX , called the Troubador, was the Duke of Aquitaine and Gascony and Count of Poitou between 1086 and his death. He was also one of the leaders of the Crusade of 1101...
and Duchess
Philippa of Toulouse
Philippa Maude of Toulouse , also known as Philippa de Toulouse or Philippa de Rouergue, was the Duchess Consort of Aquitaine, and Countess of Toulouse...
of Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
, making Alfonso a first cousin once removed of the famous French, later English, Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
.
Kingdom of Navarre
The Íñiguez dynasty founded by Íñigo Arista, founded the Navarrese kingdom (of Pamplona) in or around 824 when they rebelled against nominal CarolingianCarolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
authority. In 905, a coalition of neighbors forced Fortún Garcés, a grandson of Íñigo Arista, to retire to a monastery, and enthroned in his place a scion of a new dynasty, under which, the name Navarre began to supplant that of Pamplona. With the assassination of Sancho IV
Sancho IV of Navarre
Sancho IV Garcés , called Sancho of Peñalén or Sancho the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1054 to 1076. He was the eldest son and heir of García Sánchez III and Estefanía....
, the last king of the aforementioned dynasty, Navarre was invaded by his cousins Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
and Sancho Ramirez of Aragon
Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragón and Navarre
Sancho Ramírez was King of Aragon and King of Navarre...
, and the latter made king, leading to a half-century of Aragonese control.
The death of Alfonso led to a succession crisis in Aragon, and the nobles of Navarre took advantage to reestablish an independent monarchy, crowning a grandnephew (through an illegitimate brother) of the assassinated Sancho IV. The death of Sancho VII, the last of the Jimenez kings, led to the crown of Navarre being inherited by the son of his sisterBlanca, Countess of Champagne, she having been regent during much of her brother's reign. Therefore her son Theobald
Theobald I of Navarre
Theobald I , called the Troubadour, the Chansonnier, and the Posthumous, was Count of Champagne from birth and King of Navarre from 1234...
, was the first frenchman to rule Navarre. Through his granddaughter Joan, Queen consort of France
Joan I of Navarre
Joan I , the daughter of king Henry I of Navarre and Blanche of Artois, reigned as queen regnant of Navarre and also served as queen consort of France.-Life:...
, Navarre passed into the control of the House of Capet
House of Capet
The House of Capet, or The Direct Capetian Dynasty, , also called The House of France , or simply the Capets, which ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328, was the most senior line of the Capetian dynasty – itself a derivative dynasty from the Robertians. As rulers of France, the dynasty...
, succeeded by several Capetian
House of Capet
The House of Capet, or The Direct Capetian Dynasty, , also called The House of France , or simply the Capets, which ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328, was the most senior line of the Capetian dynasty – itself a derivative dynasty from the Robertians. As rulers of France, the dynasty...
and Non-Capetian dynasties.
These dynasties finally culminated in the form of Henri III of Navarre
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, who was poised and later succeeded as King of France. Likewise, every succeeding monarch in France assumed the double title of King of France and Navarre. However, this was essentially a title, since by the time Henry became King of Navarre, much of it had been overrun by Aragon. In 1512, John III of Navarre
John III of Navarre
John III , also known as Jean d'Albret, was jure uxoris, King consort of the Queen regnant Catherine of Navarre.He was a son of Alain I of Albret, Lord of Albret, and his wife, Frances of Châtillon-Limoges.-King of Navarre:...
, of the House of Albret, was defeated by Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
, who then conquered southern Navarre for the Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
and was crowned king. The monarchs of Navarre after 1512 (including Henri) thus only reigned over Lower Navarre, the part of Navarre north of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. On a whole, the early French-Spanish relations can be described as turbulent and uneasy.
Spanish Brides
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
to Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
. The Infanta was the daughter of Philip III of Spain
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
. As Spanish succession laws did not prevent a female from ascending the throne, she was the heiress presumptive to the throne. Likewise, her offspring would have a legitimate, if not strong, claim to the Spanish throne. However, this claim was never explored as Anne's brother Infante Felipe
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
was poised to succeed to the Spanish Throne and eventually did so as King Philip IV of Spain
Further cementing Habsburg-Bourbon relations, Philip married Elisabeth, a sister of Louis XIII. This marriage produced the desired male heir and also Maria Theresa, who was the second link between France and Spain.
Born as Archduchess María Teresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain at the Royal Monastery of El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
. María Teresa thus combined the blood of Philip III of Spain
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
and Margarita of Austria
Margarita of Austria
Margaret of Austria was Queen consort of Spain and Portugal by her marriage to King Philip III.-Family:Margaret was the daughter of Archduke Charles II of Austria, the son of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Her elder brother was the Archduke Ferdinand, who succeeded as...
, on her father's side, and that of Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
and Marie de' Medici
Marie de' Medici
Marie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici...
, on her mother's side. In his turn, Philip III was the son of Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
and Anna of Austria
Anna of Austria (1549-1580)
Anna of Austria , was Queen consort of Spain and Portugal by virtue of her marriage to King Philip II of Spain.-Family:She was the eldest daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II and Maria of Spain...
who was, herself, a daughter of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
and Maria of Spain
Maria of Spain
Archduchess Maria of Austria was the spouse of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia and Hungary. She was the daughter of Emperor Charles V and twice served as regent of Spain.-Life:...
. Philip II and Maria of Spain were siblings, being both children of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
and Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Portugal was a Portuguese Princess and Holy Roman Empress, Duchess of Burgundy, and a Queen Regent/Consort of Spain. She was the daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon. By her marriage to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Isabella was also Holy Roman Empress and Queen...
. María Teresa, therefore, like many Habsburgs, was a product of years and generations of royal intermarriage between cousins.
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
, who was the brother of her mother, while her father was brother to Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
, his mother.
Such a prospect was intensely enticing to Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV and aunt of María Teresa, who desired an end to hostilities between her native country, Spain, and her adopted one, France, and who hoped this to come by her niece becoming her daughter-in-law.. However, Spanish hesitation and procrastination led to a scheme in which Cardinal Mazarin, the First Minister of France, pretended to seek a marriage for his master with Margaret of Savoy
Margarida of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal
Margaret of Savoy, Duchess Consort of Mantua and Montferrat was best known as the last Spanish Vicereine of Portugal...
. When Philip IV of Spain heard of the meeting at Lyon between the Houses of France and Savoy, he reputedly exclaimed of the Franco-Savoyard union that "it cannot be, and will not be". Philip then sent a special envoy to the French Court to open negotiations for peace and a royal marriage.
The negotiations for the marriage contract were intense. Eager to prevent a union of the two countries or crowns, especially one in which Spain would be subservient to France, the diplomats sought to include a renunciation clause which would deprieve María Teresa and her children of any rights to the Spanish succession. This was eventually done but, by the skill of Mazarin and his French diplomats, the renunciation and its validity were made conditional upon the payment of a large dowry. As it turned out, Spain, impoverished and bankrupt after decades of war, was unable to pay such a dowry, and France never received the agreed sum of 500,000 écus.
The Last of the Spanish Habsburgs
The respective marriages of Anne of Austria and Maria Theresa into the French Royal Family would not be thought much of despite Spain's tradition of following Cognatic primogeniture, which did not barre a Queen RegnantQueen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
on the throne of Spain. This was because the Spanish Habsburgs followed a Semi-Salic succession law, where only male heirs could inherit the throne, which was followed by their cousins in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Ironically, the Habsburgs had come into possession of Spain through a female line, i.e. Joanna of Castile, the last heir of the joint sovereigns Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
, as her elder brother and the heir apparent died childless.
Probably, (similar to what Philip V attempted to secure the possession of his dynasty of Spain) the Habsburgs wanted to prevent the succession of any other royal house to the throne of Spain through a female line. Hence a male-to-male succession was followed. No flaws were evident in this arrangement, until the death of Baltazar Carlos, Philip IV's heir apparent.
Therefore, with her brother's death, as a birth right, María Teresa could inherit the vast Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
and all the wealth it offered, since there was no restriction in Spanish succession law to the accession of a queen regnant
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
(unlike in France with the Salic Law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
). Likewise, if María Teresa refused the throne, it would pass to the next blood descendants, the Austrian Habsburgs, who were also descended from a female line of the Spanish Habsburgs.
