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The main branch of the Bourbon family dates back to the 8th century AD. From this date, the Bourbon dynasty, through a series of marriages, power struggles, battles, strong leadership and alliances, managed to secure over centuries rule over the kingdoms of France, Spain and the Two Sicilies. Following the 1975 restoration of the Spanish monarchy, the Bourbons of Spain reigned again, yet in today’s Italy, whilst not ruling,...
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Having conquered Naples, Prince Carlo was obliged to cede Parma and Piacenza to Austria in return for being recognised as King of his new kingdom. King Carlo (left) did not disappoint his subjects. He turned around years of ineffective vice-regal rule and exploitation by its Spanish and Austrian overlords, and within a short time he paid off the national debt, created a surplus, and reduced taxation. His kingdom fortunately did not take up a policy sons of the Catholic...
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Before King Carlo departed Naples to ascend the Spanish Throne, he abdicated the Crowns of Naples and Sicily in favour of his third-born son, Prince Ferdinando. Shortly beforehand, King Carlo issued a Pragmatic (left) declaring that henceforth any prince entitled to a place in the Spanish succession could not simultaneously lay claim the Crown of the Two Sicilies, or a place in the succession to that Crown.This law served to forever...
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King Ferdinando IV of Naples and Sicily ascended the Throne at the age of eight (left). A Regency was established and led by the country’s Prime Minister, Bernardo Tanucci and the young monarch’s uncle, the Prince of San Nicandro. Born in Naples on 12 January 1751, the son of King Carlo of Bourbon and Queen Maria Amalia Walburga of Saxony, King Ferdinando went on to reign for 66 years. Until his coming of age, the Regency of Prime Minister Tanucci ran the kingdom in close...
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In 1796 the young Napoleon Bonaparte (left) began his invasion and gradual conquest of most of the territories belonging to the pre-unification Italian States. Napoleon was met just about everywhere by ferocious public resistance who rose up to defend the Church and their Catholic faith as well as their lawful sovereigns and governments. In February 1798, the revolutionary armies invaded the Papal States forcing Pope Pius VI (below right) to seek the protection of King...
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By the time of Emperor Napoleon’s final defeat and following the Congress of Vienna of 1815, the whole of Europe had began a new phase of its history known as the ‘Restoration’.In 1816, the Bourbon rule of the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily were amalgamated to form the new Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Thus King Ferdinando IV of Naples and Sicily became King Ferdinando I of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In 1816, the Bourbon rule of the kingdom of Naples...
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In 1825 King Ferdinando’s son succeeded to the Throne of the Two Sicilies as King Francesco (Francis) I (left). His reign however turned out to be little more than an interregnum as he died five years later. Born in Naples on 14 August 1777, Prince Francesco became Heir Apparent and Duke of Calabria in 1778, on the death of his elder brother. In 1797 he married Archduchess Maria Cristina of Austria, daughter of Emperor Leopold I of Austria. Princess Maria Cristina gave...
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The eldest son of King Francesco I and Queen Maria Isabella, Prince Ferdinando was born in Palermo, Sicily, on 12 January 1810 and died in Caserta on 22 May 1859 aged only 49. In 1825 he became heir apparent with the title of Duke of Calabria and after the departure of the Austrian forces from the Kingdom in 1827, he was appointed as Captain General of the Army. On his accession to the Throne in 1830, King Ferdinando II (left) immediately replaced key ministers, reduced the...
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The revolutionary element was strongest at first in the island of Sicily and at the beginning of the 1848 King Ferdinando’s troops were unable to suppress the uprising. The revolution in Sicily was followed by an uprising on the mainland, as radicals, backed by students, demanded a constitution. The King agreed to grant one but far from making the situation more stable, it led to anarchy. In May 1848 a revolt broke out in Naples and the king had no option but to retaliate...
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The ultimate crisis of the kingdom grew ever nearer when the Throne past from the resolute and dynamic King Ferdinando to his shy and gentle twenty three year old son, Francesco (Francis) II (left). The opponents of the Bourbons immediately changed their tactics from the denigration of King Ferdinando to the mockery of his son. Francesco II was to be last King of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Under his reign, the Kingdom was invaded first by the Garibaldian army, then by...
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Once the King and Queen departed they were deprived, without justification, of their personal assets by the newly founded Savoy-led Kingdom of Italy causing them to live a modest and peaceful life. In exile first in Rome, the King and Queen were the guests of Pope Piux IX (left) who did so no doubt recalling the hospitality he had received in Gaeta from 1848-1850, and his predecessor Pope Pius VI in 1798. The King and Queen were first housed directly by the Holy Father before...
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Prince Alfonso of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, Duke of Castro, became the Head of the Royal Family of Bourbon Two Sicilies and the focal point of Neapolitan legitimists in 1894 on the death of his elder half-brother, King Francesco II. Throughout his time as the head of the dynasty, the Count of Caserta continued his Family’s protests at the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to the Kingdom of Italy. Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta, was also fully...
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On 28 May 1934 Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta, and Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies since 1894, died. Prince Alfonso was immediately succeeded as Head of the Royal House by his son, Prince Ferdinando Pio of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, (de jure, Ferdinando III) (left). Prince Ferdinando Pio had earlier succeeded to the Grand Mastership of the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House by order and letter of his father, Prince Alfonso, dated 27 December...
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Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro, (de jure, Ranieri I) (left) became universally known as Head of the Royal Family and Grand Master of the dynastic Orders of Knighthood in 1960 following the death of his father, Prince Ferdinando Pio. Prince Ranieri took the title of Duke of Castro, which is usually afforded to the head of the family. Born in Cannes, France, on 3 December 1883, he too served in the Royal Spanish Army and in 1923 he married his cousin Countess Carolina...
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Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro, died on 13 January 1973 at his home, Saint-Sauver Castle. Some years earlier in 1966, Prince Ranieri had passed all his functions as Grand Master of the dynastic orders of the Royal House to his son HRH Prince Ferdinando, (de jure, Ferdinando IV), Duke of Castro and Head of the Royal Family of the Bourbon of the Two Sicilies.His late Royal Highness was born in Podzamcze, Poland, on 28 March 1926 and was the first member of the Royal Family to...
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In 2008 on the death of his father, HRH Prince Carlo Maria, Duke of Calabria, succeeded his father as Duke of Castro, and Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Siclies. On his succession Prince Carlo who had previously served as Grand Prefect of the dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies became Grand Master.The Duke and Duchess of Castro play an active role in the day-to-day activities of the dynastic orders and their representation at home and abroad...
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1. King Carlo di Borbone, King of Naples and Sicily (ruled 1731-1759)2. King Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies (1759-1825)3. King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies (1825-1830)4. King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies (1830-1859)5. King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies (1859-1894)6. Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta, later Duke of Castro (1894-1931)7. Prince Ferdinando Pio, Duke of Castro (1931-1960)8. Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro (1960-1966)9. HRH Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke...
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1. HRH Prince Antonio of Bourbon Two Sicilies (1929)
2. HRH Prince Francesco of Bourbon Two Sicilies (1960)
3. HRH Prince Gennaro of Bourbon Two Sicilies (1966)
4. HRH Prince Casimiro of Bourbon Two Sicilies (1938)
5. HRH Prince Luigi of Bourbon Two Sicilies (1970)
6. HRH Prince Alessandro of Bourbon Two Sicilies (1974)
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