His Royal Highness The Duke of Castro
His Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, succeeded his father in March 2008 as Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies.
As Head of the Royal House, the Duke of Castro is automatically the Grand Master of his House Orders, which are the Royal Order of Saint Januarius, the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, the Royal Order of Francis I, the Royal Military Order of St. George and Reunion, and the Royal Order of St. Ferdinand and Merit.
His Royal Highness was born in Saint-Raphaël on 24 February 1963 and studied at the Institute of the Marist Fathers in Toulon and later at the College Stanislas in Nice, France. After studying at the Université Internationale Libre of Paris, the Duke of Castro worked for three years in New York in a leading public relations company.
Returning to Italy, His Royal Highness carried out several professional activities at leading Italian industries and corporations. The Duke of Castro is fluent in Italian, French and English.
For many years he has taken a keen and active role in the management and direction of his Family’s businesses and estates. As Grand Prefect, The Duke of Calabria personally managed the charitable, humanitarian, hospitaller and spiritual activities of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George in Italy as well as internationally.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Castro has been awarded numerous state and dynastic orders including:
- Knight of the Royal Order of St Januarius.
- Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.
- Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I
- Bailiff Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
- Knight Grand Cross of Merit of the Italian Republic.
- Syrian Order of Outstanding Merit (First Class) of the Syrian Arab Republic.
- Lebanese Order of Merit (Extraordinary Class) of the Republic of Lebanon.
- Order of Unification – 22 May (First Class with Collar) of the Republic of Yemen.
- Knight Grand Cross of the National Order of Juan Mora Fernandez of the Republic of Costa Rica.
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Vasco Nunez Balboa of the Republic of Panama.
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Maurice and Saint Lazarus of the Royal House of Savoy
- Knight Grand Cross with Silver Star of the Royal Order of Danilo I of the Royal house of Montenegro
- Knight Grand Cross of the Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church
On 31 October 1998 The Duke of Calabria married Miss Camilla Crociani in Monte Carlo, Monaco, who by marriage became Her Royal Highness Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duchess of Calabria.
Their Royal Highnesses currently have two children, HRH Princess Maria Carolina, who was born in Rome on 23 June 2003 and HRH Princess Maria Chiara, who was born in Rome on 1 January 2005. The baptism ceremony of HRH Princess Maria Carolina, which was conducted by His Eminence Mario Francesco, Cardinal Pompedda, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Segnatura, took place the Royal Palace of Caserta in Naples on Saturday 1st November 2003. Over seven hundred guests attended including many state and royal dignitaries from across the world.