Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
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Don Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain (Carlo Maria Francesco di Assisi Pasquale Fernando Antonio di Padova Francesco di Paola Alfonso Andrea Avelino Tancredi) (Gries, November 10th, 1870 - Seville, November 11th, 1949) was the son of Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta and Princess Antonietta of the Two Sicilies , and nephew of the last of the Bourbon kings of Naples, Francis II of the Two Sicilies.
On February 14th 1901, Don Carlos married Doña Mercedes, eldest daughter of Alfonso XII of Spain. She died young, in 1904, giving birth to their only daughter. They had three children:
- Don Alfonso, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain (1901–1964).
- Fernando (1903-1905), died in San Sebastián one year after his mother's death.
- Doña Isabella Alfonsa, Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infanta of Spain (1904-1985). Married Count Jan Zamoyski (1900-1961) and had issue.
On 1907, he remarried to Princess Louise of Orléans, daughter of Philippe, comte de Paris. The couple had four children:
- Don Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1908-1936). Killed in the Spanish Civil War.
- Doña Maria de los Dolores of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1909-1996). In 1937, she married Jozef Prince Czartoryski (1907-1946) and had one surviving son, Adam. She remarried to Carlos Chias on 1950.
- Doña Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1910-2000) who married Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and became the mother of current reining King Juan Carlos I of Spain.
- Maria de la Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1914-2005), who married Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza.
Prince Carlos's descendants include the King of Spain (King Juan Carlos), the present Duke of Calabria (Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria) and the present Brazilian Royal Family.
In 1894, his father Alfonso became the Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. On marrying his first wife, Don Carlos renounced his rights of succession over the then-inexistent Crown of Two Sicilies on December 14th, 1900, and was created Infante of Spain on February 7th, 1901. However, on 1960, his older brother Ferdinando died without male issue, and his son Don Alfonso reclaimed his rights. However, his younger brother Ranieri objected and also claimed rights based on Carlo's 1900 renouncement. The dispute is still not resolved. While most royal houses in Europe recognize the claim of Ranieri's descendants, the Spanish Royal House recognizes the claim of Carlo's descendants.