Desperate for a male heir, and fearing the extinction of the dynasty, Philip married his late son's intended bride, his own niece, Mariana of Austria
Mariana of Austria
Mariana of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Philip IV, who was also her maternal uncle...
, the daughter of his sister Maria Anna of Spain (1606–46) and Emperor Ferdinand III. Thus, Empress Maria Anna was "simultaneously his sister and mother-in-law"..
The degree of inbreeding between the Spanish and Austrian branches of the House of Habsburg came to its zenith with this marriage and likewise, the resultant offspring was a culmination of nearly a century of incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous marriages. This inbreeding in the Habsburg family genealogy had given many in the family hereditary weaknesses and left later generations prone to still-births. Charles's birth was greeted with joy and relief by the Spaniards, who had feared the disputation which could have ensued if Philip IV had left no male heir. However Charles was mentally and physically disabled as well as disfigured, which in turn limited his efficacy as a leader and earned him the name El Hechizado ("The Hexed") in Spanish history.
Of Maria's six children only one survived her, the Dauphin Louis, who died in 1711. Marie-Thérèse's grandson, Philippe, duc d'Anjou
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
, would eventually come to inherit her rights to the Spanish Throne, after the death of her mentally unstable half-brother Charles II of Spain
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
. He acceded to that throne in 1700. It is through him that her descendants now reign over Spain. The War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
was caused by this.
| Claimant | Portrait | Relationship to Spanish Habsburgs | Rival Claimant | Portrait | Relationship to Spanish Habsburgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Theresa of Spain Margaret Theresa of Spain Margaret Theresa of Spain was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess consort of Austria, Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain and his second wife Mariana of Austria... |
 |
Daughter of Philip IV of Spain Philip IV of Spain Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640... and Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Philip IV, who was also her maternal uncle... |
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor | style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria... |
 |
His mother was Maria Anna of Spain, daughter of Philip III of Spain Philip III of Spain Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death... and Margaret of Austria |
| Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria, Prince of Asturias Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria, Prince of Asturias Duke Joseph Ferdinand Leopold of Bavaria, Prince of Asturias was the son of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and his first wife, Maria Antonia of Austria, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, maternal granddaughter of King Felipe IV of Spain.--Youth--Prince Joseph Ferdinand was... |
 |
His maternal grandmother was the daughter of Philip IV of Spain Philip IV of Spain Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640... and Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Philip IV, who was also her maternal uncle... |
Archduke Charles of Austria Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711... |
His paternal grandmother was Maria Anna of Spain, daughter of Philip III of Spain Philip III of Spain Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death... and Margaret of Austria |
|
| Louis, Dauphin of France |  |
His mother was Maria Theresa of Spain Maria Theresa of Spain Maria Theresa of Austria was the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and Elizabeth of France. Maria Theresa was Queen of France as wife of King Louis XIV and mother of the Grand Dauphin, an ancestor of the last four Bourbon kings of France.-Early life:Born as Infanta María Teresa of Spain at the... , daughter of Philip IV of Spain Philip IV of Spain Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640... and Elisabeth of France Elisabeth of France Elisabeth of France was Queen consort of Spain from 1621 to 1644 as the first wife of King Philip IV of Spain. She was the eldest daughter of King Henry IV of France and his second spouse Marie de' Medici. As a daughter of the king of France, she was born a Fille de France... , and his paternal grandmother was Anne of Austria Anne of Austria Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth... , daughter of Philip III of Spain Philip III of Spain Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death... and Margaret of Austria |
Archduke Charles of Austria Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711... |
His paternal grandmother was Maria Anna of Spain, daughter of Philip III of Spain Philip III of Spain Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death... and Margaret of Austria |
|
| Philip, Duke of Anjou Philip V of Spain Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a... |
His paternal grandmother was Maria Theresa of Spain Maria Theresa of Spain Maria Theresa of Austria was the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and Elizabeth of France. Maria Theresa was Queen of France as wife of King Louis XIV and mother of the Grand Dauphin, an ancestor of the last four Bourbon kings of France.-Early life:Born as Infanta María Teresa of Spain at the... , daughter of Philip IV of Spain Philip IV of Spain Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640... and Elisabeth of France Elisabeth of France Elisabeth of France was Queen consort of Spain from 1621 to 1644 as the first wife of King Philip IV of Spain. She was the eldest daughter of King Henry IV of France and his second spouse Marie de' Medici. As a daughter of the king of France, she was born a Fille de France... , and his paternal great-grandmother was Anne of Austria Anne of Austria Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth... , daughter of Philip III of Spain Philip III of Spain Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death... and Margaret of Austria, making him simultaneously a great nephew and a great-grandson of Philip IV of Spain Philip IV of Spain Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640... , the next-to-last Habsburg ruler of Spain |
Archduke Charles of Austria Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711... |
His paternal grandmother was Maria Anna of Spain, daughter of Philip III of Spain Philip III of Spain Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death... and Margaret of Austria |
||
| Charles, Duke of Berry |  |
He was the youngest son of The Grand Dauphin, and younger brother of Philip of Anjou Philip V of Spain Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a... , and was, till the birth of Prince Luis, the heir presumptive to the Throne of Spain |
Archduke Charles of Austria Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711... |
His paternal grandmother was Maria Anna of Spain, daughter of Philip III of Spain Philip III of Spain Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death... and Margaret of Austria |
Philip of Anjou and the French Succession
Philip of Anjou was the second son of Louis, le Grand Dauphin and Maria Anna of Bavaria, known as Dauphine Victoire, a younger brother of Louis, duc de Bourgogne and an uncle of Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
.
Philip was born at the Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
in France. His older brother, Louis de France, duc de Bourgogne, was in line to the throne right after his father, Le Grand Dauphin, thus leaving him and his younger brother, Charles de France, duc de Berry little expectation to ever rule over France. However, his fortune (and that of his Grandfather Louis XIV) started looking up when the degenerate last monarch of Spain, Charles II, fell ill. Both of Charles's marriages had failed to produce any, let alone male, offspring.
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, and his first wife Princess Henrietta of England. It is likely that Charles was impotent, and no children were born. Marie Louise became deeply depressed and died at 26, ten years after their marriage, leaving 28-year-old Charles heartbroken. Still in desperate need of a male heir, the next year he married the 23-year-old Palatine princess Maria Anna of Neuburg
Maria Anna of Pfalz-Neuburg
Countess Palatine Maria Anna of Neuburg was Queen consort of Spain from 1689 to 1700 as the second wife of King Charles II. She was known as Mariana in her adopted Spain...
, a daughter of Philip William, Elector of the Palatinate
Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine
Philip William of Neuburg, Elector Palatine was Count Palatine of Neuburg from 1653 to 1690, Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1653 to 1679 and Elector of the Palatinate from 1685 to 1690...
, and sister-in-law of his uncle Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
. However, this marriage was no more successful than the first in producing the much-desired heir.
Having failed to produce the desired male heir, towards the end of his life, Charles became increasingly hypersensitive and strange, at one point demanding that the bodies of his family be exhumed so he could look upon the corpses. He reportedly wept upon viewing the body of his first wife, Marie Louise.
This spelled good news for his French relatives as they could now forward their dormant claims to the Spanish throne. Initially, Louis XIV wished to further his own ambitions by placing himself on the throne and gaining control of the vast Spanish empire, using his claim as heir to the Spanish throne, through his mother, daughter of Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
. Among all the contenders, it was Louis XIV's son, Louis the Grand Dauphin, who was the closest heir, as the son of the oldest sister of Charles II.
So when Charles II died in 1700, the line of the Spanish Habsburgs died with him. Charles' last will and testament named the 16-year old Philip, duc d'Anjou, second son of the Grand Dauphin, as his successor. Upon any possible refusal the Crown of Spain would be offered next to Philip's younger brother Charles, duc de Berry, or, next, to Archduke Charles of Austria
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
, Charles's blood cousin from the Austrian branch of the Habsburg dynasty
Both claimants had a legal right due to the fact that Philip's grandfather, King Louis XIV of France and Charles's father, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold, were both the husbands of Charles' older half sisters and sons of Charles' aunts.
Philip had the better claim because his grandmother and great-grandmother were older than Leopold's. However, the Austrian branch claimed that Philip's grandmother had renounced the Spanish throne for her descendants as part of her marriage contract. This was countered by the French branch's claim that it was on the basis of a dowry that had never been paid.
After a long council meeting where the Dauphin spoke up in favour of his son's rights, it was agreed that Philip would ascend the throne but would forever renounce his claim to the throne of France for himself and his descendants.
