Carlos, Prince of Piacenza

Infobox Bourbon-Parma Royalty|prince
name = Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma
title = Prince of Piacenza
Duke of Madrid
full name = Carlos Xavier Bernardo Sixto Marie

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imgw =
caption =
date of birth = birth date and age|1970|01|27
place of birth = Nijmegen
royal house = House of Bourbon-Parma
spouse =
issue = Carlos Klynstra
father = Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma
mother = Princess Irene of the Netherlands

Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Piacenza, Duke of Madrid (born 27 January 1970) is the eldest child of Princess Irene of the Netherlands and Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma. He is the heir apparent to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Parma.

Early life

Prince Carlos was born in Nijmegen. He has two younger sisters Princess Margarita and Princess Carolina, and one younger brother Prince Jaime. Carlos spent his youth in several countries including the Netherlands, Spain, France, England, and the United States. In 1981, when he was eleven, his parents decided to divorce. Together with his mother and her siblings he then moved to the Soestdijk Palace (Baarn), the then residence of the queen of the Netherlands. He lived at the palace for a number of years with his grandparents, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Consort Bernhard.

Education and career

Carlos studied political sciences at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and demography and philosophy at Cambridge University.

After completing his studies Carlos worked for the company ABN AMRO in Amsterdam, where he was involved with the preparations for the introduction of the euro. He then worked for a while in Brussels as a public affairs consultant for the company European Public Policy Advisors (EPPA). Since 2007 he is engaged in projects concerning durability in the business world.

Royal representative assignments

Carlos regularly performs representative tasks for the royal house of the Netherlands. In 2003 he was involved, together with his aunt Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, in the inauguration of the "Prince Claus Leerstoel". This is a professorship named after Prince Claus of the Netherlands, the late Prince Consort and husband of the present reigning queen Beatrix. During special events of the royal house he is regularly present. For example he was one of the organizers of the wedding celebration of Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands.

Ennoblement

Already a ducal prince from birth, his father bestowed the substantive title "Principe di Piacenza" (Prince of Piacenza) upon him on 2 September 1996 [cite book |title=Almanach de Gotha |edition=182nd |year=1998 |publisher=Almanach de Gotha |isbn=0953214206 |pages=55] , as well later on the Carlist title "Duque de Madrid" (Duke of Madrid) on 28 September 2003. [cite web |url=http://www.borbonparma.org/docs/sar.html |title=Palabras de S.A.R. el Príncipe Don Carlos Hugo de Borbón Parma en al acto de imposición de cruces de la Orden de la Legitimad Proscrita, celebrado el domingo día 28 de septiembre de 2003 en Arbonne |accessdate=2008-07-30 |publisher=House of Bourbon-Parma ] In 1996 he was incorporated into the Dutch Nobility by Queen Beatrix, with the highest noble title "Prins de Bourbon de Parme" (Prince of Bourbon-Parma) [cite web |url=http://www.hogeraadvanadel.nl/veertiende_adelslijst.pdf |title=The 14th list of nobility determined by royal decree on 9 June 2004 (Stb.307) Website of the High Council of Nobility in the Netherlands] and styled "Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid" (His Royal Highness). He doesn't officially belong either to the House of Orange-Nassau or the Dutch Royal House. As a grandson of Queen Juliana and nephew of the present queen Beatrix, he is, however, still a member of the extended Dutch Royal Family.

Personal life

Prince Carlos has an illegitimate son, named Carlos Klynstra. The child was born during his affair with Brigitte Klynstra, the stepdaughter of Count Adolph van Rechteren Limpurg, Lord of Enghuizen. Although he does not deny that the child is his, he does not recognize him legally.

References

External links

* [http://www.borbonparma.org/ Official website of the House of Bourbon-Parma]

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