House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family that ruled Southern Italy and Sicily for more than a century in the 18th and 19th centuries. It descends from the Capetian dynasty in legitimate male line through Philippe de Bourbon,, a younger grandson of Louis XIV of France who established the Bourbon dynasty in Spain in 1700 as Philip V. In 1759 King Philip's younger grandson was appanaged with the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, becoming Ferdinand IV and III, respectively, of those realms. His descendants occupied the joint throne until 1860, claimed it thereafter from exile, and constitute the extant Bourbon-Two Sicilies family.
The succession of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies has since 1960 been disputed between the senior line representative Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria and the junior line representative Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro. Since Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, has only daughters, in accordance with the traditional agnatic succession of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, final succession is defined anyway. Efforts of reconciliation was carried out in 2014, but was followed by new rifts in 2016. Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, insisted on a break with tradition with implementing succession to his eldest daughter.
Name
The name "Bourbon-Two Sicilies" combines the patriline with their former territorial designation.Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The first Kingdom of the Two Sicilies resulted from the unification of the Kingdom of Sicily with the Kingdom of Naples, by King Alfonso V of Aragon in 1442. The two had been separated since the Sicilian Vespers of 1282. At the death of King Alfonso in 1458, the kingdom became divided between his brother John II of Aragon, who kept Sicily, and his bastard son Ferdinand, who became king of Naples.Reigning kings
Heads of the House since 1861
| Name Reign | Portrait | Birth | Marriage Issue | Death | Claim |
| Francis II 20 March 1861 – 27 December 1894 | 16 January 1836 Naples, Two Sicilies Son of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Maria Cristina of Savoy | Maria Sophie of Bavaria Bari Cathedral 3 February 1859 1 daughter | 27 December 1894 Aged 58 Arco, Trentino, Austria-Hungary | Son of Ferdinand II Deposed king of the Two Sicilies | |
| Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta 27 December 1894 – 26 May 1934 | 28 March 1841 Caserta, Two Sicilies Son of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Maria Theresa of Austria | Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Church in Rome 8 June 1868 12 children | 26 May 1934 Aged 93 Cannes, France | 4th son of Ferdinand II Half-brother of Francis II | |
| Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of Calabria 26 May 1934 – 7 January 1960 | 25 July 1869 Rome, Papal States Son of Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta and Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies | Maria of Bavaria Munich Frauenkirche 31 May 1897 6 children | 7 January 1960 Aged 90 Lindau, Bavaria, Germany | 1st son of Alfonso, Count of Caserta |
When Prince Ferdinand Pius died in 1960, he left no male descendant, and two branches of the family claimed the right to succeed him as head of the house. Ferdinand Pius had seven younger brothers. At the time of Ferdinand Pius's death in 1960, the oldest brother, Carlos was deceased, but had left descendants. The next surviving brother was Ranieri. By the rule of primogeniture, headship would normally pass through Carlos to his son Alfonso. Ranieri contested Alfonso's claim arguing that Carlos had renounced any claim to the Two Sicilies succession on the part of himself and his heirs when he executed the Act of Cannes in 1900 in anticipation of his marriage the next year to Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, heiress presumptive to the Spanish throne. Alfonso offered a different interpretation of the Act of Cannes, describing it as effective only if Carlos should succeed to the Spanish throne. He also took the position that the Act of Cannes was invalid under the succession rules of the house of Two Sicilies itself. The dispute remains unresolved.
On 25 January 2014, representatives of the two rival branches, Prince Carlo and Prince Pedro, then Duke of Noto, jointly signed a pledge of partial reconciliation. The document recognised both branches as members of the same house, committed both to pursue further reconciliation and concord, meanwhile recognising the titles then claimed by each branch.
At the Holy Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica celebrated in Rome on 14 May 2016, during the International Pilgrimage of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George to Rome and Vatican City, Prince Carlo made public his decision to change the rules of succession. This change was made in order to make the rules of succession compatible with international and European law, prohibiting any discrimination between men and women. The rule of absolute primogeniture would henceforth apply to his direct descendants, his elder daughter being recognized as heiress apparent. Prince Pedro publicly objected that Prince Carlo's declaration violated the terms of their reconciliation agreement, to which Carlo replied that further "destabilisation" could lead to termination of the 2014 pact.
Members of the House
Titles
Children and male-line grandchildren of the King of the Two Sicilies bore the title Prince Royal of the Two Sicilies with the style of Royal Highness. Other agnatic descendants of the King, born of authorized marriages, bore the title Prince of the Two Sicilies with the style of Royal Highness.Since 1861, and similarly to members of the House of Bourbon-Parma, the style Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies has been used for and by members of this family to highlight their membership in the House of Bourbon. The title of princess is also born by the wives of the princes of the house provided the marriage is dynastically approved.