Francisco de Borbón y Escasany, 5th Duke of Seville

He was born in Madrid and is the eldest child of Francisco de Borbón y Borbón (1912–1995), who was the son of Francisco de Borbón y de la Torre and Enriqueta de Borbón y Parade, 4th Duchess of Seville. His mother was Enriqueta Escasany y Miguel (1925–1962), the daughter of Ignacio Escasany y Ancell and Enriqueta de Miguel y Mas, 2nd Marquesa de Pobla de Claramunt.

His paternal grandparents were first cousins, both being grandchildren of Infante Enrique of Spain. The Duke of Seville is a member of the Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon and is a relative of King Felipe VI of Spain, since both of them are male-line descendants of King Charles IV of Spain.

After the death of his grandmother, Enriqueta de Borbón y Parade, he inherited the title of Duke of Seville. His father had renounced his own rights to succeed to the title in 1968.

He was married on 7 July 1973 at Baden-Baden to Countess Beatrice von Hardenberg (born 1947), daughter of Count Günther von Hardenberg and his wife, Princess Maria Josepha of Fürstenberg. The couple had three children and divorced in 1989.

They have two daughters and one son:

• Olivia de Borbón y Hardenberg (born 6 April 1974), entrepreneur and PR for jewelry brands
• Cristina de Borbón y Hardenberg (born 2 September 1975), chef and catering service operator
• Francisco de Borbón y Hardenberg (born 21 January 1979), entrepreneur and also appeared on the first season of TLC's reality television series, Secret Princes.

He married for the second time on 19 October 1991 at Vienna to Isabelle Karanitsch (born 1959). They had no children and divorced in 1993. He married for the third time on 2 September 2000 at Marbella to María de los Angeles de Vargas-Zuñiga (born 1958). They have no children together.

Coat of arms as Grand Master of the Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910)

He was elected as the 48th Grand Master of the Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910) (Malta Obedience) on 5 October 1996 in Santa Maria della Passione, Milan, Italy. He succeeded his father, who had been the Grand Master of the Order since 1959. He retired from his position of Grand Master in 2008 and was succeeded by his cousin, Don Carlos Gereda y de Borbón, Marqués de Almazán. The Duke of Seville was then given the title of Grand Master Emeritus.

Since he is a direct male-line descendant of King Louis XIV of France, he is in the legitimist line of succession to the French throne.

Titles and styles

• 16 November 1943 – 1968: Don Francisco de Borbón y Escasany
• 1968 – present: The Most Excellent The Duke of Seville

Honours

• Grand Master (1996-2008) of the Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910)
• Knight of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ
• Consejero Magistral (President) of the Corps of the Asturian Nobility

Patrilineal descent

• Profile, Genealogics.org; accessed 18 February 2015.
• Profile, thePeerage.com; accessed 18 February 2015.
• The Royal House of Stuart, London, 1969, 1971, 1976, Addington, A. C., Reference: II 97