However, the spectre of the multi-continental empire of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
passing under the effective control of Louis XIV provoked a massive coalition of powers to oppose the Duc d'Anjou's succession.
War of Spanish Succession
The actions of Louis heightened the fears of the English, the Dutch and the Austrians, among others. In February of 1701, the French King caused the ParlementParlement
Parlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
of Paris (a court) to register a decree that should Louis himself have no heir that the Duc d'Anjou—Phillip V of Spain—would surrender the Spanish throne for that of the French, ensuring dynastic continuity in Europe's greatest land power.
However, a second act of the French King "justified a hostile interpretation": pursuant to a treaty with Spain, Louis occupied several towns in the Spanish Netherlands (modern Belgium and Nord-Pas-de-Calais). This was the spark that ignited the powder keg created by the unresolved issues of the War of the League of Augsburg (1689–97) and the acceptance of the Spanish inheritance by Louis XIV for his grandson.
Almost immediately the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
(1702–1713) began. After eleven years of bloody, global warfare, fought on four continents and three oceans, the Duc d'Anjou, as Philip V, was confirmed as King of Spain on substantially the same terms that the powers of Europe had agreed to before the war. Thus the Treaties of Utrecht and Rastatt ended the war and "achieved little more than...diplomacy might have peacefully achieved in 1701." A proviso of the peace perpetually forbade the union of the Spanish and French thrones.
Louis' position in the Conseil d'en haut gave him an opportunity to have his voice heard in the years and crises leading up to the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
. From his mother, Louis had rights and claims to the Spanish throne. His uncle Charles II of Spain
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
had produced no descendants and, as he lay dying, had no heir to whom he could pass the throne. The choice of a successor was essentially split between the French and Austrian claimants. In order to improve the chances of a Bourbon succession, Louis gave up his rights in favour of his second son, Philippe, duc d'Anjou (later Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
), who, as second son, was not expected to succeed to the French throne, thus keeping France and Spain separate. Moreover, in the discussions in the Conseil d'en haut regarding the French response to Charles II's last will and testament, which did indeed leave all Spanish possessions to Anjou, Louis persuasively argued for acceptance. He opposed those who advocated a rejection of the will and the adherence to the Partition Treaty
Treaty of The Hague (1698)
The Treaty of Den Haag was signed on October 11, 1698 between England and France. The accord attempted to resolve the issue of who would inherit the Spanish throne and proposed that Duke Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria be the heir...
signed with William III of England
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, even though that Treaty had awarded Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
to him.
The House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, founded by Philip V, has intermittently occupied the Spanish throne ever since, and sits today on the throne of Spain in the person of Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
(1975–present).
See also
- House of BourbonHouse of BourbonThe House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
- Henry IV of France's successionHenry IV of France's successionHenry IV of France's succession to the throne in 1589 was followed by a four-year war to establish his legitimacy. Henry IV inherited the throne after the assassination of Henry III, the last Valois king, who died without children...
- Descendants of Henry IV of FranceDescendants of Henry IV of FranceHenry IV of France was the first Bourbon king of France. Formerly known as Henri of Navarre, he succeeded to the French throne with the extinction of House of Valois, at the death of Henry III of France. In 1584, Prince François, the youngest brother and heir presumptive of King Henry III, died...
- Descendants of Louis XIV of FranceDescendants of Louis XIV of FranceThe descendants of Louis XIV of France, Bourbon monarch of the Kingdom of France, are numerous. Although only three of his children by his wife Maria Theresa of Spain survived past infancy, Louis had many illegitimate children by his mistresses...
- Descendants of Philip V of SpainDescendants of Philip V of SpainThe descendants of Philip V of Spain, Bourbon monarch of the Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of Sardinia and Kingdom of Sicily are numerous. He had two wives; by his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy he had two children. After the death of his first wife Philip married Elisabeth of Parma...
- Descendants of Charles III of SpainDescendants of Charles III of SpainThe descendants of Charles III of Spain, the third surviving son of the first Bourbon King of Spain are many. Growing up in Madrid till he was 16, he was sent to the Italian Sovereign Duchy of Parma and Piacenza which, through his mother Elisabeth of Parma, was considered as his birth right...