Elias, Duke of Parma
Encyclopedia
Elias, Duke of Parma and Piacenza was the head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
and pretender to the defunct throne of Parma
between 1950 and 1959. From 1907 to 1950 he served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers.
, the youngest son of the deposed Duke Robert I of Parma
and his first wife Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
).
Despite the loss of his throne, Robert and his family enjoyed considerable wealth. They owned castles at Schwarzau am Steinfeld
near Vienna
in Austria
, Villa Pianore near Viareggio
in Italy
, and the magnificent Château de Chambord
in France
.
(1882–1940), daughter of Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
and a niece of Queen Maria Cristina of Spain. Elias and Maria Anna had eight children:
In 1907 Elias was made a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
by the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.
In 1910 Elias came to an agreement with his half-siblings, his father's children by his second wife, about the division of their father's estate. Elias was to have half of the estate in order to support his rank as head of the family; this half included the château de Chambord.
In 1915 Chambord was sequestered by the French government as alien property, since Elias held a commission in the Austrian Army. Liquidation proceedings were started in 1919 in application of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which gave the Allies the right to keep such property. Elias' half-brothers, Sixtus and Xavier took Elias to court to obtain a greater share of their father's estate. They claimed that the 1910 family agreement violated the French law which mandated equal division between siblings. In 1925 the French courts determined that Sixtus and Xavier should have a larger share, but in 1928 this judgement was overturned on appeal. In 1932 the court of cassation upheld the appeal on the grounds that there was a valid agreement between the siblings to an unequal division. Elias' rights to the château de Chambord were thereby recognised - but the wartime confiscation was upheld and Elias was financially compensated with 11 million francs.
In 1939 Enrico died and was succeeded in his ducal claims of Parma by his brother Giuseppe who also was mentally disabled. Elias continued to act as regent.
In 1950 Giuseppe died and Elias succeeded as pretender of Parma.
Elias died at Friedberg, Styria in 1959. He and his wife are buried in the nearby village of Mönichkirchen
.
House of Bourbon-Parma
The House of Bourbon-Parma is an Italian cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male line. The name of Bourbon-Parma comes from the main name and the other from the title of Duke of Parma....
and pretender to the defunct throne of Parma
Duchy of Parma
The Duchy of Parma was created in 1545 from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, centered on the city of Parma....
between 1950 and 1959. From 1907 to 1950 he served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers.
Early life
Elias was born at BiarritzBiarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, the youngest son of the deposed Duke Robert I of Parma
Robert I, Duke of Parma
Robert I was the last sovereign Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1854 to 1859, when the duchy was annexed to Sardinia-Piedmont during the unification of Italy...
and his first wife Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death.-Family:Ferdinand was born in Palermo, the son of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his wife and first cousin Maria Isabella of Spain.His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Queen Marie...
).
Despite the loss of his throne, Robert and his family enjoyed considerable wealth. They owned castles at Schwarzau am Steinfeld
Schwarzau am Steinfeld
Schwarzau am Steinfeld is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
near Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Villa Pianore near Viareggio
Viareggio
Viareggio is a city and comune located in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. With a population of over 64,000 it is the main centre of the northern Tuscan Riviera known as Versilia, and the second largest city within the Province of Lucca.It is known as a seaside resort...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and the magnificent Château de Chambord
Château de Chambord
The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures.The building, which was never...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Marriage and family
On 25 May 1903 at Vienna, Elias married Archduchess Maria Anna of AustriaArchduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1882–1940)
Archduchess Maria Anna Isabelle Epiphanie Eugenie Gabriele of Austria, full German name: Maria Anna Isabelle Epiphanie Eugenie Gabriele, Erzherzogin von Österreich was a member of the Teschen branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and an Archduchess of Austria and...
(1882–1940), daughter of Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen was a member of the House of Habsburg and the Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.-Early life:...
and a niece of Queen Maria Cristina of Spain. Elias and Maria Anna had eight children:
- Princess Elisabetta (17 March 1904 – 13 June 1983); she died unmarried.
- Prince Carlo Luigi (22 September 1905 – 26 September 1912); he died of poliomyelitisPoliomyelitisPoliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
. - Princess Maria Francesca (5 September 1906 – 20 February 1994); she died unmarried.
- Robert Hugo of Bourbon-Parma (7 August 1909 – 25 November 1974); he died unmarried.
- Prince Francesco Alfonso (14 June 1913 – 29 May 1959); he died unmarried.
- Princess Giovanna Isabella (8 July 1916 – 1 November 1949); she never married and was killed in a shooting accident in La Toledana, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. - Princess AliciaPrincess Alicia of Bourbon-ParmaInfanta Alicia, Dowager Duchess of Calabria is a daughter of Elias, Duke of Parma and Piacenza and his wife Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. Alicia was Duchess of Calabria through her marriage to Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria...
(born 13 November 1917); she married Infante Alfonso, Duke of CalabriaInfante Alfonso, Duke of CalabriaInfante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria was one of two claimants to the title of the head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies from 1960 until his death in 1964...
. Has issue - Princess Maria CristinaPrincess Maria Christina of Bourbon-ParmaPrincess Maria Christina of Bourbon-Parma was a Spanish dynast and a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma....
(7 June 1925 – 1 September 2009); she died unmarried.
Regent for his brothers
In 1907 Elias' father Robert died and was succeeded in his ducal claims of Parma by his son Enrico who was mentally disabled. Less than four months later the Grand Marshal of the Austrian court declared Enrico and five of his siblings legally incompetent. Elias became regent for Enrico's claims and guardian for his disabled siblings.In 1907 Elias was made a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
by the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.
In 1910 Elias came to an agreement with his half-siblings, his father's children by his second wife, about the division of their father's estate. Elias was to have half of the estate in order to support his rank as head of the family; this half included the château de Chambord.
In 1915 Chambord was sequestered by the French government as alien property, since Elias held a commission in the Austrian Army. Liquidation proceedings were started in 1919 in application of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which gave the Allies the right to keep such property. Elias' half-brothers, Sixtus and Xavier took Elias to court to obtain a greater share of their father's estate. They claimed that the 1910 family agreement violated the French law which mandated equal division between siblings. In 1925 the French courts determined that Sixtus and Xavier should have a larger share, but in 1928 this judgement was overturned on appeal. In 1932 the court of cassation upheld the appeal on the grounds that there was a valid agreement between the siblings to an unequal division. Elias' rights to the château de Chambord were thereby recognised - but the wartime confiscation was upheld and Elias was financially compensated with 11 million francs.
In 1939 Enrico died and was succeeded in his ducal claims of Parma by his brother Giuseppe who also was mentally disabled. Elias continued to act as regent.
In 1950 Giuseppe died and Elias succeeded as pretender of Parma.
Elias died at Friedberg, Styria in 1959. He and his wife are buried in the nearby village of Mönichkirchen
Mönichkirchen
Mönichkirchen is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.-References:...
.