Author Archives: Scott

Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Since 2015, Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is one of the current claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. The other is his distant cousin, Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.

Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria; By Pascuamayo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=135472974

Prince Pedro Juan Maria Alejo Saturnino de Todos los Santos de Bourbon-Dos Sicilias y Orleans was born in Madrid on October 16, 1968. He is the only son of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria and Princess Anne of Orléans. Pedro has four sisters:

  • Princess Cristina (1966) – married Pedro López-Quesada y Fernández-Urrutia, had issue
  • Princess María (1967) – married Archduke Simeon of Austria, had issue
  • Princess Inès (1971) – married Michele Carrelli Palombi dei Marchesi di Raiano, had issue
  • Princess Victoria (1976) – married Markos Nomikos, had issue

On March 30, 2001 in Madrid, Prince Pedro married Sofía Landaluce y Melgarejo. She is the daughter of José Manuel Landaluce y Dominguez and Maria de las Nieves Blanca Melgarejo y González. The couple have seven children:

  • Prince Jaime, Duke of Noto (1992) – married Lady Charlotte Lindesay-Bethune
  • Prince Juan (2003)
  • Prince Pablo (2004)
  • Prince Pedro (2007)
  • Princess Sofia (2008)
  • Princess Blanca (2011)
  • Princess Maria (2015)

The Duke of Calabria has worked as an agricultural and forestry engineer, and manages the family’s estate, La Toledana, in Retuerta del Bullaque, Spain. He also manages other farms and forest land through his company, Agrocinegetica Borbon, SL. He has served as President of the Royal Council of Military Orders since 2014, having been appointed by his third-cousin King Felipe VI of Spain. He also holds positions with numerous charitable organizations, including:

  • President, Foundation for the Protection of Nature
  • President, Foundation Lux Hispaniarum
  • President, Foundation of the Hospital of Santiago de Cuenca
  • Patron, Foundation of Commanderies of Santiago
  • Vice President, Delegation of the Community of Castilla-La Mancha

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Prince Carlos, known as Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria, was one of the claimants to the disputed headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, from 1964 until his death in 2015.

source: Wikipedia

Prince Carlos Maria Alfonso Marcelo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was born on January 16, 1938 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the only son of Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria and Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma. He had two sisters:

  • Princess Teresa, Duchess of Salerno (1937) – married Íñigo Moreno y Arteaga, Marquess of Laserna, had issue
  • Princess Inés, Duchess of Syracuse (1940) – married Luis de Morales y Aguado, had issue

Carlos grew up close with his second cousin, the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain. They attended schools together in Switzerland and Spain, and later attended university together as well. They remained very close and were considered part of the extended Spanish Royal Family.

Embed from Getty Images

Carlos first met his wife, Princess Anne of Orléans, in 1961 at his elder sister’s wedding in Madrid. They met again a year later and the wedding of Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia of Greece and a relationship began. However, Anne’s father, Henri, Count of Paris, disagreed with Carlos’s father’s claim to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He, instead, supported the claim of Prince Ranieri of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The dispute revolved around whether Carlos’s grandfather had renounced his rights upon his marriage to the Spanish Princess of Asturias. Henri based his support for Ranieri on his own claim to the French throne on a similar renunciation from Philippe, Duke of Anjou, in 1713. Thus, the Count of Paris refused to consent to the marriage.

It wasn’t until after Carlos’s father’s death in 1964, that Carlos finally convinced the Count of Paris to give his blessing, although he still refused to support Carlo’s claim to the headship of the former royal house. Finally, the couple were married in a civil ceremony on May 11, 1965 and Louveciennes, with a religious ceremony the next day at the Chapelle royale de Dreux. Carlos and Anne went on to have five children:

  • Princess Cristina (1966) – married Pedro López-Quesada y Fernández-Urrutia, had issue
  • Princess María (1967) – married Archduke Simeon of Austria, had issue
  • Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria (1968) – married Sofía Landaluce y Melgarejo, had issue
  • Princess Inès (1971) – married Michele Carrelli Palombi dei Marchesi di Raiano, had issue
  • Princess Victoria (1976) – married Markos Nomikos, had issue

Carlos succeeded his father as Duke of Calabria in 1964, and claimed the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The Senior (Calabrian) Line is considered by most to be the rightful heirs. In 1994, he was created Infante of Spain by King Juan Carlos.

Embed from Getty Images

Infante Carlos died in Retuerta del Bullaque, Spain on October 5, 2015. His remains were placed in El Escorial where they will eventually be interred in the Pantheon of Princes. He was succeeded as Duke of Calabria by his son Pedro. Carlos was the last male Infante of Spain.

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Alfonso of Two-Sicilies, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria was one of the claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and the former throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies from 1960 until his death in 1964.

 

source: Wikipedia

Alfonso was born in Madrid on November 30, 1901, the eldest child of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, and María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias. His mother was heiress-presumptive to her younger brother, King Alfonso XIII of Spain. He had two younger siblings:

Alfonso also had four half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Princess Louise of Orléans:

Upon his mother’s death in 1904, Alfonso became heir-presumptive to the Spanish throne, although he was not given the traditional title of Prince of Asturias. This ended in 1907 when the King and his wife had their first son, also named Alfonso.

Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma. source: Wikipedia

Alfonso married Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma on April 16, 1936 at the Minoritenkirche in Vienna, Austria. Alicia was the daughter of Elia, Duke of Parma and Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. The couple had three children:

  • Princess Teresa, Duchess of Salerno (1937) – married Íñigo Moreno y Arteaga, Marquess of Laserna, had issue
  • Prince Carlos, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria (1938) – married Princess Anne of Orléans, had issue
  • Princess Inés, Duchess of Syracuse (1940) – married Luis de Morales y Aguado, had issue

Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria died in Madrid on February 3, 1964. As an Infante of Spain, his remains were placed in El Escorial, the traditional burial site of the Spanish royal family. He will eventually be interred in the Pantheon of Princes.

When Prince Ferdinando Pio died in 1960, a dispute began over the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. As he had no surviving sons, it should have passed to the descendants of his younger brother, Prince Carlo, who had died in 1949. Thus, Prince Alfonso claimed to be the rightful head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. This was challenged by another brother of Ferdinando Pio, Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro. The primary issue of the dispute is whether Carlo had renounced his rights of succession when he married the Spanish heiress-presumptive, Maria de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, in 1901. At the time, Carlo became a Spanish subject and was made an Infante of Spain. Prince Ranieri interpreted this as a renunciation of any claims to the throne of Two Sicilies, thus making him the rightful heir. However, Infante Alfonso argued that the renunciation would have only taken effect if Mercedes had ascended to the Spanish throne.

The dispute continues today, with two branches of the family claiming to be the rightful heir and Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies:

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Ferdinando Pio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Prince Ferdinando Pio, Duke of Calabria was Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne from 1934 until he died in 1960. His death brought about a dispute between two branches of his extended family, both claiming to be the rightful heir and thus head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Prince Ferdinando Pio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria source: Wikipedia

Prince Ferdinando Pio Maria, was born in Rome on July 25, 1869, the eldest child of Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta and Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He had 11 younger siblings:

Princess Maria Ludwiga of Bavaria. source: Wikipedia

On May 31, 1897 in Munich, Ferdinando Pio married Princess Maria Ludwiga Theresia of Bavaria. She was a daughter of King Ludwig III of Bavaria and Maria Theresia of Austria-Este. The couple settled in Munich, and had six children:

  • Princess Maria Antonietta (1898) – unmarried
  • Princess Maria Christina (1899) – married Dr. Don Manuel Sotomayor y Luna, no issue
  • Prince Ruggero, Duke of Noto (1901) – died in childhood
  • Princess Barbara (1902) – married Count Franz Xavier of Stolberg-Wernigerode, had issue
  • Princess Lucia (1908) – married Eugenio di Savoia-Genova, Duke of Genova, had issue
  • Princess Urraca (1913) – unmarried

After the Bavarian Monarchy was abolished in 1918, Ferdinando Pio and his family settled at Villa Amsee in Lindau, where he would live the remainder of his life.  Upon his father’s death in May 1934, Ferdinando Pio became pretender to the former throne and Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. At this time, he took the title Duke of Calabria, the traditional title of the Head of the House.

grave of Ferdinando Pio and his wife. photo: By Flo Sorg – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26567819

The Duke of Calabria died at Villa Amsee on January 7, 1960. He was buried at the Filialkirche St. Peter und Paul in Rieden, Swabia, Germany.

His death brought about the current dispute over the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. As he had no surviving sons, it should have passed to the descendants of his younger brother, Prince Carlo, who had died in 1949. Carlo’s son, Infante Alfonso of Spain, claimed to be the rightful heir. The second claimant was Ferdinando Pio’s younger brother, Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro. The primary issue of the dispute is whether Carlo had renounced his rights of succession when he married the Spanish heiress-presumptive, Maria de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, in 1901. At the time, Carlo became a Spanish and was made an Infante of Spain. Prince Ranieri interpreted this as a renunciation of any claims to the throne of Two Sicilies, thus making him the rightful heir. However, Infante Alfonso argued that the renunciation would have only taken effect if Mercedes had ascended to the Spanish throne.

The dispute continues today, with two branches of the family claiming to be the rightful heir and Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies:

  • The Senior Line (Calabrian) – descended from Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
  • The Junior Line (Castrian) – descended from Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Sigismund of Habsburg-Lorraine, Archduke of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Sigismund of Habsburg-Lorraine is the current Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany. He holds the courtesy titles of Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany.

photo by SigismondoAL — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=105626406

Sigismund was born in Lausanne on April 21, 1966, the elder son of Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria and Laetitia de Belzunce d’Arenberg. He has one younger brother:

  • Gontran (1967) – married Debora de Sola, had issue

He was raised in Switzerland, Uruguay and the United Kingdom, and later studied computer science and worked in the banking industry. In 1993, his father renounced his rights as head of the house upon his second marriage. Since then, Sigismund has been the pretender to the former throne.

On September 11, 1999 in London, Sigismund married Elyssa Edmonstone, the daughter of Sir Archibald Edmonstone, 7th Baronet Duntreach and Elizabeth Deakin. The couple had three children before divorcing in 2013:

  • Leopold (2001)
  • Tatyana (2003)
  • Maximilian (2004)

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Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria was the Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany from 1984 until renouncing his rights in favor of his son in 1993.

Archduke Leopold Franz Peter Ferdinand Maria Joseph Gottfried Georg Karl Otto Rudolf Michael was born at Leutstetten Castle, near Starnberg, Bavaria, on October 25, 1942. He was the only son of Archduke Gottfried of Austria and Princess Dorothea of Bavaria. He had three sisters:

  • Archduchess Elisabeth (1939) – married Friedrich Edler von Braun, had issue
  • Archduchess Alice (1941) – married Baron Vittorio Manno, had issue
  • Archduchess Marie Antoinette (1950) – married Baron von Proff zu Irnich, had issue

Leopold Franz married Laetitia de Bezunce d’Arenberg in a civil ceremony on June 19, 1965 and religious ceremony on July 28, 1965. The couple had two children:

  • Sigismund (1966) – married Elyssa Edmonstone, had issue
  • Gontran (1967) – married Debora de Sola, had issue

He studied engineering in Munich and later lived in Uruguay from 1965 until 1973 when he moved to Austria. He and his wife divorced in 1981. Twelve years later, he married for a second time, in June 1993, to Marta Julia Perez Valverde. At that time, Leopold Franz renounced his rights as head of the House of Tuscany in favor of his son, Sigismund. The couple later divorced in 1998.

Archduke Leopold Franz died on June 23, 2021 at the age of 78.

