Doña María de las Mercedes de Bórbon-Dos Sicilias y Orléans, Princess of the Two Sicilies, Infanta of Spain, Countess of Barcelona (María de las Mercedes Cristina Genara Isabel Luísa Carolina Victoria) (Madrid, December 23, 1910- Lanzarote, January 2, 2000) was the mother of current King Juan Carlos I of Spain. She was known in Spain as Doña María de las Mercedes de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y Orléans.

Doña María was born in Madrid, daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, a grandson of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, and his second wife, Prince Princess Louise of France, daughter of the Count of Paris. She was granted, at birth, the rank and precedence of an Infanta of Spain, although not the actual use of the title (she was, after all, technically, a Sicilian princess). Her family moved to Seville, when her father was made Military Captain General of the province. When the Second Spanish Republic forced them to exile, they lived in Cannes and later in Paris, when she studied art at the Louvre. [1]

On January 14th, 1935, she attended the wedding, in Rome, of Infanta Beatriz of Spain, daughter of Alfonso XIII. Here she met her distant cousin and future husband, the brother of the bride, the Infante Don Juan of Spain, fourth son and designated heir of king Alfonso XIII of Spain. They married in Rome on October 12, 1935. When her husband took the royal title of Count of Barcelona in 1942, Doña María gained the title of Countess of Barcelona.

They had four children:

HRH Infanta Doña Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz (born 1936)

HM Don Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (born 1938)

HRH Infanta Doña Margarita, Duchess of Soria, 2nd Duchess of Hernani (born 1939)

HRH Infante Don Alfonso of Spain (Alfonso Cristino Teresa Angelo Francisco de Asis y Todos los Santos) (1941–1956)

Styles of

The Countess of Barcelona

Reference style Her Royal Highness

Spoken style Your Royal Highness

Alternative style Madam

They lived in Cannes and Rome, and, with the outbreak of World War II, they moved to Lausanne to live with Queen Ena, the mother of Don Juan. Afterwards, they resided at Estoril, in Portugal.

On 1976, one year after the monarchy was restored in Spain in the person of her son Don Juan Carlos, they returned to Spain. She mediated between her son and her husband, estranged since Don Juan Carlos has been designated heir by Franco. In 1977, Don Juan renounced his rights in favour of their son, who officially allowed him to retain the title of Count of Barcelona.

She broke her hip in 1982 and the left femur in 1985, which forced her to use a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She became a widow in 1993.

She was a fervid fan of bull fighting and of the Andalusian culture. In 1995, her granddaughter Infanta Elena married in Seville in part because the Countess' love for the city.

She died of a heart attack in the royal residence of La Mareta, in Lanzarote, where the royal family was to celebrate the New Year [2]. She was buried with the honors of a Queen at the Royal Crypt of the monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial, near Madrid.

[edit] Ancestry

[show]v • d • eAncestors of Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

 16. Francis I of the Two Sicilies 

 8. Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies   

 17. Infanta Maria Isabella of Spain 

 4. Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta   

 18. Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen 

 9. Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria   

 19. Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg 

 2. Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies   

 20. Francis I of the Two Sicilies (= 16) 

 10. Prince Francis, Count of Trapani   

 21. Infanta Maria Isabella of Spain (= 17) 

 5. Princess Antonietta of the Two Sicilies   

 22. Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany 

 11. Archduchess Maria Isabella of Tuscany   

 23. Princess Maria Antonietta of the Two Sicilies 

 1. Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies   

 24. Louis-Philippe I of France 

 12. Prince Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans   

 25. Princess Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies 

 6. Prince Philippe, Count of Paris   

 26. Duke Frederick Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 

 13. Duchess Helena Luisa Elizabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin   

 27. Caroline Louise of Saxe-Weimer 

 3. Princess Louise of Orléans   

 28. Louis-Philippe I of France (= 24) 

 14. Prince Antoine, Duke of Montpensier   

 29. Princess Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies (= 25) 

 7. Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans   

 30. Ferdinand VII of Spain 

 15. Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain   

 31. Princess Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies 

Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

Born: 23 December 1910 Died: 2 January 2000

Titles in pretence

Preceded by

Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg — TITULAR —

Queen Consort of Spain

15 January 1941 – 22 November 1975

Reason for succession failure:

Monarchy abolished in 1931 Succeeded by

Sofia of Greece

— TITULAR —

Byzantine Empress

15 January 1941 – 22 November 1975

Reason for succession failure:

Fall of Constantinople led to Ottoman conquest of Byzantine Empire

--------------------

Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doña María de las Mercedes de Bórbon-Dos Sicilias y Orléans, Princess of the Two Sicilies, Infanta of Spain, Countess of Barcelona (María de las Mercedes Cristina Genara Isabel Luísa Carolina Victoria) (Madrid, December 23, 1910- Lanzarote, January 2, 2000) was the mother of current King Juan Carlos I of Spain. She was known in Spain as Doña María de las Mercedes de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y Orléans.

Doña María was born in Madrid, daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain, a grandson of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, and his second wife, Prince Princess Louise of France, daughter of the Count of Paris. She was granted, at birth, the rank and precedence of an Infanta of Spain, although not the actual use of the title (she was, after all, technically, a Sicilian princess). Her family moved to Seville, when her father was made Military Captain General of the province. When the Second Spanish Republic forced them to exile, they lived in Cannes and later in Paris, when she studied art at the Louvre. [1]

On January 14th, 1935, she attended the wedding, in Rome, of Infanta Beatriz of Spain, daughter of Alfonso XIII. Here she met her distant cousin and future husband, the brother of the bride, the Infante Don Juan of Spain, fourth son and designated heir of king Alfonso XIII of Spain. They married in Rome on October 12, 1935. When her husband took the royal title of Count of Barcelona in 1942, Doña María gained the title of Countess of Barcelona.

They had four children:

HRH Infanta Doña Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz (born 1936)

HM Don Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (born 1938)

HRH Infanta Doña Margarita, Duchess of Soria, 2nd Duchess of Hernani (born 1939)

HRH Infante Don Alfonso of Spain (Alfonso Cristino Teresa Angelo Francisco de Asis y Todos los Santos) (1941–1956)

They lived in Cannes and Rome, and, with the outbreak of World War II, they moved to Lausanne to live with Queen Ena, the mother of Don Juan. Afterwards, they resided at Estoril, in Portugal.

On 1976, one year after the monarchy was restored in Spain in the person of her son Don Juan Carlos, they returned to Spain. She mediated between her son and her husband, estranged since Don Juan Carlos has been designated heir by Franco. In 1977, Don Juan renounced his rights in favour of their son, who officially allowed him to retain the title of Count of Barcelona.

She broke her hip in 1982 and the left femur in 1985, which forced her to use a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She became a widow in 1993.

She was a fervid fan of bull fighting and of the Andalusian culture. In 1995, her granddaughter Infanta Elena married in Seville in part because the Countess' love for the city.

She died of a heart attack in the royal residence of La Mareta, in Lanzarote, where the royal family was to celebrate the New Year [2]. She was buried with the honors of a Queen at the Royal Crypt of the monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial, near Madrid.

References

^ Doña María de las Mercedes

^ Maria de Borbon, 89, Mother of Spain's King

PVD's 27th cousin thrice removed