Prince René of Bourbon-Parma
Encyclopedia
Prince René of Bourbon-Parma (17 October 1894 – 30 July 1962) was the seventh surviving son of Robert I, Duke of Parma
, and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal
. He is the father of Queen Anne of Romania
, the wife of Michael I
, former King of Romania
.
. By his father's first and second marriages, Rene had over fifteen siblings. Two of the most famous included Empress Zita of Austria and Prince Felix
, the consort of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
.
. She was a daughter of Prince Valdemar of Denmark
(himself a younger son of Christian IX of Denmark
) by his wife Princess Marie of Orléans. Though her father was a Lutheran, Margaret had been raised in her mother's Catholic faith. Her parents had agreed before the marriage that all their sons would be raised as Lutherans, their father's religion, and that all their daughters would be raised Roman Catholic.
The couple had four children:
Prince Rene was a French citizen. A few weeks before the birth of their first child, Rene and his wife traveled to Paris a few weeks in order to ensure he was born on French soil. The birth was witnessed by Rene's three brothers.
, René traveled to Finland, deciding to volunteer for service with the Finnish army. Later in the war, Rene and his family fled to the United States.
. From there they went to Portugal
and then to the United States
.
In 1953, Prince Rene was halted by irate motorists for driving while intoxicated, according to a police statement. As a result, Frederick IX of Denmark
forbade Rene from driving an automobile in Denmark for a year. Frederick apparently told Rene to find someone else to drive him if the Prince desired to travel somewhere within the year.
In 1964, Rene's eldest son, Prince Jacques, was killed. He was a motor sport enthusiast, and died in a traffic accident on a highway in Denmark. Rene himself died on 30 July 1962 at the age of 67.
Robert I, Duke of Parma
Robert I was the last sovereign Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1854 to 1859, when the duchy was annexed to Sardinia-Piedmont during the unification of Italy...
, and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal
Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal
Infanta Maria Antónia of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta, the seventh and last child of Miguel I of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.-Infanta of...
. He is the father of Queen Anne of Romania
Queen Anne of Romania
Queen Anne of Romania , is the wife of the former King Michael I of Romania.She is a niece of Empress Zita of Austria and a great niece of Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia.-Early life:...
, the wife of Michael I
Michael I of Romania
Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation...
, former King of Romania
King of Romania
King of the Romanians , rather than King of Romania , was the official title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when Romania was proclaimed a republic....
.
Family
Prince Rene's mother was Duke Robert's second wife Princess Maria Antonia, a daughter of the exiled King Miguel I of PortugalMiguel of Portugal
Dom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
. By his father's first and second marriages, Rene had over fifteen siblings. Two of the most famous included Empress Zita of Austria and Prince Felix
Felix of Bourbon-Parma
Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma , later Prince Félix of Luxembourg, was the husband of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and the father of her six children, including Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.-Early life:Prince Félix was one of the...
, the consort of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg was the reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 1919 to 1964.-Early life and life as Grand Duchess:...
.
Marriage and issue
On 9 June 1921, Prince René married Princess Margaret of Denmark in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. She was a daughter of Prince Valdemar of Denmark
Prince Valdemar of Denmark
Prince Valdemar of Denmark, GCTE was a member of the Danish Royal Family, the youngest son of Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Luise of Hesse-Kassel...
(himself a younger son of Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
) by his wife Princess Marie of Orléans. Though her father was a Lutheran, Margaret had been raised in her mother's Catholic faith. Her parents had agreed before the marriage that all their sons would be raised as Lutherans, their father's religion, and that all their daughters would be raised Roman Catholic.
The couple had four children:
| Name | |Death | Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma Queen Anne of Romania Queen Anne of Romania , is the wife of the former King Michael I of Romania.She is a niece of Empress Zita of Austria and a great niece of Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia.-Early life:... | 18 September 1923 (age 88) | married king Michael I of Romania Michael I of Romania Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation... ; has issue |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma (Prince Michel Marie Xavier Waldemar Georg Robert Karl Eymar of Bourbon-Parma,) Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma (Prince Michel Marie Xavier Waldemar Georg Robert Karl Eymar of Bourbon-Parma,) (4 March 1926, Paris – 18 September... |
4 March 1926 (age 85) | married 1st, Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel; 5 children & 2nd, Princess Maria Pia of Savoy Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma is the eldest daughter of Umberto II of Italy and Marie-José of Belgium... ; no issue |
|||
| Prince André of Bourbon-Parma | 6 March 1928 (age 83) | married 1960 to Marina Gacry; had issue | |||
Prince Rene was a French citizen. A few weeks before the birth of their first child, Rene and his wife traveled to Paris a few weeks in order to ensure he was born on French soil. The birth was witnessed by Rene's three brothers.
Service in World War II
Near the beginning of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, René traveled to Finland, deciding to volunteer for service with the Finnish army. Later in the war, Rene and his family fled to the United States.
Later life
The family was relatively poor. They chiefly resided in France. In 1939 the family fled from the Nazis and escaped to SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. From there they went to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and then to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 1953, Prince Rene was halted by irate motorists for driving while intoxicated, according to a police statement. As a result, Frederick IX of Denmark
Frederick IX of Denmark
Frederick IX was King of Denmark from 20 April 1947 until his death on 14 January 1972....
forbade Rene from driving an automobile in Denmark for a year. Frederick apparently told Rene to find someone else to drive him if the Prince desired to travel somewhere within the year.
In 1964, Rene's eldest son, Prince Jacques, was killed. He was a motor sport enthusiast, and died in a traffic accident on a highway in Denmark. Rene himself died on 30 July 1962 at the age of 67.
