Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta

Prince Alfonso
Count of Caserta
Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Reign 27 December 1894 – 26 May 1934
Predecessor Francis II
Successor Prince Ferdinand Pius
Born (1841-03-28)28 March 1841
Caserta, Two Sicilies
Died 26 May 1934(1934-05-26) (aged 93)
Cannes, France
Burial Cimetière du Grand Jas, Cannes
Spouse Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Issue Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of Calabria
Prince Carlos
Prince Francesco di Paola
Princess Maria Immacolata
Princess Maria Cristina
Princess Maria di Grazia
Princess Maria Giuseppina
Prince Gennaro
Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro
Prince Filippo
Prince Francesco d'Assisi
Prince Gabriel
Full name
Italian: Alfonso Maria Giuseppe Alberto
House House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Father Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Mother Maria Theresa of Austria
Religion Roman Catholic

Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta (28 March 1841 – 26 May 1934) was the third son of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.

He was pretender to the throne of the Two Sicilies in succession of his older half-brother, Francis II of the Two Sicilies. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Ferdinand Pius.

Heir to the throne

Born in Caserta, Alfonso was the fourth-in-line heir to the throne of Two Sicilies since the time of his birth. Ahead of him in line were his older half-brother Francis and older brothers Prince Louis, Count of Trani and Prince Alberto, Count of Castrogiovanni.

On 12 July 1844, Alberto died. He was two months short of his fifth birthday and naturally childless. Alfonso became the third-in-line heir.

On 22 May 1859, Ferdinand II died. Francis became King but had no children yet from his wife Maria Sophie of Bavaria. Louis became his Heir Presumptive and Alfonso the second-in-line heir to their half-brother.

However the Two Sicilies were conquered by the Expedition of the Thousand under Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1861. Garibaldi served the Kingdom of Sardinia which was in the process of Italian unification. The deposed Royal House survived with Francis still at its head.

On 8 June 1886, Louis died. His only daughter Princess Maria Teresa was not in line for the throne because females were barred from succession. Alfonso became the heir presumptive to Francis who had survived his own daughter.

On 27 December 1894, Francis II died. Alfonso became the Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He died at Cannes in 1934.

Marriage and issue

Alfonso was married to his cousin, Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (16 March 1851 – 12 September 1938) on 8 June 1868. She was a daughter of Prince Francis, Count of Trapani and his wife Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria, Princess of Tuscany.

Her paternal grandparents were Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Isabella of Spain. Her maternal grandparents were Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his second wife Maria Antonietta of the Two Sicilies.

Maria Isabella was a daughter of Charles IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. Maria Antonietta was another daughter of Francis I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Isabella of Spain.

They had twelve children.[1]

∞ Princess Maria Ludwiga Theresia of Bavaria, daughter of Ludwig III of Bavaria. This marriage produced six children.
∞ Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, daughter of Alfonso XII of Spain. This marriage produced three issue.
∞ Princess Louise of Orléans, daughter of Prince Philippe of Orléans, Count of Paris. This marriage produced four children.
∞ Prince Johann Georg of Saxony, son of George of Saxony. This marriage produced no issue.
∞ Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria, Prince of Tuscany, son of Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany. This marriage produced four children.
∞ Prince Luiz Maria of Orléans-Braganza, son of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil. This marriage produced three children.
∞ Beatrice Bordessa, Countess of Villa Colli. This marriage produced no issue.
∞ Countess Maria Carolina Zamoyska, daughter of Andrzej Przemysław Zamoyski, Count Zamoyski. This marriage produced two children.
∞ Princess Marie Louise of Orléans, daughter of Prince Emmanuel of Orléans, Duke of Vendôme. This marriage produced one child.
∞ Odette Labori. This marriage produced no issue.
∞ Princess Malgorzata Izabella Czartoryska, daughter of Prince Adam Ludwik Czartoryski. This marriage produced one child.
∞ Princess Cecylia Lubomirska, daughter of Prince Kasimierz Lubomirski.[2][3] This marriage produced four children.

Arms

Ancestry

Notes

  1. ↑ at www.borbone-due-sicilie.org
  2. ↑ Worldroots.com at worldroots.com
  3. ↑ Lundy, Darryl. "p. 11223 § 112223 - Person Page 11223". The Peerage.

References

Media related to Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta at Wikimedia Commons

Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta
Cadet branch of the House of Bourbon
Born: 28 March 1841 Died: 26 May 1934
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
Francis II		 — TITULAR —
King of the Two Sicilies
27 December 1894 – 26 May 1934
Reason for succession failure:
Italian Unification under the House of Savoy		 Succeeded by
Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of Calabria
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