Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma

Prince Carlos Xavier Bernardo Sixto Marie of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma (born 27 January 1970) is the current head of the Royal and Ducal House of Bourbon-Parma, as well a member of the Dutch Royal Family. He is the uncontested traditional claimant to the defunct throne of the Duchy of Parma under the name Carlo V (English: Charles V), and is a contested pretender to the Carlist claim to the throne of Spain under the name Carlos Javier II (English: Charles Xavier II).

Early Life

Prince Carlos was born in Nijmegen in the Netherlands as the eldest child of the late Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma and Princess Irene of the Netherlands. He has two younger sisters Princess Margarita and Princess Carolina, and one younger brother Prince Jaime. Carlos spent his youth in several countries including the Netherlands, Spain, France, England, and the United States. In 1981, when he was eleven, his parents divorced.

Together with his mother and his siblings he then moved to Soestdijk Palace (Baarn) in the Netherlands. He lived at the palace for a number of years with his grandparents, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

Education and Career

Carlos studied political sciences at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and demography and philosophy at Cambridge University near London.

After completing his studies Carlos worked for the company ABN AMRO in Amsterdam, where he was involved with preparations for the introduction of the euro.

He then worked for a while in Brussels as a public affairs consultant for the company European Public Policy Advisors (EPPA). Since 2007 he has been engaged in projects concerning sustainable in the business world.

Royal Representative Assignments

Carlos is sometimes present at representative occasions concerning the royal house of the Netherlands. In 2003 he was involved, together with his aunt, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, in the inauguration of the "Prince Claus Leerstoel," a professorship named after the former queen's consort, Prince Claus of the Netherlands. During special events of the royal house he is a regularly present. For example, he was one of the organizers of the wedding celebration of Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands.

Personal Life-Relationship with Brigitte Klynstra and Son

Prince Carlos had a relationship with Brigitte Klynstra (born 10 January 1959), the stepdaughter of Count Adolph van Rechteren Limburg. During this relationship he fathered a son:

-Carlos Hugo Roderik Sybren Klynstra (born 20 January 1997 in Nijmegen). In December 2015, the now 18 year old Carlos Hugo Roderik Sybren Klynstra has started the legal procedure to opt for the possibility to change his surname to that of his biological father (Prince Carlos) by Royal decree. If Carlos Hugo would succeed in this procedure he would be nobled upon these charges because he would then be legitimized by law (Nobility Act 1994) and would henceforth be known as His Royal Highness Prince Carlos Hugo Roderik Sybren Bourbon of Parma

Marriage with Annemarie Gualtherie van Weezel

On 7 October 2009 it was announced through his mother's private secretary that Prince Carlos would marry Annemarie Cecilia Gualtherie van Weezel. The civil marriage took place on 12 June 2010 at Wijk bij Duurstede. The church wedding was to have taken place at the La Cambre Abbey in Ixelles on 28 August, but it was postponed owing to his father's illness. Prince Carlos Hugo died shortly afterwards.

Annemarie (born The Hague, 18 December 1977) is the daughter of Johan (Hans) Stephan Leonard Gualtherie van Weezel and Gerarda Gezine Jolande (Ank) Visser (The Vissers are members of the Dutch nobility). Her father was a member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands for the Christian Democratic party, the Dutch ambassador to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and the ambassador to Luxembourg. Gualtherie van Weezel's paternal grandfather was Jan Hans Gualtherie van Weezel, who was the head of the police in The Hague and member of the Dutch resistance during the Second World War. Annemarie Gualtherie van Weezel went to secondary school in Strasbourg and obtained a Master of Laws degree at the University of Utrecht. Subsequently, she completed a post-graduate study in Radio and Television journalism at the University of Groningen. Gualtherie van Weezel works as a parliamentary journalist in The Hague and Brussels for the Dutch public channel NOS. In Brussels, she met Prince Carlos for the first time.

On 2 August 2010, it was revealed that the health of his father, the Duke of Parma, was quickly deteriorating due to cancer. As a consequence, the church wedding of the Prince Carlos and his fiancee was delayed. In a final announcement about his condition, the Duke confirmed Carlos as the next Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma. Just before his death the old Duke of Parma named Annemarie as (Countess of Molina). Prince Carlos's father died on 18 August 2010 in Barcelona, Spain, at the age of 80; Carlos subsequently became the next head of the House of Bourbon-Parma.

The new Duke of Parma and Annemarie were married on 20 November 2010 in La Cambre Abbey. Together they have two daughters and a son:

-Her Royal Highness Princess Luisa Irene Constance Anna Maria of Bourbon-Parma, The Marchioness of Castell'Arquato (born 9 May 2012 in The Hague)

-Her Royal Highness Princess Cecilia Maria Johanna Beatrix of Bourbon-Parma, The Countess of Berceto (born 17 October 2013 in The Hague)

-His Royal Highness Prince Carlos Enrique Leonard of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Piacenza (born 24 April 2016 in The Hague)

In 2016 at the baptism of Prince Carlos Enrique, Prince Carlo conferred on his son the title (Prince of Piacenza), which is the traditional title assigned to a crown prince of the House of Bourbon-Parma, the continuer of the dynasty, and future Duke of Parma and Piacenza. In September 2017 , the Duke of Parma named his daughter Luisa (Marchioness of Castell'Arquato) and her younger sister Cecilia was named as (Countess of Berceto).

His Rights As The Carlist Pretender

Carlos Xavier, in an interview with the newspaper La Vanguardia, he says:

I don't set out dynastic lawsuits.

-Barcelona, October 11th 2010

Due to his morganatic marriage in 2010, he lost his claim to the Spanish throne (following the Spanish Law of the Pragmatic Sanction of 1776, which has not been abolished and only be bypassed with a dispensation from the king of Spain).

Titles, Styles and Honors

Titles and Styles

2 September 1996-18 August 2010: His Royal Highness The Prince of Piacenza

18 August 2010-present: His Royal Highness The Duke of Parma and Prince of Piacenza

In The Netherlands: 15 May 1996-present: His Royal Highness Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma

House: Bourbon-Parma

Religion: Roman Catholic

(https://infogalactic.com)