The Treaties of Utrecht

[Strengthandhonour]

pretty good web site. It has a lot of the documents for the treaties of Utrecht.

http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/utrecht.htm

The Treaties of Utrecht

Introduction

The Treaties of Utrecht, signed in 1713, put an end to the War of Spanish Succession (1701-13). The war resulted from a dispute over who should inherit Spain and its possessions after its Habsburg rulers became extinct in 1700. The last Habsburg king of Spain, Charles II (d. 1700) had left the throne to his closest relative in female line: Philippe de France, duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV (Felipe V of Spain. The closest relatives in male line, the Habsburgs of Austria, disputed this claim, and many European nations did not want to see French princes reigning over both kingdoms.
The Utrecht treaties recognized Felipe V of Spain, but transferred the Spanish possessions in the Netherlands and Italy to Austria and to Savoy. To reach the goal of separating the crowns of France and Spain, the treaties required Felipe V to relinquish all claims to the French throne, and the remaining French princes to relinquish all claims to the Spanish throne.
The validity of the renunciation of Felipe V, which are ancillary to the treaties, became a constitutional issue in France. However, it would have become a practical issue only after the branch senior to Felipe V died out in 1883, at which time the French monarchy had been abolished and had lost most chances of a restoration. Still, the dispute over the renunciation continues among those interested in the French monarchy and its present-day representatives.
This page presents the treaties of Utrecht in their historical context and analyzes their content.