Infanta Alicia, Duchess of Calabria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Infanta Alicia |
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| Duchess of Calabria | |||||
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| Born | 13 November 1917 Vienna, Austria-Hungary |
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| Died | 28 March 2017 (aged 99) Madrid, Spain |
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| Burial | Royal Pantheon of Glashütten, Mönichkirchen | ||||
| Spouse |
Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
(m. 1936; died 1964) |
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| House | Bourbon-Parma | ||||
| Father | Elias, Duke of Parma | ||||
| Mother | Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||
Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma (born Alicia Maria Teresa Francesca Luisa Pia Anna Valeria; November 13, 1917 – March 28, 2017) was a Spanish infanta, which is a title given to children of the Spanish monarch, or in this case, a close relative. She was a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a royal family.
When she married Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria, she became the Duchess of Calabria. She sometimes helped with official duties for the Spanish royal family. Through her marriage, she was the half-aunt of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. She lived to be 99 years old, making her the longest-living Infanta of Spain.
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Early Life and Childhood
Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma was born in Vienna, which was then part of Austria-Hungary. She was the seventh child of Prince Elias of Bourbon-Parma and Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria.
Her grandfather was Robert I, Duke of Parma. This made her a cousin to many other European royals. For example, she was a cousin to Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. She was also a half-cousin to Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Queen Anne of Romania.
From a young age, Alicia loved hunting. When she was just 5 years old, she started going hunting with her father. They often hunted on their family's large estates in Austria. By the time she was 12, she had already earned her first hunting trophy, called the Glasshatte.
Marriage and Family Life
On April 16, 1936, Princess Alicia married Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He was an Infante of Spain and the nephew of the former King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Their wedding took place in Vienna at the Minoritenkirche.
If her husband's uncle, King Alfonso XIII, had not had children, Alicia's husband might have become King of Spain. This would have made her the Queen of Spain.
Alicia and Alfonso had three children:
- Princess Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Salerno, born on February 6, 1937. She married Iñigo Moreno y Arteaga in 1961 and had children.
- Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria, born on January 16, 1938, and passed away on October 5, 2015. He married Princess Anne of Orléans in 1965 and had children. He later took over his father's royal claims.
- Princess Inés of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Syracuse, born on February 18, 1940. She married Don Luis de Morales y Aguado in 1965 and had children.
After their marriage, the couple first lived near Paris in France. Then they moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, where their three children were born. In 1941, they moved to Spain. They bought a large estate called La Toledana in Ciudad Real.
During the 1950s and 1960s, La Toledana became a popular place for important people and European royals to gather. Princess Alicia was also a talented pigeon shooting champion. She was known as the only woman in Spain who hunted all the largest animals. She also started a company called Flor de Lis. This company brought new dog breeds to Spain, like the Teckel and the Deutsch Drathaar. Breeding these dogs was very successful for them.
Later Years and Legacy
Princess Alicia became a widow in 1964 when her husband passed away. She strongly supported her son's claims to the title of "Duke of Calabria." She also supported his position as the head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She lived two years longer than her son.
Princess Alicia passed away on March 28, 2017, in Madrid, Spain. She was 99 years old. King Felipe VI ordered the royal guard to watch over her coffin. The coffin was covered with the Spanish flag.
As an Infanta of Spain, she had the right to be buried in the Pantheon of the Princes at El Escorial. However, she had wished to be buried in the family pantheon of the House of Bourbon-Parma in Austria. Her wishes were honored. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, along with former King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, attended her funeral at El Escorial.
Honours and Awards
Princess Alicia received several important honors during her life:
Spain : She was the 1190th Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa – 
- She was also a Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (1960). –
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Royal Coats of Arms
- Heraldry of Infanta Alicia
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Coat of arms used as Spanish Infanta
(1936–1960) -
Coat of arms used as Duchess of Calabria
(1960–1964) -
Coat of arms used as Dowager Duchess
(1964–2017)
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See also
In Spanish: para niños
