House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
| House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | Kingdom of the Two Sicilies |
| Parent house | House of Bourbon |
| Titles | King of Naples, King of Sicily, King of the Two Sicilies |
| Founded | 1734 |
| Founder | Charles VII/V |
| Final ruler | Francis II |
| Current head |
Disputed: |
| Deposition | 1861 |
Disputed:
The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is a cadet Italian branch of the Spanish line of the House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male line. The name of Bourbon-Two Sicilies comes from the main name (Bourbon) and the other (Two Sicilies) from the title King of the Two Sicilies, itself a merger of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples.
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies resulted from the unification of the Kingdom of Sicily with the Kingdom of Naples (called the kingdom of peninsular Sicily), by King Alfonso V of Aragon in 1442. The two had been separated since the Sicilian Vespers of 1282. At the death of King Alfonso in 1458, the kingdom became divided between his brother John II of Aragon, who kept Sicily, and his bastard son Ferdinand, who became King of Naples.
When Prince Ferdinand Pius died in 1960, he left no direct male descendant, and two branches of the family claimed the right to succeed him as head of the house. Ferdinand Pius had two younger brothers, Carlos (1870–1949) and Ranieri (1883–1973). By the rule of primogeniture, headship would normally pass to Carlos and though him to his son Alfonso. Ranieri contested Alfonso's claim arguing that Carlos had renounced any claim to the Two Sicilies succession on the part of himself or his heirs when he executed the Act of Cannes in 1900 in anticipation of his marriage the next year to Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, heiress presumptive to the Spanish throne. Alfonso offered a different interpretation of the Act of Cannes, describing it as effective only if Carlos should succeed to the Spanish throne. He also took the position that the Act of Cannes was invalid under the succession rules of the house of Two Sicilies itself. The dispute remains unresolved.
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