Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro

Prince Ferdinand
Duke of Castro
Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (disputed)
Tenure	13 January 1973 – 20 March 2008
Predecessor	Prince Ranieri
Successor	Prince Carlo
Born	(1926-05-28)28 May 1926 Podzamcze, Poland
Died	20 March 2008(2008-03-20) (aged 81) Draguignan, France
Spouse	Chantal de Chevron-Villette ​ ​ (m. 1949; died 2005)​
Issue	Princess Beatrice Princess Anne Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro
Names Ferdinando Maria Andrea Alfonso Marcus di Borbone
House	Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Father	Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro
Mother	Countess Maria Carolina Zamoyska
Religion	Roman Catholic

Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro (Ferdinando Maria Andrea Alfonso Marcus; 28 May 1926 – 20 March 2008) was a claimant to the headship of the former Royal House of the Two Sicilies.

Biography

Ferdinand was born in Podzamcze, the son of Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro, and his wife Countess Maria Carolina Zamoyska. His parents were first cousins, as his grandmothers were sisters. His paternal grandparents were also first cousins. He lived most of his life in France and was the first member of the Two Sicilian royal family to serve in the French Armed Forces.

Ferdinand succeeded as head of the House of the Bourbon-Two Sicilies on his father's death in 1973, having carried out the functions associated with the headship of the family since 1966. He was Sovereign of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Royal Order of Francis I. He was decorated with several dynastic and state orders.^[1]

Ferdinand died in France on 20 March 2008.^[2]

Marriage and children

Ferdinand was married in Giez on 23 July 1949 to Chantal de Chevron-Villette (1925–2005), and they had three children:

• Princess Béatrice (born 16 June 1950 in Saint-Raphaël), who married Prince Charles Bonaparte on 19 December 1978 in Paris and has issue; divorced in 1989
  • Princess Caroline Bonaparte (born 24 October 1980) married Eric Alain Marie Quérénet-Onfroy de Bréville (born 28 June 1971) on 27 September 2009 in Castellabate nel Cilento, Italy; and has issue
  • Prince Jean-Christophe Bonaparte, The Prince Napoléon (born 11 July 1986)
• Princess Anne (born 24 April 1957 in Saint-Raphaël) married Baron Jacques Cochin on 9 September 1977 in Roquebrunne-sur-Argens, and has issue; divorced
• Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro (born 24 February 1963 in Saint-Raphaël) married Camilla Crociani on 31 October 1998 in Monte Carlo
  • Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, The Duchess of Calabria (born 23 June 2003)
  • Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, The Duchess of Noto (born 1 January 2005)

As the marriage was initially considered morganatic, Ferdinand’s children were considered ineligible for the throne of Two-Scillies. Following his father's assumption as head of the house, however, he retroactively declared Ferdinand's marriage dynastic and his children eligible for the throne. This was contested by the Calabrian pretenders until 2014. ^[3]

Honours

• Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Obedience of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 1st Class^[4]
•  Panama: Grand Cross of the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Special Class^[5]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro

8. Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies 4. Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta 9. Maria Theresa of Austria 2. Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro 10. Prince Francis, Count of Trapani 5. Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies 11. Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria 1. Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro 12. Count Stanisław Kostka Zamoyski 6. Count Andrzej Przemysław Zamoyski 13. Countess Róża Marianna Potocka 3. Countess Maria Carolina Zamoyska 14. Prince Francis, Count of Trapani (= 10) 7. Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies 15. Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria (= 11)

References

1. His Royal Highness The Duke of Castro Archived 2008-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
2. Royal House of Borbon
3. http://www.borbone-due-sicilie.org/downloads/genealogy-of-the-royal-house-of-bourbo1.pdf
4. "HRH the Duchess of Calabria invested into the Sovereign Military Order of Malta - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George". October 2001.
5. "Duke of Castro, Duke of Calabria and Cardinal Pompedda receive highest honours from the President of Panama - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George". 3 April 2004.

External links

• Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Cadet branch of the House of Bourbon Born: 28 May 1926 Died: 20 March 2008
Italian nobility
Preceded by Prince Ranieri	Duke of Castro 13 January 1973 – 20 March 2008	Succeeded by Prince Carlo
Titles in pretence
Preceded by Ranieri	— TITULAR — King of the Two Sicilies 13 January 1973 – 20 March 2008 Reason for succession failure: Italian Unification under the House of Savoy	Succeeded by Carlo

See also