Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta

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Pretender Alfonso
Born	March 28, 1841(1841-03-28) Caserta
Died	May 26, 1934 (aged 93) Cannes
Title(s)	Count of Caserta
Throne(s) claimed	Two Sicilies
Pretend from	27 December 1894 - 26 May 1934
Monarchy abolished	1861
Last monarch	Francis II
Connection with	Brother
Royal House	Bourbon
Father	Ferdinand II
Mother	Maria Theresa of Austria
Predecessor	Francis II
Successor	Prince Ferdinando Pius

Prince or Infante Alfonso, Count of Caserta (28 March 1841, Caserta - 26 May 1934, Cannes) was the third son of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.

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, Ferdinando Pius.

[edit] Heir to the throne

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 Lodovico, Count of Trani and 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. Lodovico 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, Lodovico died. His only daughter Princess Maria Theresia was not in line for the throne since their House succession was determined by Agnatic seniority. Alfonso became the Heir Presumptive to Francis who had survived his own daughter.

On 27 December 1894, Francis II died. Alfonso became the new Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

[edit] Marriage and Children

Alfonso was married to his cousin, Princess Antonietta (16 March 1851-12 September 1938) on 8 June 1868. She was a daughter of Francesco, Count of Trapani and his wife Princess Isabella 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 12 issue [1].

• Prince Ferdinando Pius, Duke of Calabria (1869-1960), married Princess Maria Ludwiga Theresia of Bavaria, a daughter of King Ludwig III of Bavaria. This marriage had six issue.
• Prince Carlos Tancredi (1870-1949), married in 1901 to Princess Maria de las Mercedes of Spain. Had Issue. Re-married in 1907 to Princess Louise of Orléans of France. Had Issue.
• Prince Francesco di Paola (1873-1876)
• Princess Maria Immacolata (1874-1947), married in 1906, to Prince Johann Georg of Saxony, a younger son of Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal and King George of Saxony.
• Princess Maria Cristina (1877-1947), married in 1900, to Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria-Tuscany, a younger son of Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his heir as head of the Grand Ducal house of Tuscany.
• Princess Maria di Grazia (1878-1973), married in 1908, to Prince Dom Luiz of Orléans and Bragança (His article is on Wikipedia Portugal.)
• Princess Maria Giuseppina Antonietta (1880-1971)
• Prince Gennaro (1882-1944), married in 1922, to Beatrice Bordessa, Countess of Villa Colli. Her title was by grant of the Count of Caserta,1923
• Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro (1883-1973), married in 1923 to his cousin, a Countess Zamoyska, one daughter of Count Andrzej Zamoyski
• Prince Filippo (1885-1949), married in 1916 to princess Marie-Louise d'Orléans (1986-1973), a daughter of Emmanuel duke of Vendôme and Henriette of Belgium (div), then in 1927 to Odette Labori (1902-1968), one son from the first marriage.
• Prince Francesco d'Assisi (1888-1914)
• Prince Gabriele (1897-1975), married ¹1927, Princess Malgorzata Czartoryska (daughter of Prince Adam Ludwik Czartoryski) and ²1932) Cecylia (or Cecilia) Lubomirska, daughter of Prince Kasimir Lubomirski [2] (also spelled Kasimierz or Kazimierz) [3] [4]. The second marriage had five issue.

Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Cadet branch of the House of Bourbon Born: 28 March 1841 Died: 26 May 1934
Titles in pretence
Preceded by Francis II	— TITULAR — King of the Two Sicilies 1894 — 1934 Reason for succession failure: Italian Unification under the House of Savoy	Succeeded by Prince Ferdinando Pius, Duke of Calabria