Prince Philip, Duke of Calabria
Encyclopedia
Philip of Naples and Sicily, Duke of Calabria (13 June 1747-19 September 1777) was the eldest son and heir of Charles III of Spain
, but was excluded from the succession to the thrones of Spain
and Naples due to his imbecility
. His younger brothers, Charles IV of Spain
and Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
replaced him in the succession. When his father became King of Spain in 1759, Philip remained in Naples where he lived until his death, age thirty, of smallpox
.
(Palace of Portici) in the Kingdom of Naples
, he was the sixth child and eldest son of Charles VII and V
, then King of Naples and Sicily, and his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony
.His birth was a joyful event since his parents previously had five princesses, three of whom had died in childhood. The Prince was baptized Filippo Antonio Gennaro Pasquale Francesco de Paula. His grandfather, King Philip V of Spain
, in whose honor he was named, had died on 9 July 1746. The child's godparents were his paternal uncle and aunt, King Ferdinand VI of Spain
and Barbara of Portugal
. As the heir apparent to his father, he was given the title of Duke of Calabria
; a style that was created at the time for the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Naples. Although he was born plump and rosy, it was soon evident that there was something wrong with him. His wet nurses had to be changed several times and the child suffered from epileptic fits. As he grew up, it was confirmed that he had disabilities, especially by his peculiar face. According to one observer the prince suffered from "a great heaviness of head, which makes him gloomy and ill-humored".
In 1754, the ambassador of Sardinia
reported that " the prince royal does not appear to enjoy good health" adding that "there is something in his eyes that does not harmonize with the rest of his features. I have been assure that although he is seven years old he does not speak, and that he can scarcely utterly a word." However, his parents tried to conceal his deficiencies both from the public and from themselves making the child appear in court ceremonies as if there was nothing wrong with him. Until the age of seven Philip remained with his sisters and younger brothers under the care of a governess. In 1755, he was placed with his brother Charles under the tutorship of the Prince of San Nicandro.
, on August 10 1759, forced the parents to confront the status of his son. Since Charles III was to depart to Spain to take possession of the Spanish crown, he had to abdicate the thrones of Naples and Sicily in favour of a son. A committee of high officials magistrates and six physicians examined the mental state of the Prince, who was twelve years old at the time, to determine his capacity to reign. The Prince was kept under close observation for two weeks after which the committee declared that his mental state made him incapable to govern and he was thus excluded from the succession to the thrones due to his mental retardation
. His younger brothers Charles
and Ferdinand
replaced him in the lines of succession. His family departed for Spain and he never saw them again. Philip remained in Naples out of sight from the Neapolitan court's at the Palace's of Capodimonte
and the newly constructed Palace of Caserta. His brother Ferdinand
visited him and showed him affection treating him almost like a mascot. "He is rarely visible, wrote Samuel Sharp, "but the regency think proper to exhibit him a few times a year, namely, when the king removes from Naples to Portici, and from Portici to Naples. I took the opportunity, when the family came to town, of entertaining myself with the spectacle... The administration acts wisely in exposing him now and then to the eyes of the public, as the very sight of him is a full vindication of their conduct in regard to the sentence of idiotism and disinheritance passed on him some years ago. The court was in morning, but he was as well dressed as a youth in mourning can be, and his hair as well combed and as well powered. With all these advantages, however, the very first glance of him convinced me that he wants every one faculty of the mind. He has that wandering roll of the eye which is peculiar to idiots and new born infants, who, not having the endowment of thought and reflection, consequently cannot fix their attention to one object. There are some knavish quacks, and some silly doctors, who say the cure is not impossible, and that he may be restored to his senses... By what I can learn, he leads a happy kind of animal life. He eats and drinks with much pleasure, is subject to no gust of passion, and enjoys such infantile amusements as a child in arms may be supposed to enjoy "
According to Hamilton, he "was treated with certain distinctions, having chamberlains placed about him inconstant attendance, who watched him with unremitting attention; as otherwise he would have committed a thousand excesses. Care was particular taken to keep him from having any connection with the other sex, for which he manifested the strongest propensity; but it became at last impossible to prevent him altogether from attempting to emancipate himself in this respect. He has many times eluded the vigilance of his keepers, and on seeing ladies pass through the portents of the place, would attack them with the same impetuosity as Pan or the Satyrs are described by Ovid
, when pursuing the Nymphs; and with the same intentions. More that one lady of the Court has been critically rescued from his embraces. On particular days of the year, he was allowed to hold a sort of Court, when the Foreign ministers repaired to his apartments to pay their compliments to him. His greatest amusement consisted in having his hand held up by his attendants while gloves were put upon it, one larger than another to the number of fifteen or sixteen.
In September 1777, Infante Philip contracted smallpox
. The King and Queen, fearing contagion, fled to Caserta
. Philip died at the Palace of Portici in Naples at the age of 30. He was buried at the Complex of the Church of Santa Chiara
in Naples.
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Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
, but was excluded from the succession to the thrones 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...
and Naples due to his imbecility
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
. His younger brothers, Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
and Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
replaced him in the succession. When his father became King of Spain in 1759, Philip remained in Naples where he lived until his death, age thirty, of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
.
Heir apparent
Born at the Reggia di PorticiPortici
Portici is a town and comune of the Province of Naples in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is the site of the Portici Royal Palace.-Geography:...
