Two Sicilies: rival claims, 2014 reconciliation and succession issues

[CyrilVladisla]

Originally Posted by Warren

The younger-generation 'Heads' of the two rival branches themselves, the Duke of Noto, and the Duke of Castro, with the support of their immediate families.

For background and further details, refer to this link:
Royal Musings: Royal Musings exclusive: RECONCILIATION IN THE HOUSE OF BOURBON-TWO SICILIES
.

Warren, Thank you for the details of the rivalry.
It was interesting to learn about the history of the Act of Cannes.
The article mentioned:

This (the document) was hastily drawn up and signed on December 14, 1900 and was the catalyst leading to the division within the family.

Would it have been better if more time had been involved to prepare the document?

[MAfan]

I don't know if spending more time in preparing the Act of Cannes would have changed the situation, but surely a different wording of the Act would have made things quite different. But this is something we can see and say in retrospect, I don't think that when the Act was written and signed they could foresee its implications 60 years later.

[CyrilVladisla]

MAfan, I agree. A different wording of the Act of Cannes would have made things different.

[Benjamin]

In what is being referred to as the Act of Rome, the Duke of Castro seeks to abolish the Salic Law for his descendants.

Official Act of the Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Abolishing Salic Law In The Succession To the Headship of the House.

MAY 15, 2016
The Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies would like to make the following announcement:

His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, Head of the Royal House makes public his decision to change the rules of succession which have thus far been in force in the House of Bourbon Two Sicilies in order to make them compatible with international and European law which prohibits any discrimination between men and women, not only in the enjoyment of their rights and freedoms but also in the exercise of public office of any kind.

The rule of absolute primogeniture will henceforth apply to his direct descendants.

The Official Act is as follows:

WE, Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Grand Master of the Dynastic Orders; Whereas the Royal Families of Europe currently ruling have finally abandoned, in order to comply with the principle of equality between men and women as part of the foundation of international and European law, the principle called the "Salic law", which excludes daughters from the order of succession, the majority of them have adopted the rule of succession of absolute primogeniture;
Whereas the Real House of Bourbon Two Sicilies must, if it aspires to be able to claim to recover its sovereignty and to exercise it in accordance with the law and the principles recognized by the International community, hereby adopts in turn a rule of succession which conforms to this law;

WE decide:

Article 1: The order of hereditary succession to the Royal House of Bourbon of Two Sicilies is amended with the aim of introducing a strict equality between men and women.

Article 2: The principle of absolute primogeniture is replaced in any rule of former succession.

Article 3: This new order of succession is applicable for the first time to our descendants.

Article 4: The rules and statutes of all dynastic orders referring to the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies will be amended accordingly.

Rome, 12 May 2016

Sources: News & Events - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George United States Delegation
Reprise de la guerre de succession chez les Bourbon-Siciles ?
Duke of Castro adopts gender equal succession

[Marengo]

Oh dear... I suppose this will mean that we will have a 3rd claimant for the house of the Two Sicilies in the future.

[Duc_et_Pair]

The Duke of Castro of course would never have done so when he had a son indeed. How conveniently for a non-reigning family with no legal status to point to European laws when it comes handy... Now we only need to wait for Luis Alfonso de Borbón to claim the throne of France for his daughters...

[Marengo]

Don Luis Alfonso has two sons: Luis and Alfonso... But in his case it would be less of a problem as the duchy of Franco can be inherited in the female line too.

I suppose you mean the prince Emanuele Filiberto of Italy, who has two daughters -Vittoria and Luisa- and no sons?

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Don Luis Alfonso has two sons: Luis and Alfonso... But in his case it would be less of a problem as the duchy of Franco can be inherited in the female line too.

I suppose you mean the prince Emanuele Filiberto of Italy, who has two daughters -Vittoria and Luisa- and no sons?

Yes, Emanuele Filiberto, my fault. It is waiting until he declares that his daughters will inherit his claim. And I am sure the Duke of Parma would have done the same if he had not got a (legal) son recently.

[MAfan]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Don Luis Alfonso has two sons: Luis and Alfonso... But in his case it would be less of a problem as the duchy of Franco can be inherited in the female line too.

If I don't mistake, the Dukedom of Franco will be eventually indeed inherited by his daughter, since she is the first born child.


However, back to the Two Sicilies, I'm wondering:
- what do the other Princes think about this decision?
- what will happen to the Grand Mastership of the Constantinian Order?

[Duc_et_Pair]

The longer I am on these forums, the more I tend to become republican. I am sick of royals who tweak all possible rules as long it suits them. Not my sort of monarchy I am sorry to say. I am willing to go along with these fairytales anno 2016 but when even royals themselves give no damn' anymore about rules which were so core and so essential and so deadly serious for them, pfff... they blow with every wind, really... every standard, piles of international treaties, solemnely signed documents: all thrown out of the window

Marrying the plummer? Why not? He will make a fine royal! End the centuries long royal lineage from father to son? Why not? I have only daughters... The next head of the House Bourbon-Two Sicilies may be the child of a German singer or an American businessman? No problem, we simply rename Junge Herr Schmidt or Young Mr Smith into "Bourbon-Deux Siciles" and we pretend it is still the same royal dynasty.

This total lack of any principle hits all royal families. When my country will organize a referendum on the monarchy, I will vote for a republic. Yes, I am a conservative but when it is developing this way, please give me the chance to choose MY own favourite commoner as head of state. Everything better than this vaudeville, this farce. It has finally hit the bottomline.

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

Yes, Emanuele Filiberto, my fault. It is waiting until he declares that his daughters will inherit his claim.

Has he?

Nel corso della stessa udienza, la Famiglia Reale ha espresso il più vivo ringraziamento al Santo Padre per il dono della Beatificazione di S.M. la Regina Maria Cristina di Savoia. Inoltre, S.A.R. il Principe Vittorio Emanuele, ha chiesto al Santo Padre “una particolare benedizione per tutti i Principi presenti e soprattutto per le LL.AA.RR. le Principesse Vittoria e Luisa che rappresentano in questa occasione il segno della continuità dinastica di Casa Savoia nella successione, cui sarà affidato in futuro il compito di custodia dell'eredità storica e morale della Dinastia".

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...ml#post1796288

[Benjamin]

Princess Béatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, mother of the Prince Napoléon, will be instrumental in preparing her niece, Princess Maria Carolina, Duchess of Palermo, for her future role.

Princess Béatrice is the Grand Chancellor of the Constantinian Order of St. George (Castro branch).

Source: Croce Reale - Colpo di scena nella Famiglia dei Borbone delle Due Sicilie: il Duca di Castro nomina come Sua erede la figlia

[MAfan]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

Has he?

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...ml#post1796288

No, he hasn't and (by now) for sure he can't. He isn't the Head of the House of Savoy. Whether he will do or not in the future, nobody can know it now (and, however, in case it will be a very much disputed decision, at least by the supporters of Prince Amedeo).

[Benjamin]

The Duke of Calabria has reacted to the recent decision made by the Duke of Castro:

Royal Musings: Official statement from HRH The Duke of Calabria

[Marengo]

Well... we could see that one coming, coulnd't we? What took him so long .

[Cory]

Any reaction of the Princes of the Royal Family?

[Benjamin]

Some history that might explain the recent action of the Duke of Castro and subsequent reaction of the Duke of Calabria:

Royal Musings: Discourse among the Bourbon-Two-Sicilies

[MAfan]

That was IMO the problem with the "act of reconciliation": that they left the problem of the Headship of the Royal House and the succession opened. They mutually recognized their titles currently in use and expressed the wish that the Divine Providence would show them the way for the dynastic unity, but the real issues were not settled.

[Benjamin]

Reactions from erstwhile members of the Castro branch of the Constantinian Order:

Royal Musings: More problems for the Duke of Castro.

[Duc_et_Pair]

The reason for the current rift in the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

It started with
Don Ferdinand Pius of Bourbon-Two Sicilies,
Duke of Calabria (1869-1960).
He was married with Princess Maria of Bavaria. When he died, he had no surviving male issue to succeed him as Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

The first step was to look for the late Duke's eldest brother:
Don Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies,
Infante of Spain (1870-1949).
He was married with Doña María de las Mercedes, Infanta of Spain. He was already dead in 1960 and therefore could not succeed his brother, the late Duke.

So the eldest son of this late Duke's eldest brother became successor:
Don Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies,
Duke of Calabria, Infante of Spain (1901-1964).
He was married to Princess Alicia de Bourbon de Parme.

This Alfonso was succeeded by his eldest son:
Don Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies,
Duke of Calabria, Infante of Spain (1938-2015).
He was married to Princess Anne d'Orléans.

This Carlos was succeeded by his eldest son, the current Duke of Calabria:
Don Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies,
Duke of Calabria (1968). He is married to Doña Sofía Landaluce y Melgarejo. They have four sons and three daughters.

This is a perfect line in order of most senior male agnatic descendance. What is then the problem? Where is the claim of the "concurrent", the Duke of Castro, based on? It is all about Don Carlos (1870-1949), who is marked in blue above. Don Carlos wanted to marry his cousine Doña María de las Mercedes, Infanta of Spain.

A Neapolitan law established that a prince of the Two Sicilies could not also enjoy a place in the succession to the Spanish throne. In 1900 Don Carlos signed a renunciation of his Neapolitan rights to this effect (the "Act of Cannes"), applicable to himself and his descendants, and was integrated into the Royal House of Spain. He became naturalized Spaniard and was created an Infante de España. When the Duke of Calabria died in 1960, Don Carlo's son, Alfonso (1901-1964), made known his claim to the headship of the dynasty. His grandson, Don Pedro, the current Duke of Calabria, continues the claim today.

The "other side" sees the renouncation of 1900 as absolute. The Act of Cannes seem however poorly drafted: it may be that Don Carlos (1870-1949) renounced certain Neapolitan citizenship-rights upon his marriage to Doña María de las Mercedes and his integration into the Spanish royal family in 1900, but under modern Italian law he himself, his son Infante Carlos and his grandson Pedro, could easily claim citizenship according provisions of the Civil Code of the Italian Republic. So the underlying thesis for their re-claim is that the Cannes renunciation of 1900 was simply unnecessary since Neapolitan law has merged in law of the (then) Kingdom of Italy. The Spanish Royal House supports this claim.

Anyhow, Don Pedro or his sons could have become undisputed heirs when the Duke of Castro would reconcile since he has no sons, was it not for him suddenly making his daughters successors to the headship of the House...