The Duchy of Parma was in today’s northwest Italy and came into existence in 1545 when Pope Paul III made his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese the Duke of Parma and Piacenza, territories that previously were a part of the Papal States. The House of Farnese reigned until 1731 when the male line went extinct. The duchy passed to Felipe V, King of Spain from the Spanish House of Bourbon whose second wife Elizabeth Farnese was the Farnese heiress. Felipe V made Carlos, his eldest son with Elizabeth Farnese, the Duke of Parma. However, in 1738, Felipe V traded the Duchy of Parma to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine for the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily and Carlos became King of Naples and Sicily.
In 1748, the Duchy of Parma was ceded back to the Bourbons. Infante Felipe of Spain became Duke of Parma and was the founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a cadet branch of the Spanish House of Bourbon. In 1796, the Duchy of Parma was occupied by French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte. It remained in French hands until the defeat of Napoleon in 1814 when the duchy was given to Napoleon’s second wife, Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine. She reigned until her death in 1847 when the Duchy of Parma was restored to the House of Bourbon-Parma. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as part of the unification of Italy. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy.
Below is an indexed listing with links to biographical articles about the Bourbon-Parma royal family at Unofficial Royalty. If it says “Notable Issue” before a name, that means not all of the children for the parent of that person are listed.
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Earlier Parma Royals
- Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Queen of Spain (daughter of Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma, granddaughter of Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma)
- Carlos III, King of Spain, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, King of Naples, King of Sicily (as Carlo I, reigned 1731 – 1735)
- Isabella of Parma, Holy Roman Empress, daughter of Felipe, Infante of Spain, Duke of Parma
- Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Spain, daughter of Felipe, Infante of Spain, Duke of Parma
House of Bourbon-Parma, 1847–1859
Family of Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma
- Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma (reigned 1847 – 1849)
- Maria Teresa of Savoy, Duchess of Parma (wife of Carlo II Ludovico)
- Notable Issue: Carlo III, Duke of Parma
Family of Carlo III, Duke of Parma
- Carlo III, Duke of Parma (reigned 1849 – 1854, assassinated)
- Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma (wife of Carlo III, Regent of Parma 1854 – 1859)
- Notable Issue: Roberto I, Duke of Parma (see below)
- Notable Issue: Alicia of Bourbon-Parma, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
Family of Roberto I, Duke of Parma
- Roberto I, Duke of Parma (reigned 1854 – 1859, monarchy abolished)
- Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Parma (1st wife of Roberto I, had 12 children)
- Notable Issue: Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bulgaria
- Notable Issue: Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- Notable Issue: Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- Maria Antonia of Portugal, Duchess of Parma (2nd wife of Roberto I, had 12 children)
- Notable Issue: Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria
- Notable Issue: Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg
Other Bourbon-Parma Royals
- Anne of Bourbon-Parma, Queen of Romania (granddaughter of Roberto I, Duke of Parma)
Pretenders to the Throne
- LAST REIGNING: Roberto I, Duke of Parma
- Former: Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- Former: Prince Giuseppe of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- Former: Prince Elia of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- Former: Prince Roberto Hugo of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- Former: Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- Former: Prince Carlo Hugo of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- Current: Carlo, Prince of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma