Spain’s Oldest Infanta

Though she may not thank for me for the title of my post, I wanted my first blog posting to feature a lesser known Spanish Royal. A maternal aunt-in-law of His Majesty King Juan Carlos, at almost 94 years she is currently the oldest member of the extended Spanish Royal Family. An Infanta of Spain by her marriage in April 1936 to the Infante Alfonso of Spain, over the years the Infanta Alicia has been present at many Spanish Royal events.

She was born Princess Alicia Maria Teresa Francesca Luisa Pia Anna Valeria of Bourbon-Parma in Vienna on November 12th, 1917. Her father was Prince Elias, Duke of Parma and her mother was the Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. On April 16th, 1936 Alicia married the Infante Alfonso, (later Duke of Calabria, Count of Caserta). Alfonso was a half-brother of Princess Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (mother of King Juan Carlos I of Spain). The couple lived in exile during the Spanish Civil War, but returned to live in Spain in 1941.

Infante Alfonso and Infanta Alicia had three children:

Their first child, Princess Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, was born in Lausanne on February 6th, 1937.

Prince Carlos (now Infante of Spain and Duke of Calabria) was also born in Lausanne on January 16th, 1938.

Princess Inés Maria of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was born at Ouchy on the 18th of February, 1940.

In 1960, following the death of his uncle, Alfonso became The Duke of Calabria and Count of Caserta. The couple attended the 1962 wedding of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece. Sadly, Alfonso died on the 3rd of February 1964, their son Carlos inherited all of his father’s titles and the Headship of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies.

On May 12th, 1965 Alicia’s son Carlos married Anne of Orléans (daughter of the late Count and Countess of Paris) at Dreux. In 1975, the Infanta Alicia was present the Mass of the Holy Spirit and Invesiture Ceremony of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at San Jerónimo el Real. More recently, the Infanta attended the wedding of the Infanta Elena and Don Jaime in 1995. In 2007, she celebrated her 90th birthday – the last Infanta to reach 90 was the late Infanta Beatriz, who died in 2002 aged 93 and 5 months.

Filed under Spain
Tagged Biography, House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infanta Alicia Duchess of Calabria.

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