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:

• Princess Maria della Neve Adelaide of Bourbon-Parma (1885 – 1959), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
• Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma (1886 – 1934), married Hedwige de La Rochefoucauld, had one daughter
• Xavier, Titular Duke of Parma (1889 – 1977), married Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset, had six children including Carlos Hugo, Titular Duke of Parma who married and divorced Princess Irene of the Netherlands, the Carlist claimants to the Spanish throne descend through this line
• Princess Francesca of Bourbon-Parma (1890 – 1978), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
• Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma (1892 – 1989), married Karl I, Emperor of Austria, had eight children
• Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma (1893 – 1970), married Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, had six children including Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg
• Prince René of Bourbon-Parma (1894 – 1962), married Princess Margrethe of Denmark, had four children including Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma who married King Michael I of Romania
• Princess Maria Antonia of Bourbon-Parma (1895 – 1937), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
• Princess Isabella of Bourbon-Parma (1898 – 1984), unmarried
• Prince Luigi of Bourbon-Parma (1899 – 1967), married Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy, had four children
• Princess Enrichetta of Bourbon-Parma (1903 – 1987), unmarried, hearing disabled
• Prince Gaetano of Bourbon-Parma (1905 – 1958), married and divorced Princess Margarete of Thurn and Taxis, had one daughter

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

• Duchy of Parma Index

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