JOHN Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, England’s commander on the Continent, won acclaim at home by driving the French from Bavaria at Blenheim on August 13th, 1704, and from the Spanish Netherlands at Ramillies on May 23rd, 1706. Gibraltar was captured in July 1704, and a French fleet carrying James Stuart from Dunkirk to England was intercepted by the Royal Navy in March 1708.

Some chastening defeats for the allies and a costly victory for Marlborough at Malplaquet near Mons in September 11th, 1709, at last brought all parties to the negotiating table at Utrecht in 1713, settling the dispute in keeping with the newly-minted principle of maintaining ‘the balance of power’ in Europe.

Queen Anne’s rights were recognised; Louis relinquished lands in Italy and the Netherlands to compensate Philip’s rival Charles, now Emperor Charles VI; and Philip himself was confirmed as King of Spain, but disqualified as King of France – a condition his counsellors soon persuaded him to break, triggering the War of the Quadruple Alliance.*