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Claims to the Spanish throne
In 1700 King Charles II of Spain died childless. His will named as successor the 16 years old Philip, grandson of Charles half-sister Maria Theresa, the first wife of Louis XIV. -
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of Succession was an international conflict, but also a civil conflict, for while the Crown of Castile and Navarre remained loyal to the Bourbon candidate, most of the Crown of Aragon lent its support to the Austrian candidate. In the interior the combats were favorable to the troops felipistas, that after the victory of Almansa (1707) they obtained the control on Aragon and Valencia. In 1713 Archduke Charles was elected Emperor of Germany. -
First marriage
Philip married Maria Luisa of Savoy, as chosen by his grandfather King Louis XIV, by then an old man of 63. She was the daughter of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy, and Philip's second cousin Anne Marie d'Orléans, also the parents of the Duchess of Burgundy, Philip's sister in law. There was a proxy ceremony at Turin, the capital of the Duchy of Savoy, and another one at Versailles on 11 September. -
Second Marriage
Shortly after the death of Queen Maria Luisa in 1714, the King decided to marry again. His second wife was Elisabeth of Parma, daughter of Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma, and Dorothea Sophie of the Palatinate. -
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Legacy
Historians have not been kind to the king. Lynch says Philip V advanced the government only marginally over that of his predecessors and was more of a liability than the incapacitated Charles II. When a conflict came up between the interests of Spain and France, he usually favored France. However Philip did make some reforms in government, and strengthened the central authorities relative to the provinces. -
abdication
On 14 January 1724, Philip abdicated the throne to his eldest son, the seventeen-year-old Louis, for reasons still subject to debate. One theory suggests that Philip V, who exhibited many elements of mental instability during his reign, did not wish to reign due to his increasing mental decline.[ -
Later reing
Philip helped his Bourbon relatives to make territorial gains in the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession by reconquering Naples and Sicily from Austria and Oran from the Ottomans. Finally, at the end of his reign Spanish forces also successfully defended their American territories from a large British invasion during the War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–1748) -
Death
Philip was afflicted by fits of manic depression and increasingly fell victim to a deep melancholia.[10] His second wife, Elizabeth Farnese, completely dominated her passive husband. She bore him further sons, including another successor, Charles III of Spain.
