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Joseph Ferdinand BavariaKurprinze of Bavaria, maternal great-grandson of Philip IV
Date of Birth: 28.10.1692
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria
Joseph Ferdinand Leopold was born in Munich on October 28, 1692, to Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, and his first wife, Maria Antonia of Austria. He was the eldest son and heir apparent, with two younger full brothers who died in infancy.
Heir to the Spanish Throne
In 1698, King Charles II of Spain, Joseph Ferdinand's maternal great-uncle, named him as his heir. This made Joseph Ferdinand a potential king of Spain, inheriting a vast overseas empire and fulfilling his father's ambitions for the Wittelsbach dynasty.
Death and Succession
Tragically, Joseph Ferdinand died of smallpox in Brussels on February 6, 1699, at the age of six. His untimely death shattered the Anglo-French Partition Treaty and led to the Second Partition Treaty of March 2, 1700. This treaty awarded Naples, Sicily, and Milan to Philip of Anjou, while the rest of Spain's territories went to Charles, son of Leopold I. Leopold rejected the treaty, and Louis XIV of France violated it by installing his grandson Philip of Anjou as King Philip V of Spain.
Legacy
Joseph Ferdinand never set foot in Spain and was buried in St. Michael's Cathedral in Brussels. His death had a profound impact on European history, contributing to the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession.
