This the King declined to do in the way that was pointed out to him, rightly considering that such a course would play into the hands of the French by lowering his own dignity and the prestige of Prussia.

Moreover, he, rather illogically, held the whole matter to be primarily one that affected the Hohenzollern family and Spain.

The young prince, however, on hearing of the drift of events, solved the problem by declaring his intention not to accept the Crown of Spain (July 12).

The action was spontaneous, emanating from Prince Leopold and his father Prince Antony, not from the Prussian monarch, though, on hearing of their decision, he informed Benedetti that he entirely approved it.
If the French Government had really wished for peace, it would have let the matter end there.

But it did not do so.