Successor Prince Ferdinand Pius | Name Prince Count | |
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Reign 27 December 1894 – 26 May 1934 Issue Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of CalabriaPrince CarlosPrince Francesco di PaolaPrincess Maria ImmacolataPrincess Maria CristinaPrincess Maria di GraziaPrincess Maria GiuseppinaPrince GennaroPrince Ranieri, Duke of CastroPrince FilippoPrince Francesco d'AssisiPrince Gabriel Children Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Parents Maria Theresa of Austria, Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies Similar People Ferdinand II of the Two Sicili, Maria Theresa of Austria, Francis I of the Two Sicilies, Francis II of the Two Sicilies, Maria Isabella of Spain | ||
Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta (28 March 1841 – 26 May 1934) was the third son of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.
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He was pretender to the throne of the Two Sicilies in succession of his older half-brother, Francis II of the Two Sicilies. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Ferdinand Pius.
Heir to the throne
Born in Caserta, Alfonso was the fourth-in-line heir to the throne of Two Sicilies since the time of his birth. Ahead of him in line were his older half-brother Francis and older brothers Prince Louis, Count of Trani and Prince Alberto, Count of Castrogiovanni.
On 12 July 1844, Alberto died. He was two months short of his fifth birthday and naturally childless. Alfonso became the third-in-line heir.
On 22 May 1859, Ferdinand II died. Francis became King but had no children yet from his wife Maria Sophie of Bavaria. Louis became his heir presumptive and Alfonso the second-in-line heir to their half-brother.
However the Two Sicilies were conquered by the Expedition of the Thousand under Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1861. Garibaldi served the Kingdom of Sardinia which was in the process of Italian unification. The deposed Royal House survived with Francis still at its head.
On 8 June 1886, Louis died. His only daughter Princess Maria Teresa was not in line for the throne because females were barred from succession. Alfonso became the heir presumptive to Francis who had survived his own daughter.
On 27 December 1894, Francis II died. Alfonso became the head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He died at Cannes in 1934.
Marriage and issue
Alfonso was married to his cousin, Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (16 March 1851 – 12 September 1938) on 8 June 1868. She was a daughter of Prince Francis, Count of Trapani and his wife Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria, Princess of Tuscany.
Her paternal grandparents were Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Isabella of Spain. Her maternal grandparents were Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his second wife Maria Antonietta of the Two Sicilies.
Maria Isabella was a daughter of Charles IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. Maria Antonietta was another daughter of Francis I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Isabella of Spain.
They had twelve children.