(Palace of Portici) in the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
, he was the sixth child and eldest son of Charles VII and V
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
, then King of Naples and Sicily, and his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony
Maria Amalia of Saxony
Maria Amalia of Saxony was a German princess from the House of Wettin and was the wife of Charles III of Spain; she was the Queen consort of Naples and Sicily from 1738 till 1759 and then Queen consort of Spain from 1759 until her death in 1760...
.His birth was a joyful event since his parents previously had five princesses, three of whom had died in childhood. The Prince was baptized Filippo Antonio Gennaro Pasquale Francesco de Paula. His grandfather, King Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
, in whose honor he was named, had died on 9 July 1746. The child's godparents were his paternal uncle and aunt, King Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
and Barbara of Portugal
Barbara of Portugal
Barbara of Portugal was an Infanta of Portugal and later Queen of Spain as wife of Ferdinand VI of Spain.-Life in Portugal:...
. As the heir apparent to his father, he was given the title of Duke of Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
; a style that was created at the time for the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Naples. Although he was born plump and rosy, it was soon evident that there was something wrong with him. His wet nurses had to be changed several times and the child suffered from epileptic fits. As he grew up, it was confirmed that he had disabilities, especially by his peculiar face. According to one observer the prince suffered from "a great heaviness of head, which makes him gloomy and ill-humored".
In 1754, the ambassador of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
reported that " the prince royal does not appear to enjoy good health" adding that "there is something in his eyes that does not harmonize with the rest of his features. I have been assure that although he is seven years old he does not speak, and that he can scarcely utterly a word." However, his parents tried to conceal his deficiencies both from the public and from themselves making the child appear in court ceremonies as if there was nothing wrong with him. Until the age of seven Philip remained with his sisters and younger brothers under the care of a governess. In 1755, he was placed with his brother Charles under the tutorship of the Prince of San Nicandro.
Exclusion from the succession
The death of his half-uncle, King Ferdinand VI of SpainFerdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
, on August 10 1759, forced the parents to confront the status of his son. Since Charles III was to depart to Spain to take possession of the Spanish crown, he had to abdicate the thrones of Naples and Sicily in favour of a son. A committee of high officials magistrates and six physicians examined the mental state of the Prince, who was twelve years old at the time, to determine his capacity to reign. The Prince was kept under close observation for two weeks after which the committee declared that his mental state made him incapable to govern and he was thus excluded from the succession to the thrones due to his mental retardation
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
. His younger brothers Charles
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
and Ferdinand
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
replaced him in the lines of succession. His family departed for Spain and he never saw them again. Philip remained in Naples out of sight from the Neapolitan court's at the Palace's of Capodimonte
Museo di Capodimonte
The National Museum of Capodimonte is located in the Palace of Capodimonte, a grand Bourbon palazzo in Naples, Italy. The museum is the prime repository of Neapolitan painting and decorative art, with several important works from other Italian schools of painting, and some important Ancient Roman...
and the newly constructed Palace of Caserta. His brother Ferdinand
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
visited him and showed him affection treating him almost like a mascot. "He is rarely visible, wrote Samuel Sharp, "but the regency think proper to exhibit him a few times a year, namely, when the king removes from Naples to Portici, and from Portici to Naples. I took the opportunity, when the family came to town, of entertaining myself with the spectacle... The administration acts wisely in exposing him now and then to the eyes of the public, as the very sight of him is a full vindication of their conduct in regard to the sentence of idiotism and disinheritance passed on him some years ago. The court was in morning, but he was as well dressed as a youth in mourning can be, and his hair as well combed and as well powered. With all these advantages, however, the very first glance of him convinced me that he wants every one faculty of the mind. He has that wandering roll of the eye which is peculiar to idiots and new born infants, who, not having the endowment of thought and reflection, consequently cannot fix their attention to one object. There are some knavish quacks, and some silly doctors, who say the cure is not impossible, and that he may be restored to his senses... By what I can learn, he leads a happy kind of animal life. He eats and drinks with much pleasure, is subject to no gust of passion, and enjoys such infantile amusements as a child in arms may be supposed to enjoy "
Later life
According to Hamilton, he "was treated with certain distinctions, having chamberlains placed about him inconstant attendance, who watched him with unremitting attention; as otherwise he would have committed a thousand excesses. Care was particular taken to keep him from having any connection with the other sex, for which he manifested the strongest propensity; but it became at last impossible to prevent him altogether from attempting to emancipate himself in this respect. He has many times eluded the vigilance of his keepers, and on seeing ladies pass through the portents of the place, would attack them with the same impetuosity as Pan or the Satyrs are described by Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
, when pursuing the Nymphs; and with the same intentions. More that one lady of the Court has been critically rescued from his embraces. On particular days of the year, he was allowed to hold a sort of Court, when the Foreign ministers repaired to his apartments to pay their compliments to him. His greatest amusement consisted in having his hand held up by his attendants while gloves were put upon it, one larger than another to the number of fifteen or sixteen.
In September 1777, Infante Philip contracted smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. The King and Queen, fearing contagion, fled to Caserta
Caserta
Caserta is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial and industrial comune and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Campanian Subapennine mountain range...
. Philip died at the Palace of Portici in Naples at the age of 30. He was buried at the Complex of the Church of Santa Chiara
Santa Chiara
Santa Chiara is Italian for Saint Clare.Santa Chiara may refer to:*Santa Chiara , several churches with this name*Basilica di Santa Chiara, in Assisi*St. Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clares and companion of St. Francis...
in Naples.
Ancestry
Titles
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