The Battle of Denain
Jean Alaux, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1665, a 4-year-old boy became King Charles II of Spain. Charles was both a descendant of Ferdinand and Isabella and the Spanish monarchs, and through his mother also a member of the House of Habsburg. A far cry from his powerful forebears, Charles was plagued by both mental and physical health issues, and died in 1700 at the age of 38.

Despite having been married twice, Charles left no heirs, but wisely tried to avoid a succession crisis by naming his grand-nephew, Philip of Anjou, as his heir. Philip was a member of the House of Bourbon and a grandson of French King Louis XIV.

Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I refused to recognize Philip, claiming it would make the House of Bourbon too powerful. Instead, he proposed his second son, Archduke Karl for the Spanish throne, beginning the War of Spanish Succession in 1701.

The Bourbon kingdoms of Spain and France, along with Bavaria and a few smaller countries, lined up behind Philip of Anjou and the House of Bourbon. Austria and the rest of the Holy Roman Empire, along with Prussia, the Netherlands, and Great Britain got behind the Habsburgs. With French support, Hungary tried to rebel against the Habsburgs, but without success. Portugal initially sided with the Bourbons but switched sides in 1703 when it became clear they would not be able to match the British Navy at sea.

The war came to a deadlock. No proposed peace treaties were acceptable to King Louis XIV, who resolved to fight on. Leopold I died in 1705 and was succeeded by his eldest son Joseph, who died in 1711, whereupon Archduke Karl became Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. Since pursuing his claim to the Spanish throne would have made Karl both King of Spain and Holy Roman Empire, and his father's whole point in starting the war was to prevent one royal house from becoming too powerful, the war began to wind down. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 took Britain and the Dutch Republic (the Netherlands) out of the war, with France and the Holy Roman Empire concluding peace the following year.

To celebrate the end of the war, Händel composed Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate.

A Bourbon king is still on the throne of Spain today.