Madeleine de Bourbon was the Duchess of Parma (from 1974) and was also Carlist queen of Spain

Spain

Spain , 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...

 (from 1952) by virtue of marriage to Xavier of Parma

Xavier, Duke of Parma

Xavier, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, known before 1974 as Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma was the head of the ducal House of Bourbon-Parma, pretender to the defunct throne of Parma, and Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain under the name Javier I.-Early life:Xavier...

, the Carlist pretender

Pretender

A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....

 to the Spanish throne,.

She was born of a cadet branch of the Bourbon-Busset

Bourbon-Busset

The Bourbon-Busset family is an illegitimate branch of the House of Bourbon, being thus agnatic descendants of the Capetian dynasty. Historically they have been regarded as non-dynastic since decisions rendered by Louis XI of France....

: her father was Georges, Count of Lignières

Lignières

Lignières may refer to:*in Switzerland:**Lignières, Neuchâtel*in France:**Lignières, Aube**Lignières, Cher**Lignières, Indre et Loire**Lignières, Loir-et-Cher**Lignières, Somme...

, and her mother Marie Jeanne de Kerret de Quillien.

Prince Xavier, a younger son of Robert 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 Madeleine were married 12 November 1927 in Lignières

Lignières

Lignières may refer to:*in Switzerland:**Lignières, Neuchâtel*in France:**Lignières, Aube**Lignières, Cher**Lignières, Indre et Loire**Lignières, Loir-et-Cher**Lignières, Somme...

, 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...

.

In 1936, Alfonso Carlos, Duke of San Jaime

Alfonso Carlos, Duke of San Jaime

Alfonso Carlos, Infante of Spain, Duke of San Jaime was the Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain under the name Alfonso Carlos I and the Legitimist claimant to the throne of France under the name Charles XII.-Early life:Alfonso Carlos was the second son of Infante Juan...

, the last undisputed head of the Carlist movement, appointed her husband Xavier as Regent.

The couple had issue:

• Princess Maria Francisca of Parma, Infanta of Spain, born 19 August 1928 and princess Lobkowicz by marriage.
• Carlos Hugo of Parma, Duke of Parma, born 8 April 1930, former Carlist pretender.
• Princess Maria Teresa of Parma, Infanta of Spain, born 28 July 1933.
• Princess Cecilia of Parma, Infanta of Spain, born 12 April 1935.
• Princess Marie des Neiges of Parma, Infanta of Spain, born 29 April 1937.
• Prince Sixtus Henry of Parma, Infante of Spain, born 22 July 1940, actual Carlist pretender.

|-