Parent house House of Bourbon Founder Charles VII/V | Founded 1734 Final ruler Francis II | |
Country Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Titles King of Naples, King of Sicily, King of the Two Sicilies | ||
The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is a cadet Italian branch of the Spanish line of the House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male line. The name of Bourbon-Two Sicilies comes from the main name (Bourbon) and the other (Two Sicilies) from the title King of the Two Sicilies, itself a merger of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples.
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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies resulted from the unification of the Kingdom of Sicily with the Kingdom of Naples (called the kingdom of peninsular Sicily), 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
In 1861 Two Sicilies became part of the newly founded Kingdom of Italy.Disputed succession
When Prince Ferdinand Pius died in 1960, he left no direct male descendant, and two branches of the family claimed the right to succeed him as head of the house. Ferdinand Pius had two younger brothers, Carlos (1870–1949) and Ranieri (1883–1973). By the rule of primogeniture, headship would normally pass to Carlos and though him 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 or 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.
Titles
Children and male-line grandchildren of the King of the Two Sicilies bore the title Prince(ss) 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(ss) 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(ss) 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 approved.