A War of French Succession

How would one go about creating a war of French Succession with a post 1774 divergence point?

The war should take place in the 1810's or early 1820's and must involve the UK

Preconditions include no Napoleon and a Bourbon restoration in the 1800's
 
In my own opinon, it's pretty complicated to make a War of French Succession happen by 1774. For that, you have to kill the last Direct Bourbons, which are Louis XVI, Louis XVIII (at the time only Count of Provence) and Charles X (at the time only Count of Artois). And then comes the next issue which is the Treaty of Utrecht...

To most of Europe, Utrecht was the only way to prevent a Personnal Union between France and Spain. It thus banished the bloodline of Philip V of Spain from the throne, which would make the line of Orléans has the next one to rule France (meaning Duke Louis-Philippe, his son (OTL Philippe Egalité) or grandson (OTL Louis-Philippe I, King of the French) by our time period). The transition will thus probably go that way because Europe will want it to be so. Add to this that Philip V's heirs are Kings of Spain and that the French had a Hundread Years War because they didn't want an English King and you get the picture...

It could be possible however that Charles III of Spain could make a claim on the throne because he is the senior Bourbon. By 1774, Charles III already had two sons who could suceed him: the future Charles IV of Spain and Ferdinand I of the Two-Sicilies. He even had a third son, Gabriel. Charles III could argue he should be the King of France with his son Charles inheriting the French crown, Ferdinand the Spanish one and Gabriel that of the Two-Sicilies. But would he really go to war over the throne of France?
 
RamscoopRaider said:
Who would support Charles III of Spain and who would oppose?

In France, Charles III of Spain would be supported by a fraction of the nobility. There would be ennemies of the House of Orléans but also "Legitimists", in the sense of people thinking that Charles III of Spain should be the King of France because he is the senior heir of Louis XIV and that the Treaty of Utrecht contradicts Salic Law, a fundamental Law of the Kingdom of France.
Against Charles III of Spain, you will find his counter-claimant (the Duke of Orléans) as well as a great deal of the French nobility. For one, the House of Orléans had one hell of an influence among the French nobility. Then, there is the fact that Charles III of Spain is a foreigner as he is King of Spain: on the basis the French people denied the throne to Edward III of England in 1328 (death of Charles IV of France), the nobility will argue that they don't want a foreigner (even if Charles III is a great-grandson of Louis XIV as he is the third son of Philip V) and that the King must be French. And finally, there is the case of Utrecht: the Treaty denies the Spanish King the right to inherit the French throne: it is easy to justify not giving the crown to Charles III because of that Treaty.

Outside of France, Spain will probably be supported by its allies. Those allies being Italian States and maybe Portugal, though I think the latter would align with Britain. It will be opposed by those who signed the Treaty of Utrecht and think they risk ending up with a Franco-Spanish Personnal Union. This most likely include the Hapsburgs and their allies. Britain, for its part, will intervene only if it thinks Charles III of Spain disrupts the balance of power which is less likely than when Louis XIV place his nephew on the Spanish throne around one century ago (Spain and France having been allies since Philip V was crowned as King of Spain).
 
Okay I still need a war big enough to involve and distract the UK, Spain ideally should be on the same side as the UK

Who would be on what side?
 
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