Description:

George I of England King 1660 - 1727 The Birth Certificate of Italy! King George I of Great Britain boldly signs the pivotal document concerning the fate of Italy for over 200 years – Content of this document mentions all the major monarchs of the time and assures the reconfiguration of Europe per the Treaty of the Hague Manuscript Document Signed "George R" as King, 1p, 7.5" x 12". Our Court at Kensington, September 4, 1722. Countersigned "Carteret" as Secretary of State for the Southern Department. Carteret served in this post from March 4, 1721, to March 31, 1724. Blind embossed paper seal affixed with red wax at upper left. Attached with light blue ribbon is a 3p, 7.5" x 12", front & verso, transcript in Latin of an agreement that had been signed by at Versailles in August Charles Lord Whitworth, on the part of King George I of Great Britain, and Fleurian de Morville, on the part of King Louis XV of France. Fine condition.

King George I orders Thomas Earl of Macclesfield, Chancellor of Great Britain, to certify, by affixing "Our Great Seal of Great Britain … Two Instruments of the same Tenour and bearing Date with these Presents (a Copy whereof is hereunto annexed) containing our Ratifications of an Act to guarantee to the King of Sardinia the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Cessions made to him in the Dutchy of Milan, which act was concluded and signed at
The Quadruple Alliance was formed on August 2, 1718, when Austria joined the Triple Alliance of Great Britain, France, and the Dutch Republic (United Provinces) to prevent Spain from altering the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht (1713). King Philip V of Spain had seized control of Sardinia and Sicily (assigned to Austria and Savoy, respectively, by the Treaty of Utrecht). With the backing of the Quadruple Alliance, the British fleet brought Austrian troops to Sicily, and the French sent troops to occupy northern Spain. By the Treaty of The Hague (February 17, 1720), the allies forced Philip to renounce his claims in Italy and Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy and King of Sicily, ceded Sicily to Austria in exchange for Sardinia.

The Treaty of the Hague stipulates in Article VI: "His Catholic Majesty [King Philip V of Spain] shall, in the interests of peace, renounce all the rights reserved in his agreement with the Duke of Savoy made on the 11th June, 1713 and this document shall be annulled and the rights of Restoration to the Throne of Sardinia transferred, as agreed by the Emperor in the second article of the Convention with the Duke of Savoy." Thus, King Victor Amadeus II of Sicily became King Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia. The Duchy of Milan had been ceded to Austria in 1714. The English text of the Treaty of The Hague is present.

By the instrument here offered, King George I of Great Britain and King Louis XV of France, by their respective signatories at Versailles, Charles Lord Whitworth and the Count Fleurian de Morville, guarantee to King Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia his kingdom and "the Cessions made to him in the Dutchy of Milan." As mentioned, the Latin "Copy whereof is hereunto annexed."

The complete English translation of the attached Instrument in Latin is present.

In part, "Their Britannic and Most Christian Majesties [King George I of Great Britain and King Louis XV of France], desiring to omit nothing that could more and more greatly confirm the dispositions of the above said treaties concluded in London, and assured that Their Imperial and Catholic Majesties [Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI and King Philip V of Spain] are of the same mind in the pursuit of this goal, as well as striving to bind the king of Sardinia by new pledges of their friendship from day to day, declare that the Kingdom of Sardinia and the parts of the duchy of Milan ceded to the same king are fully comprehended in the cessions made by the Catholic King [Philip V of Spain] by means of his renunciation of the kingdoms and states previously belonging to the Spanish monarchy…

"For which reason they obligate themselves anew, as they acknowledge themselves to be already obligated by the terms of the abovementioned London treaties, to provide a surety or guarantee of the disposition made of the said kingdom of Sardinia and the said parts of the duchy of Milan in favor of the king of Sardinia, and they engage themselves to wish to maintain and defend the aforementioned Majesty of the king of Sardinia in the possession of the said kingdom and the said parts against all force and disturbance that could be brought to bear against him or his successors against the terms of the aforesaid treaties, under the pretext of nullity or of some defect in the said renunciations. This instrument of guarantee, for its greater strength, will be duly confirmed by the ratifications of His Royal Majesty of Great Britain [George I] and His Most Christian Royal Majesty [King Louis XV], and the records of ratification will be delivered within the space of six weeks, or sooner if possible, to the king of Sardinia's legate in Paris.

"In witness whereof we the undersigned plenipotentiary ministers of His Royal Majesty of Great Britain and His Most Christian Royal Majesty, supplied with sufficient mandates for this purpose, have signed two copies of this instrument and validated them with our seals. Done at Versailles on the twenty-seventh / sixteenth day of the month of August of the year one thousand seven hundred twenty-two. Whitworth [seal] Fleuriau de Morville {seal] We, having seen and weighed the above instrument of guarantee, have approved the same in all and each of its articles and clauses and have held it to be ratified and confirmed, as by this document we approve the same and hold it to be ratified and confirmed, for Ourselves and Our heirs and successors…"

The Kings of Sardinia: Victor Amadeus II of Savoy (ruled 1720-1730), Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy (1730-1773), Victor Amadeus III of Savoy (1773-1796), Charles Emmanuel IV of Savoy (1796-1802), Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy (1802-1821), Charles Felix of Savoy (1821-1831), Charles Albert of Savoy (1831-1849), and Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy (1849-1861) when he assumed the title King of Italy (1861-1878), succeeded by Umberto I (1878-1900), Victor Emmanuel III (1900-1946), and Umberto II (1946) who acceded to the throne of Italy after his father abdicated. In a June 2, 1946, referendum, a decisive majority of Italians voted to make Italy a Republic. Umberto II reigned from May 9, 1946 until June 12, 1946, when the monarchy of the House of Savoy formally ended after 226 years.

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