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let's say some overly zealous French Republicans, some mayhem by people clamoring for the return of Charles IV of Spain during French occupation, and perhaps too much wine, combined to cause the murder of the Spanish royal family while they were under house arrest in Napoleonic France.

Because of Salic Law, who's left? Ferdinand VII is dead,so is Charles IV and also Ferdinand's brothers. Ferdinand of Naples and Sicily (later Two Sicilies), Charles IV's brother, I think, is around from what I can tell, but a treaty prevented Charles III of Spain from having all three crowns at once; would Ferdinand be bound?

His son, Francis could, I suppose, be abdicated to in Naples and Sicily...but then wouldn't the same crisis happen again ina few years upon his death when Francis inherited? Unless Leopold wasn't held inc ustody by France, it doesn't say in his Wikipedia article.

Of course, then, you could argue that Ferdinand VIII, as he'd be termed, could do another Pragmatic Sanction to let a sister rule. But, Charles IV's oldest sister, Carlota, was also Queen of Portugal, if I'm reading this right (it's confusing, especially with all these cousins marrying each other.) So, if he does a Pragmatic Sanction, wouldn't she automatically get the nod, thus creating concerns over another Iberian union?

this might happen in some form, though with a little extra (I'd like to extend the chaos a bit since the Napoleonic Wars end early, maybe a CArlist War type situation), in "Created Equal," as I have the U.S. to 1820 and Europe to 1812. And if work piles up too much after vacation, if I have time I might just post what I have and stop, just becasue I don't recall seeinga TL where this happens. But, it does seem possible.
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