Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma

There is an earlier Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma who was a Belgian army officer in the First World War.
Prince Sixtus Henry
Duke of Aranjuez
Full name
Sixte Henri Hugues François Xavier
House House of Bourbon-Parma
Father Xavier, Duke of Parma
Mother Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset
Born 22 July 1940
Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France

Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma (Spanish: Don Sixto Enrique de Borbón-Parma y Borbón-Busset; Italian: Sisto Enrico di Borbone Parma; born 22 July 1940) is considered Regent of Spain by some Carlists who accord him the titles Duke of Aranjuez, Infante of Spain, and Standard-bearer of Tradition.

Early life

Parmese Ducal Family

Sixtus was born in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France, the second son of Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma (then Prince Regent, later pretender to the throne of Spain and Duke of Parma) and his wife Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset.[1]

From an early age Sixtus devoted himself to the cause of Carlism. He studied with the Christian Brothers, Benedictines and Marists, as well as with his preceptress, Professor María Teresa Angulo, from Madrid. He later took courses in law (at Clermont-Ferrand),[1] classical and modern languages, and finance.

Under the nom de guerre of Enrique Aranjuez he enlisted in the Spanish Foreign Legion in 1965.[1] On 2 May that year he swore loyalty to the Spanish flag with the oath then in use, which excluded political compromise (as opposed to the later one, which states fidelity to the Spanish Constitution of 1978). Sixtus later volunteered with the Portuguese Armed Forces in the Angolan War of Independence.[2]

Claim to the Carlist succession

Coat of arms used by the supporters of the Carlist claimants to the Spanish Throne with the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary adopted c.1942 by Xavier of Bourbon.

Sixtus's father, Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma, was the leader of the National Council of the Traditionalist Communion, the largest faction of Spanish Carlists, and thus claimed to be the rightful monarch of Spain (as "Javier I") from 1952 until his abdication in 1972. Xavier's successor was his oldest son, Carlos Hugo of Bourbon, Duke of Parma, who took the title "Carlos IV".[1]

However, Carlos Hugo's deviations from traditional Carlist ideology—most notably his endorsement of Titoist socialism—caused many Carlists to question his leadership.[1] After the death of Xavier in 1977, Carlos Hugo's younger brother Sixtus put forth the claim to be Regent, and took the title "Standard-bearer of Tradition". Sixtus' claim was supported by his mother;[3] his father's last wishes were difficult to discern.[4][5] Sixtus publicly protested when Carlos Hugo donated the Carlist archives to the government of Spain in 2002.

Carlos Hugo renounced his claim to the throne in 1979 or 1980, but reasserted it in 2003.[6] After his death in 2010, his son Carlos, Duke of Parma and Piacenza succeeded him in the eyes of the Carlists loyal to Carlos Hugo (the Partido Carlista), and claimed the kingship as "Carlos Javier II".[7][8]

However, two other Carlist organizations (the Comunión Tradicionalista and the Comunión Tradicionalista Carlista) recognize Sixtus as the rightful regent. Some of them recognize him as king, under the title "Sixto Enrique I". Sixtus himself has never explicitly asserted his right to the throne; rather, he has stated that he would prefer to remain regent in the hope that one of Carlos Hugo's sons may return to traditional Carlist ideology.[1] Nonetheless, he has not objected to his followers shouting "¡Viva el Rey!" during his speeches.[9]

Later life

Although the youngest of six children and the second son of his parents, Sixtus inherited his childhood home, the chateau de Lignières near the middle of France, from his mother whose dowry it had been.[1]

In 2010, he sought a court order to prevent the continued exhibition of artworks by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at the Palace of Versailles. He has publicly stated that it "denatures" French culture.[10]

Sixtus was present at the episcopal ordination of four bishops who belong to the Society of Saint Pius X by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre on 30 June 1988 at Écône, Switzerland, and was the first to publicly congratulate him.

Sixtus is a Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.[11]

Sixtus has travelled widely in Latin America, both Spanish and Portuguese-speaking. In January 2001, while traveling through Argentina, he suffered a serious traffic accident, from which he did not completely recover. He has difficulties walking as a result of the accident, prompting him to limit public appearances.

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. Le Petit Gotha. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, p. 588-590. (French) ISBN 2-9507974-3-1
  2. ↑ http://www.carlismo.es/?p=3958
  3. ↑ "Declaración de Doña Magdalena de Borbón" at the Wayback Machine (archived October 25, 2009)
  4. ↑ "Declaración de S.M.C. Don Javier de Borbón" at the Wayback Machine (archived October 25, 2009)
  5. ↑ "Última Declaración Política de Don Javier", in Don Javier: una vida al servicio de la libertad, 417.
  6. ↑ Palabras de S.A.R. el Príncipe Don Carlos Hugo de Borbón Parma en al acto de imposición de cruces de la Orden de la Legitimad Proscrita, celebrado el domingo día 28 de septiembre de 2003 en Arbonne (Francia)
  7. ↑ Mensaje al Pueblo Carlista de S.M.C. Don Carlos Javier II de Borbón, Rey de Las Españas – blogspot El Carlismo contra Globalizatión (Spanish)
  8. ↑ El primogénito de Carlos Hugo de Borbón – Nuevo pretendiente carlista a la corona de España – website news agency Europa Press (Spanish)
  9. ↑ "Don Sixto en Haro". Hispanismo.org. July 29, 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Aristocrat's anger at Versailles Murakami 'manga' show". BBC. 24 October 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  11. ↑ "S.A.R. il Principe Sisto Enrico" – Website Reale e Ducale Casa di Borbone Parma
Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma
Cadet branch of the House of Bourbon
Born: 22 July 1940
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
Prince Jaime,
Count of Bardi		 Line of succession to
the French throne (Legitimist)
41st position 		Succeeded by
Jean, Grand Duke
of Luxembourg