Princess Carolina, Marchioness of Sala

Princess Maria "Carolina" Christina of Bourbon-Parma, Marchioness of Sala, Duchess of Guernica (born 23 June 1974) is the fourth and youngest child of Princess Irene of the Netherlands and Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma.

Early life

Princess Carolina was born at 23 June 1974 in Nijmegen. She has two older brothers Prince Carlos, the heir apparent of the House of Bourbon-Parma, and Prince Jaime. She also hase one older sister Princess Margarita. She was baptised at the castle of Lignières in France with Prince Claus of the Netherlands and Princess Christina of the Netherlands as her godparent.

In 1981, when she was six, his parents decided to divorce. She moved together with her mother and her brothers and sister to the Soestdijk Palace (Baarn), the then residence of the queen of the Netherlands. They lived at the palace for a number of years with her grandparents, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Consort Bernhard. Later on they lived for a while in a villa at Wijk bij Duurstede.

Education and career

Princess Carolina studied political science at University of Amsterdam and Harvard University. She has a career at the United Nations. For this organisation she was stationed at the UN headquarters in New York buth also in problematic areas like Eritrea, Gaza (Palestina), and in Atjeh (Indonesia) after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. At this moment she works in Geneva.

Other activities

The princess has been seen regularly at important events of the royal house of the Netherlands. In 2001 she was one of the maids of honor at the wedding of Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. And during the baptism of their daughter Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau, she was the godmother of the child. Also she was the witness at the church wedding of her cousin Prince Floris of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven.

Ennoblement

Already a ducal princess from birth, her father bestowed the substantive title "Marchesa di Sala" (Marchioness of Sala) upon her 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 "Duquesa de Gernika" (Duchess of Guernica) 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 she was incorporated into the Dutch Nobility by Queen Beatrix, with the highest noble title "Prinses de Bourbon de Parme" (Princess 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 "Hare Koninklijke Hoogheid" (Her Royal Highness). She doesn't officially belong either to the House of Orange-Nassau or the Dutch Royal House. As a granddaughter of Queen Juliana and niece of the present Queen Beatrix, she is, however, still a member of the extended Dutch Royal Family.

References

External links

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