Here’s the Scenario: Louis the Dauphin of France dies in 1751. Let’s say he caught consumption early and died at the age of 21, leaving a daughter and a son.
Just for the sake of discussion, let’s also put up a few butterfly nets and have everybody else die and marry and have children as they did in OTL. So…Louis’ daughter in dies 1755, his son dies in 1761, and Louis XV in 1774.
Who becomes the king of France when Louis XV dies? How do the other powers react? This is hardly a sudden situation. Everybody could see the issues from the time the wee Dauphin died in 1761.
Could you see another rotation of crowns for the Bourbons? So, Charles III of Spain, so he becomes king of France with Charles as his heir, Ferdinand becomes King of Spain, Gabriel becomes king of Naples etc. etc. Would the French accept this? Would there be any support in France for this? Would the other powers?
Or does the duke of Orleans succeed to the throne on the basis of the treaty of Utrecht? Would the French accept this? Would Charles III of Spain accept this? Would the other powers?
Which would Louis XV have preferred to see? Could you see a situation where Louis XV ‘adopts’ the OTL Charles IV of Spain and raises him at court to make him French? Would Charles III of Spain accept this?
Would everything degenerate into a war of the French succession?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts,
David