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Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Archduke Gottfried of Austria, Pretender to the Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Archduke Gottfried of Austria was the Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany from 1948 until he died in 1984.

Archduke Gottfried of Austria as a child – source: Wikipedia

Archduke Gottfried Maria Joseph Peter Ferdinand Hubert Anton Rupert Leopold Heinrich Ignaz Alfons was born Mary 14, 1902 in Linz, Austria, the elder son of Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria and Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He had three siblings:

Gottfried was raised in Salzburg and Vienna in Austria until the family relocated to Lucerne, Switzerland at the end of World War I.

Wedding of Gottfried and Dorothea of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

Gottfried married Princess Dorothea of Bavaria in civil and religious ceremonies held on August 2 and 3, 1938 in Sárvár, Hungary. She was the daughter of Prince Franz of Bavaria and Princess Isabella Antonie of Croÿ. The couple had four children:

  • Archduchess Elisabeth (1939) – married Friedrich Edler von Braun, had issue
  • Archduchess Alice (1941) – married Baron Vittorio Manno, had issue
  • Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (1942) – married Laetitia de Bezunce d’Arenberg, had issue
  • Archduchess Marie Antoinette (1950) – married Baron von Proff zu Irnich, had issue

After World War II, Gottfried and his family settled in Sankt Gilgen, just outside Salzburg, Austria. They lived a very quiet life, despite Gottfried succeeding his father as pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany in 1948.

Archduke Gottfried died in Bad Ischl, Austria on January 21, 1984. He is buried in the parish cemetery of Sankt Gilgen, in Salzburg. Gottfried was succeeded by his only son, Archduke Leopold Franz.

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Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria, Prince of Tuscany was the Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany from 1921 until he died in 1948.

Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria – source: Wikipedia

Peter Ferdinand (Pietro Ferdinando) was born in Salzburg, Austria on May 12, 1874, the third son of Ferdinando IV, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his second wife, Princess Alicia of Parma. He had 9 siblings:

  • Archduke Leopoldo Ferdinando (1868) – married 3 times, no issue
  • Archduchess Luisa (1870) – married (1) Crown Prince Friedrich August of Saxony, had issue; (2) Enrico Toselli, had issue
  • Giuseppe Ferdinando (1872) – married (1) Rosa Kaltenbrunner, no issue; (2) Gertrude Tomanek von Beyerfels-Mondsee, had issue
  • Archduke Enrico Fernando (1878) – married Maria Ludescher, had issue
  • Archduchess Anna Maria (1879) – married Johannes, Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein, had issue
  • Archduchess Margherita (1881) – unmarried
  • Archduchess Germana (1884) – unmarried
  • Archduke Roberto Ferdinando (1885) – died in childhood
  • Archduchess Agnese (1891) – unmarried

He also had an older half-sister from his father’s first marriage to Princess Anna of Saxony:

Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. source: Wikipedia

On November 8, 1900, in Cannes, France, Peter Ferdinand married Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She was the daughter of Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta and Princess Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The couple had four children:

Pietro Ferdinando with his wife and children, c1911. source: Wikipedia

Peter Ferdinand had a long military career, quickly climbing through the ranks to become Fieldmarshal in 1914. At the beginning of World War I, he was commanding the 25th Infantry Division, fighting against Russian forces in Galicia and southern Poland. However, he was blamed for the force’s failures and was relieved of his command in June 1915. Two years later, in April 1917, he was reinstated as General of the Infantry and took command of army troops on the Italian front. He continued to command positions until the end of the war.

Archduke Peter Ferdinand died in St. Gilgen, Salzburg, Austria on November 8, 1948. He is buried in the local cemetery.

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Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria was the Pretender to the Grand Ducal Throne of Tuscany from 1908 until 1921 when he married unequally and was forced to renounce his rights.

Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria – source: Wikipedia

Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria was born in Salzburg on May 24, 1872, the second son of Ferdinando IV, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his second wife Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma. He was given the names Giuseppe Ferdinando Salvatore Maria Francesco Leopoldo Antonio Alberto Giovanni Battista Carlo Ludovico Roberto Maria Ausiliatrice. He had 9 siblings:

He also had an older half-sister from his father’s first marriage to Princess Anna of Saxony:

Giuseppe Ferdinando attended the Oberrealschule at Hranice and the Maria Theresa Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt. He was then commissioned in the Austrian military and served in various regiments. During World War I, he held several command positions but was forced to retire in June 1916 after suffering devastating losses during the Brusilov Offensive. He later served as Inspector General of the Imperial Air Force from July 1917 until September 1918.

Giuseppe Ferdinando was fascinated with aviation, especially hot air balloons. He made several attempts to incorporate both into his military service, with little success. He did, however, arrange for a balloon flight from his home in Linz, landing in Dieppe, France 16 hours later.

Giuseppe was married twice. His first marriage, on May 2, 1921, was to Rosa Kaltenbrunner. The couple divorced in 1928 with no issue. He married again on January 27, 1929 to Gertrude Tomanek von Beyerfels-Mondsee. The couple had two children:

  • Claudia von Habsburg-Lothringen (1930) – unmarried
  • Maximilian von Habsburg-Lothringen (1932) – married to Doris Williams, had issue

He had become his father’s heir in 1902 when his elder brother renounced his membership in the Imperial House to marry. Giuseppe also lost his claim to the former throne in 1921, when he also renounced his membership in the Imperial House and his claim to the throne. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Pietro Ferdinando.

In 1938, Giuseppe Ferdinando was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the Dachau Concentration Camp. After three months, he was released but remained under constant observation by the Gestapo. He settled in Vienna, where he died on August 28, 1942.

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Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Chairs of Estate and Throne Chairs

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Throne Chair of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

In addition to the Coronation Chair, used for the actual crowning of the Sovereign, there are other chairs used during the Coronation Ceremony. For the majority of the service, the Sovereign and Consort are seated in Chairs of Estate, which are placed on the south side of the sanctuary. The Sovereign is crowned in the Coronation Chair and then moves to a Throne Chair (also known as a Chair of State). After the Queen Consort is crowned, she then moves to a similar Throne Chair beside the King.

Typically, both the Chairs of Estate and Throne Chairs are made new for each coronation. However, it has been announced that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will use chairs already in the Royal Collection. They will use Chairs of Estate made for the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and Throne Chairs made for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the King’s grandparents).

Chairs of Estate

The Chair of Estate of King Charles III. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Chair of Estate of Queen Camilla. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Chairs of Estate are placed on the south side of the sanctuary, and are used by the Sovereign and Consort for the majority of the Coronation Service. For the 2023 Coronation, King Charles and Queen Camilla are using the Chairs of Estate made for the 1953 Coronation of the King’s late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Although only one was used at the 1953 Coronation, a second chair was made for Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. This is the one that will be used by Queen Camilla. Following the 1953 coronation, the Chairs of Estate were moved to Buckingham Palace, where they were displayed on the dais in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace. On either side of them were the Chairs of Estate of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and King George V and Queen Mary. Prior to the coronation of George V in 1911, it was customary that the Chairs of Estate were sold to people who had attended the event.

Throne Chairs (Chairs of State)

Throne Chair of King George VI, 1937. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The throne chairs are placed on a dais behind the Coronation Chair. Following the crowning, the Sovereign moves to the Throne Chair, where the homage is received. A second Throne Chair is located on the dais, usually one or two steps lower, for the Queen Consort.

For the 2023 Coronation, King Charles and Queen Camilla are using the Throne Chairs made for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The chairs have been updated with new material, featuring the cyphers of the new King and Queen.

Throne Chair of King Edward VII, 1902. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Throne Chair of Queen Elizabeth II (pictured at the top of this article) is displayed in the Garter Throne Room at Windsor Castle. Those of King George V and Queen Mary are at The Palace of Holyroodhouse, and those of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra are in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace.

Throne Chair of King George V, 1911. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023