| Prince René of Bourbon-Parma | |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Princess Margaret of Denmark |
| Issue | |
| Prince Jacques Anne, Queen of Romania Prince Michel Prince André |
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| Full name | |
| Italian: René Carlo Maria Guiseppe di Borbone | |
| House | House of Bourbon-Parma |
| Father | Robert I, Duke of Parma |
| Mother | Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal |
| Born | 17 October 1894 Schwarzau am Steinfeld |
| Died | 30 July 1962 (aged 67) Copenhagen |
Prince René of Bourbon-Parma (17 October 1894 – 30 July 1962) was the seventh surviving son of Robert I, Duke of Parma, and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal.[1] He is the father of Queen Anne of Romania, the wife of Michael I, former King of Romania.
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Prince Rene's mother was Duke Robert's second wife Princess Maria Antonia, a daughter of the exiled King Miguel I of Portugal. By his father's first and second marriages, Rene had over fifteen siblings. Two of the most famous included Empress Zita of Austria and Prince Felix, the consort of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
Prince Rene was born in Schwarzau am Steinfeld.[1] He was raised in Austria.[2]
On 9 June 1921, Prince René married Princess Margaret of Denmark in Copenhagen.[1] She was a daughter of Prince Valdemar of Denmark (himself a younger son of Christian IX of Denmark) by his wife Princess Marie of Orléans. Though her father was a Lutheran, Margaret had been raised in her mother's Catholic faith.[3] Her parents had agreed before the marriage that all their sons would be raised as Lutherans, their father's religion, and that all their daughters would be raised Roman Catholic.
The couple had four children:
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Jacques of Bourbon-Parma | 9 June 1922[4] | 5 November 1964 (aged 42) | married 1947 to Birgitte Alexandra Maria, comtess of Holstein-Ledreborg (1922–2009); had issue |
| Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma | 18 September 1923 | married king Michael I of Romania; has issue | |
| Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma | 4 March 1926 | married 1st, Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel; 5 children & 2nd, Princess Maria Pia of Savoy; no issue | |
| Prince André of Bourbon-Parma | 6 March 1928 | 1 October 2011 (aged 83) | married 1960 to Marina Gacry; had issue |
Prince Rene was a French citizen. A few weeks before the birth of their first child, Rene and his wife traveled to Paris a few weeks in order to ensure he was born on French soil.[4] The birth was witnessed by Rene's three brothers.[4]
Near the beginning of World War II, René traveled to Finland, deciding to volunteer for service with the Finnish army.[5] Later in the war, Rene and his family fled to the United States.[6]
The family was relatively poor. They chiefly resided in France. In 1939 the family fled from the Nazis and escaped to Spain. From there they went to Portugal and then to the United States.
In 1953, Prince Rene was halted by irate motorists for driving while intoxicated, according to a police statement.[7] As a result, Frederick IX of Denmark forbade Rene from driving an automobile in Denmark for a year. Frederick apparently told Rene to find someone else to drive him if the Prince desired to travel somewhere within the year.[7]
In 1964, Rene's eldest son, Prince Jacques, was killed. He was a motor sport enthusiast, and died in a traffic accident on a highway in Denmark.[8] Rene himself died on 30 July 1962 at the age of 67.[1]
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