Francisco de Borbón y Escasany, 5th Duke of Seville


Francisco de Paula Enrique de Borbón y Escasany, 5th Duke of Seville, Grandee of Spain, is the current Duke of Seville and a distant relative of the Spanish royal family. He is a businessman and has been involved in banking, real estate and other commercial activities.

Early life

He was born in Madrid and is the eldest child of Francisco de Borbón y Borbón, who was the younger son of Francisco de Borbón y de la Torre and Enriqueta de Borbón y Parade, 4th Duchess of Seville. His mother was Enriqueta Escasany y Miguel, the daughter of Ignacio Escasany y Ancell and Enriqueta de Miguel y Mas, 2nd Marquesa de Pobla de Claramunt.
His paternal grandparents were first cousins, both being grandchildren of Infante Enrique of Spain. The Duke of Seville is a member of the Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon and is a relative of King Felipe VI of Spain, since both of them are male-line descendants of King Charles IV of Spain.

Duke of Seville

After the death of his grandmother, Enriqueta de Borbón y Parade, he inherited the title of Duke of Seville. His father had renounced his own rights to succeed to the title in 1968.

Marriages and children

He was married on 7 July 1973 at Baden-Baden to Countess Beatrice Wilhelmine Paula von Hardenberg, daughter of Count Günther von Hardenberg and his wife, Princess Maria Josepha of Fürstenberg. The couple had three children and divorced on 30 June 1989 in Madrid.
They had two daughters and one son:
He married for the second time on 19 October 1991 at Vienna to Isabelle Eugénie Karanitsch, daughter of Franz M. Karanitsch and Tatjana Cimlov Karacevcev. They had no children and divorced on 17 June 1993 in Madrid.
He married for the third time on 2 September 2000 at Marbella to María de los Ángeles de Vargas-Zúñiga y Juanes, daughter of Manuel de Vargas-Zúñiga y la Calzada and María de los Ángeles de Juanes y Lago. They have no children together.

The Order of Saint Lazarus

The Duke of Seville was elected as 48th Grand Master of the Order of Saint Lazarus on 5 October 1996 at Santa Maria della Passione in Milan, Italy. He succeeded his father, who had been Grand Master of the Order since 1956.
He retired from his position of Grand Master in 2008 and was succeeded by his cousin, Carlos Gereda y de Borbón, Marqués de Almazán. The Duke of Seville was then given the title of Grand Master Emeritus. In 2018, the Duke of Seville's son was elected as 50th Grand Master of the Order of Saint Lazarus, succeeding Carlos Gereda y de Borbón.

French succession

Since he is a direct male-line descendant of King Louis XIV of France, he is in the legitimist line of succession to the French throne.

Distinctions

Titles and styles

His patriline is the line from which he is descended from father to son.
Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations, which means that he is a member of the House of Bourbon.
;House of Bourbon
  1. Robert of Hesbaye, c. 765–807
  2. Robert III of Worms, 800–834
  3. Robert the Strong, 820–866
  4. