[The following article pertains to a recent book in Spanish on Carlos de Borbón, or Charles of Bourbon.  This important figure of European history was the eldest son of the second marriage of Philip V of Bourbon, King of Spain, with Elisabeth Farnese.  In 1731, the House of Farnese died out in the male line with the passing of Antonio Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza.  As heir of the House of Farnese through his mother, Charles of Bourbon then succeeded his great-uncle Antonio Farnese both as Duke of Parma and Piacenza and as Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.  In 1736, Charles lost the Duchy of Parma but retained the separate dignity of Constantinian grand master.  

In 1735, Charles became King of Naples and Sicily, reigning until 1759, when he succeeded his elder half-brother as King of Spain, taking the regnal name of Charles III.  In 1759, in response to concerns in respect of the balance of power in Europe, Charles promulgated his Pragmatic Sanction, which decreed that the Crown of Spain and the Crown of Naples and Sicily could not be held by the same person.

Charles designated his elder son Charles (later King Charles IV of Spain) as heir to the Crown of Spain and named his younger son Ferdinand as King of Naples and Sicily. In accordance with the Pragmatic Sanction, King Charles III, two months after succeeding in Spain, abdicated the throne of Naples and Sicily in favour of his younger son Ferdinand.  Ten days after abdicating the throne of Naples and Sicily, Charles III executed a separate instrument of abdication of his position as Constantinian grand master, emphasizing the fact that the crown of Naples and Sicily and the Constantinian grand mastership were separate dignities.  He designated his younger son Ferdinand, King of Naples and Sicily, as heir of the House of Farnese and abdicated the Constantinian grand mastership in Ferdinand’s favour.

Therefore, Charles of Bourbon was Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George from 1731 to 1759, during his successive reigns as Duke of Parma, later as King of Naples and Sicily, and finally, for a brief period, as King of Spain.  He reigned as King of Spain from 1759 to 1788.

His younger son, King Ferdinand of Naples and Sicily (later King Ferdinand of the Two Sicilies) was Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George from 1759 to 1825.]

On Thursday, November 17, 2023, the book Carlos de Borbón – The heroic age of the illustrated monarch was launched in Barcelona. The book was compiled by Daniel Aznar and published by the Constantinian Order Foundation, with the support of the Terzo Pilastro Internazionale Foundation.

The launch took place in the Palace of the Viceroys of Catalonia, historical headquarters of the Archive of the Crown of Aragon, with the Grand Master of the Constantinian Order, Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, President of the Constantinian Order Foundation, presiding.

The Director of the Archive of the Crown of Aragon, Alberto Torra, addressed words of welcome to the audience. Next, the Deputy Director General of State Archives (the institution most responsible for Spanish archives), Ana Mª López Cuadrado, evoked the different cultural initiatives promoted by the Constantinian Order in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. In his speech, HRH the Duke of Calabria sketched the figure of Carlos de Borbón, highlighting his importance as a figure of historical significance for Spain, for Italy and for the Constantinian Order.

The book was described by Professor Ida Mauro (University of Barcelona), a specialist in cultural and political relations between Spain and Italy during the 16th-18th centuries. Professor Mauro then had a colloquy on stage with Mr. Daniel Aznar, who oversaw the publication and was the author of much of the book.

More than 120 people attended the event, more than filling the capacity of the Palace’s Assembly Room. Among the attendees was His Excellency the Duke of Alba and various members of the board of trustees of the Constantinian Order Foundation as well as various authorities, representatives of civil society, the academic world, and noble orders and corporations.

At the end of the event, a vin d’honneur with Spanish wine was served in the upper gallery of the palace.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS:

ABOVE:  (1) the book launch at the Palace of the Viceroys in Barcelona and (2) HRH Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, Grand Master of the Constantinian Order, presiding at the book launch.

BELOW:  (1) His Excellency the Duke of Alba and Berwick (center), Vice Grand Prefect of the Constantinian Order and (2) the vin d’honneur following the book launch