Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro

Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro (born 24 February 1963) is one of two claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and thus also as Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George as well as the Royal Order of Francis I.

Carlo was born at Saint-Raphaël, Var, France, the only son of Ferdinand, Duke of Castro, and his wife, Chantal de Chevron-Villette. He was baptised in France with the names Charles Marie Bernarde Gennaro. He generally uses the Italian form of his name Carlo.

Carlo was educated at the Institute of the Marist Fathers at Toulon, France. He went on to study at a namesake of the Collège Stanislas de Paris located in Nice, France. After studying at an international university in Paris, he spent three years working for a public relations firm in Manhattan. He is fluent in Italian, French and English.

In 2008, Carlo succeeded his father as claimant to the headship of the House of the Two Sicilies. As head of the house, he uses the title Duke of Castro.

Carlo's supporters state that since his grandfather's brother Infante Carlos renounced his rights and those of his successors to succession to the throne of the Two Sicilies in 1900, the headship of the house passed to Carlo's grandfather Ranieri, Duke of Castro, then to Carlo's father Ferdinand, Duke of Castro, and most recently to Carlo. Infante Carlos's claims to be the Duke of Calabria and head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies are recognized by the previous Spanish King Juan Carlos of Spain, while the other royal families (and all other Bourbon-Two Sicilies members) recognize the Castro claim.

Carlo is married to Camilla Crociani.

They have two children:

• HRH Princess Maria-Carolina Chantal Edoarda Beatrice Januaria of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Palermo (23 June 2003) born in Rome
• HRH Princess Maria Chiara Amalia Carola Louise Carmen of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Capri (1 January 2005) born in Rome

Royal Godfather

On 14 April 2011, the Duke and Duchess of Castro attended the joint christening of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark's twin children, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine at the chapel of the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen, Denmark. Carlo is one of six godparents to Princess Josephine. The Duke of Castro is also a godfather of Prince Gaston of Orléans.

Titles

• 24 February 1963 - 13 January 1973: His Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Noto
• 13 January 1973 – 20 March 2008: His Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria
• 20 March 2008 – Present: His Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, 10th Duke of Castro

Honours

National honours

National dynastic honours

• House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: 10th Sovereign Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Januarius
• House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: 54th Sovereign Knight Grand Cross with Collar of Justice of the Two Sicilian Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
• House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: 9th Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit
• House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: 10th Sovereign of the Royal Order of the Two-Sicilies
• House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: 9th Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint George and Reunion
• House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: 8th Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I

National state honours

• Italian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
•  Italy: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
  •  Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 3rd First Class
  •  Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Meriti, Special Class

Foreign honours

•  Albania: Grand Cross of the Order of George Kastrioti Skanderbeg
•  Colombia: Grand Cross of the Order of San Carlos
•  Costa Rica: Grand Cross of the National Order of Juan Mora Fernández
•  Dominica: Commander of the Dominica Award of Honour
•  Hungary: Recipient of the Medal of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, 1st Class
•  Kosovo: Recipient of the Mother Teresa Humanitarian Medal
•  Lebanon: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Special Class
• Montenegrin Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Danilo I, Special Class
•  Panama: Grand Cross of the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa
• Portuguese Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
•  San Marino: Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Agatha
•  Syria: Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit
•  Tonga: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Household Order, 1st Class
•  Antigua & Barbuda: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Nation
•  Yemen: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Unification
•  United States of America:
  •  Texas: Admiral in the Texas Navy

Awards

National awards

•  Italy: Key to the City of L'Aquila
•  Italy: Honorary Citizen of the Town of Pescina

Foreign awards

•  Albania: Freedom of the City of Tirana
• Melkite Syrian Catholic Church: Knight Grand Cross of the Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross
•  United Kingdom: Freedom of the City of London
•  United Kingdom: Companion of the Order of Mercy

• ^ Constantanian.org.uk, Page in which Carlo's titles and orders are listed
• ^ GettyImages, Carlo wearing national dynastic and state medals
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/illustrious-royal-order-of-saint-januarius/
• Carlo wearing the grand cross set of Januarius
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/the-constantinian-orders-relationship-with-the-savoy-dynasty-of-italy/
• "Le Onorificenze". Website: Presidenza Della Repubblica (in Italian). Office of the President of the Italian Republic. 1 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2011. BORBONE DELLE DUE SICILIE S.A.R. il Principe Carlo, Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Data del conferimento: 29 July 1996. English Translation: Borbon of the Two Sicilies, H.R.H The Prince Carlo, Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Date conferred: 29 July 1996. 
• wearing the Necklet of malta
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/constantinian-order-grand-master-honoured-order-malta/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/president-albania-decorates-grand-master-grand-prior-constantinian-order-2/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/colombias-president-santos-honoured-for-peace-building/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/duke-of-calabria-cardinal-pompedda-awarded-the-national-order-of-juan-mora-fernandez-by-costa-rican-president/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/duke-of-calabria-hosts-banquet-for-president-of-costa-rica/
• http://news.gov.dm/index.php/news/1951-he-charles-savarin-and-pm-skerrit-awarded-knight-grand-cross-of-merit
• http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/state-visit-hungary/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/president-kosovo-decorates-grand-master-grand-prior-constantinian-order/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/royalty-magazine-london-june-2004/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/exchange-of-honours-between-the-constantinian-order-and-the-royal-order-of-danilo-i-of-montenegro/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/duke-of-castro-duke-of-calabria-and-cardinal-pompedda-receive-highest-honours-from-the-president-of-panama/
• http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/duke-castro-invested-portuguese-royal-order-vila-vicosa/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/chi-magazine-rome-april-2004/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/duke-duchess-of-castro-honoured-by-the-king-of-tonga/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/constantinian-orders-grand-master-cardinal-grand-prior-officially-visit-antigua-barbuda-launch-extensive-caribbean-wide-charitable-programme/
• http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/en/caribbean-november-1st-2014-official-visit-t-r-h-prince-princess-charles-bourbon-two-sicilies-duke-duchess-castro-caribbean/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/president-ali-abdullah-saleh-of-yemen-is-invested-into-the-order-of-francesco-i-duke-of-calabria-receives-highest-yemeni-decoration-on-behalf-of-the-constantinian-order/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/duke-and-duchess-of-calabria-and-grand-prior-cardinal-pompedda-pay-visit-to-abruzzi-and-molise-italy-and-receive-the-keys-of-the-city/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/duke-of-calabria-and-cardinal-pompedda-granted-honorary-citizenship-by-the-mayor-of-pescina/
• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/mayor-tirana-awards-freedom-city-tirana-duke-castro-cardinal-martino-2/
• Independent Catholic News
• http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/en/duke-castro-receives-companions-badge-league-mercy/

Foreign

•  United Kingdom
  •  England: Patron of The Passage Charity

• http://www.constantinian.org.uk/the-duke-and-duchess-of-calabria-become-patrons-of-the-passage-homeless-charity/