Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Jordan Bardella: On the Matter of the Title “Duchess of Calabria”
Recent press reports, in connection with her association with the far-right French politician Jordan Bardella — President of the Rassemblement National (RN) since November 2022 — have referred to Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as the “Duchess of Calabria,” and in certain instances even as the future heiress to the Headship of the Royal House. A dispassionate clarification therefore appears necessary.
For Princess Maria Carolina is not, and cannot be, Duchess of Calabria. Her father, Prince Charles of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, an agnate of the House, in a solemn dynastic agreement dated 25th January 2014, expressly acknowledged that this title rightfully belonged to the late Infante Don Carlos and would in due course pass to his son, Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria. A fuller exposition of this matter may be consulted, inter alia, in Questions 13 to 15 of the FAQ section on our website www.constantinorden.org.
The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies constitutes a branch of the Spanish Royal House. On 8th March 1984, following a thorough examination of the question by five high organs of the Spanish State, the Head of the Royal Household of His Majesty the King of Spain formally recognised Don Carlos, Duke of Calabria, as Head of the Two Sicilies branch and as Grand Master of the Constantinian Order of Saint George. This determination rested upon a rigorous historical and legal enquiry, and retains its full validity to the present day.
The assumption of the titles “Calabria” and “Noto” by Princess Maria Carolina and her sister Maria Chiara thus constitutes a direct breach of the 2014 agreement. The contention that Princess Maria Carolina is heiress to the Headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is a fiction which not only stands in contradiction to the Spanish determination of 1984, but is, under the House laws of the family, quite simply impossible.
That these matters should concern us is by no means a question of mere protocol or titular vanity. The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is one of the oldest orders of Christian chivalry, and in its present activity is devoted, week in and week out, to works of a religious, humanitarian, and cultural nature: to the support of the Catholic faith and the Holy See, to charitable endeavours on behalf of the poor, the sick, and the displaced, and to the preservation of the historical and artistic patrimony entrusted to its care. A continuously updated record of these undertakings — drawn from reports published across the Order’s delegations worldwide and diligently maintained may be consulted at www.constantinianorder.us.
The usurpation of the titles and dignities attaching to the Grand Magistracy is therefore no matter of heraldic nicety, but touches directly upon the integrity, the reputation, and ultimately the capacity for good of an Order which, for nearly five centuries, has laboured in the service of Christendom and the common weal.
The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (SMOCSG) sets great store by a dispassionate and transparent presentation of the historical and dynastic realities. The facts here set forth rest upon the family agreement of 2014 and the Spanish recognition of 1984, and are comprehensively documented.
We do not regard ourselves as a party in opposition, but rather as custodians of a tradition reaching back over centuries, founded upon truth, history, and mutual respect. We remain at all times most willing to engage in enquiry, discussion, and open dialogue.