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Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma was the titular Duke of Parma from 1939 until his death in 1950. As he was mentally disabled, his younger brother Elia served as regent.

Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma source: Wikipedia

Prince Giuseppe was the third son of Roberto I, the last reigning Duke of Parma, and his first wife, Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He was born in Biarritz, France on June 30, 1875. He had 11 siblings:

  • Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870 – 1899), married Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria (later Tsar), had four children including Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria,
  • Ferdinando, Prince of Piacenza (born and died 1871 ), died in infancy
  • Princess Luisa Maria of Bourbon-Parma (1872 – 1943), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Enrico, Titular Duke of Parma (1873 – 1939), unmarried, mentally disabled, his brother Elias took up the role as regent and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Parma (1874 – 1914), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma (1876 – 1959), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (1877 – 1915), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Parma (1879 – 1946), married Count Pietro Lucchesi-Palli, had four children
  • Elias, Titular Duke of Parma (1880 – 1959), married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, had eight children, from 1907 to 1950, he served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers, Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Anastasia of Bourbon-Parma (born and died 1881), died in infancy
  • Prince Augusto of Bourbon-Parma (stillborn 1882)

He also had 12 siblings from his father’s second marriage to Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal:

Giuseppe succeeded his elder brother, Enrico, as titular Duke of Parma and head of the house. However, a few months after their father’s death in 1907, Giuseppe and five of his siblings were all declared legally incompetent due to their mental disabilities. His younger brother, Elia, became guardian of the six siblings, and served as regent during the tenure of both Enrico and Giuseppe.

Unmarried and childless, Giuseppe died on January 7, 1950 in Pianore, near Lucca, Italy. As he was unmarried and had no children, he was succeeded as titular Duke of Parma by his brother Elia.

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Duchy of Parma Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma was the titular Duke of Parma from 1907 until his death in 1939. As he was mentally disabled, his younger brother Elia served as regent.

Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma, Titular Duke of Parma – source: Wikipedia

Prince Enrico was the second son of Roberto I, the last reigning Duke of Parma, and his first wife, Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He was born at Wartegg Castle in Rorschach, Switzerland on June 13, 1873. He had 11 siblings:

  • Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870 – 1899), married Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria (later Tsar), had four children including Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria,
  • Ferdinando, Prince of Piacenza (born and died 1871 ), died in infancy
  • Princess Luisa Maria of Bourbon-Parma (1872 – 1943), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Parma (1874 – 1914), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Giuseppe, Titular Duke of Parma (1875 – 1950), unmarried, mentally disabled, his brother Elias continued his role as regent and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma (1876 – 1959), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (1877 – 1915), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Parma (1879 – 1946), married Count Pietro Lucchesi-Palli, had four children
  • Elias, Titular Duke of Parma (1880 – 1959), married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, had eight children, from 1907 to 1950, he served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers, Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Anastasia of Bourbon-Parma (born and died 1881), died in infancy
  • Prince Augusto of Bourbon-Parma (stillborn 1882)

He also had 12 siblings from his father’s second marriage to Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal:

Enrico, as the oldest surviving son, succeeded his father Roberto I as titular Duke of Parma and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma. Just a few months later, at the request of Roberto’s second wife, Enrico and several of his full siblings were declared legally incompetent due to their mental disabilities. Enrico’s younger brother, Elia, became guardian of the six siblings, and took on the role of Head of House and served as regent during Enrico’s tenure.

Unmarried and childless, Enrico died on November 16, 1939, at the Villa Borbone (link in Italian) in Viareggio, Kingdom of Italy. He was buried in the chapel at the Villa Borbone in Viareggio, Italy. He was succeeded as titular Duke of Parma by his brother Giuseppe, who was also mentally disabled. Their younger brother Elia once again served as regent.

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Duchy of Parma Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro

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 Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro is one of the current claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and pretender to the throne of the former kingdom. He succeeded his father in 2008.

Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro; photo: By Rereader1996 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84255835

Prince Carlo Maria Bernardo Gennaro was born on February 24, 1963 in Saint-Raphaël, Var, France, the only son of Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and Chantal de Chevron-Villette. He has two older sisters:

Prince Carlo was educated in France at the Institute of the Marist Fathers in Toulon, the College Stanislas in Nice, and the Universite Internationale Libre in Paris. Following university, he worked for several years managing a public relations firm in New York City. Upon returning to Europe, he worked with several large Italian companies.

Carlos’s wife  Camilla Crociani – photo: Par ImperialArchivesRU — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113754227

On October 13, 1998 in Monaco, Prince Carlo married Camilla Crociani, daughter of Camillo Crociani and Edy Vessel, an Italian actress. The couple have two daughters:

  • Princess Maria Carolina, Duchess of Palermo (2003)
  • Princess Maria Chiara, Duchess of Capri (2005)

Upon his father’s death in 2008, Carlo succeeded him as one of the claimants to the former throne and headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, along with his distant cousin, Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria.

Six years later, in January 2014, the two branches of the house signed an Act of Reconciliation, ending over 50 years of feuding. Both branches agreed to work toward overcoming the “obstacles which stand in the way of peace and family harmony.” There was no mention of which branch was the rightful claimant to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Prince Carlo and Prince Pedro (who succeeded his father Infante Carlos in 2015), continued to work toward reconciliation, but an announcement by Prince Carlo in 2016 put an end to their efforts.

On May 14, 2016, Prince Carlo announced that, as he had no male heirs, he was changing the rules of succession to allow his elder daughter to succeed him. Prince Pedro objected as it was in direct conflict with the laws and rules of the former Kingdom of Two Sicilies. This declaration seems to have ended any attempts at reconciliation between the two branches of the family,

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro

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 of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, was a claimant to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and the former throne of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, from 1973 until his death in 2008.

Prince Ferdinando Maria Andrea Alfonso Marcus was born in Podzamcze, Poland on May 28, 1926, the only son of Prince Ranieri of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and Countess Maria Carolina Zamoyska. He had one older sister, Princess Maria del Carmen, born in 1924.

On July 23, 1949, in Giez, Switzerland, Prince Ferdinando married Chantal de Chevron-Villette. The couple had three children:

  • Princess Beatrice (1950) – married Prince Charles Bonaparte, had issue
  • Princess Anne (1957) – married Baron Jacques Cochin, had issue
  • Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro (1963) – married Camilla Crociani, had issue

Ferdinando’s father became one of the claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Parma in 1960. Ferdinando succeeded him in 1973, although he had assumed the functions of the position in 1966.

Prince Ferdinando died in Draguignan, France on March 20, 2008, and was succeeded by his only son, Prince Carlo.

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Ranieri of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro

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 Ranieri of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was one of two claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and the throne of the former Kingdom of Two Sicilies, from 1960-1973.

source: Wikipedia

Prince Ranieri Maria Benito Giuseppe Labaro Gaetano Francesco Saverio Barbara Niccolo was born in Cannes, France on December 3, 1883, a younger son of Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta and Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He had 11 siblings:

Countess Maria Carolina Zamoyska. source: Wikipedia

On September 12, 1923, in Slovakia, Prince Ranieri married his first cousin, Countess Maria Carolina Zamoyska. She was the daughter of Count Andrzej Zamoyski and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The couple had two children:

The death of Ranieri’s eldest brother, Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in 1960 brought about the current dispute over the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. As Ferdinando Pio 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. However, Prince Ranieri claimed that 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.

Prince Ranieri died in France on January 13, 1973. He is buried in the Cimetière du Grand Jas, in Cannes.

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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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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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty