Luis de Borbón y Farnesio, 13th Count of Chinchón

Don Luis Antonio Jaime de Borbón y Farnesio, de Baviera y d'Este, the Cardinal-Infante (Madrid, July 25, 1727 – Vila de Arenas de San Pedro, Ávila, August 7, 1785), Infante of Spain, Cardinal Deacon of the Title of the church of Santa Maria della Scala in Rome, Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain and 13th Conde de Chinchón Grandee of Spain First Class with a Coat of Arms of de Bourbon. Luis was a son of Philip V, King of Spain and his second wife, Elisabeth of Parma .

He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest-ever cardinal. [McWhirter, Ross, McFarlan, Donald, Boehm, David A., and McWhirter, Norris. 1989. "1990 Guinness Book of World Records". Sterling Pub. Co. p. 270.]

Life

Early Years

Luis was born the youngest son of King Philip V, King of Spain, and his second wife, Elizabeth Farnese. While barely eight years of age, Luis was created 699th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1735 and ordered Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain on September 9, 1735, and subsequently named and sacred Cardinal Deacon of the Title of the church of Santa Maria della Scala in Rome on December 19..

After the death of his older half brother, King Ferdinand VI of Spain in 1759, Luis had the opportunity to become King of Spain (Ferdinand VI passed away without issue). Luis tried to have his right to the throne recognized, claiming that he alone was born in Spain, and the only son of King Philip V still residing in Spain (his oldest surviving brother Charles was the King of Naples and Sicily, while his next older brother Philip was the duke of Parma). However valid his claim, Luis lost the succession to his oldest brother Charles, while Charles' third son became Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies.

The Infante Luis was a fan of the arts and culture, and a fan of musician Luigi Boccherini, architect Fortune Rodríguez and painters Francisco de Goya, Luis Paret and Fortress, and Chat Joseph Flipart.

Marriage

The King Charles III, fearful of his brother, exiled Luis far away to the Cut of Madrid. On June 27 (some say January 28), 1776 at Olias del Rey Luis contracted a morganatic marriage with an Aragonese aristocrat, "dona" María Teresa de Vallabriga y Rozas, Español y Drummond (September 5, 1758 – Zaragoza, February 16, 1820), 99th Noble Dame of the Royal Order of Queen María Luisa on December 7, 1800, 13th Condesa de Chinchón Grandee of Spain 1st Class, daughter of "don" José Ignacio de Vallabriga y Español, ... y ..., ?th Conde de Torrescasas, of the House of the Condes de Torres Levas, and wife "dona" Josefa de Rozas y Drummond, ... y .... This was much to the liking of Charles, because Luis now could not have children with a better claim to the throne.

Children

Since Luis' children had been born of a morganatic marriage, they could not receive royal titles, and thus the descendants of Charles were the legitimate Spanish heirs (even though the children of Charles had been born in Naples). The couple had four children: Luis María, Don Unnamed de Borbón y Vallabriga, Farnesio y Rozas (Cadahalso, 1778 – Cadahalso, 1778), a stillborn, María Teresa Carolina and Dona María Luisa de Borbón y Vallabriga, Farnesio y Rozas (Toledo, March 21, 1780 – Paris, December 1, 1846), 98th Noble Dame of the Royal Order of Queen María Luisa on October 10, 1800, married in 1817 Don Joaquín José de Melgarejo y Saurín, de Rojas y Ruíz-Dávalos (Cox, Alicante, January 23, 1780 – Madrid, April 9, 1835), 3rd Marqués de Melgarejo and 1st Duque de San Fernando de Quiroga Grandee of Spain First Class with a Coat of Arms of de Melgarejo, 39th Minister of External Affairs of Spain (September 12, 1819-March 18, 1820), without issue.

It should be noted that Charles had a great deal of appreciation and devotion to his younger brother, and even during his exile, Luis was treated quite well by the Spanish court. Luis loved his brother equally as much, which is why Luis later accepted Charles as King and accepted his exile. Despite this, Luis remained bitter and saddened by the fact that he lost the opportunity to be King. Luis died disgraced and in exile in 1785.

Ancestors

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1= 1. Infante Luis of Spain
2= 2. Philip V of Spain
3= 3. Elisabeth of Parma
4= 4. Louis, Dauphin of France
5= 5. Maria Anna of Bavaria
6= 6. Odoardo II Farnese
7= 7. Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg
8= 8. Louis XIV of France
9= 9. Maria Theresa of Spain
10= 10. Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria
11= 11. Henriette Adelaide of Savoy
12= 12. Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma
13= 13. Isabella of Modena
14= 14. Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine
15= 15. Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt
16= 16. Louis XIII of France
17= 17. Anna of Austria
18= 18. Philip IV of Spain
19= 19. Elisabeth of Bourbon
20= 20. Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
21= 21. Maria Anna of Austria
22= 22. Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
23= 23. Christine Marie of France
24= 24. Odoardo Farnese
25= 25. Margherita de Medici
26= 26. Francesco I d'Este
27= 27. Maria Caterina Farnese
28= 28. Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg
29= 29. Magdalene of Bavaria
30= 30. George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
31= 31. Sophia Eleonore of Saxony

References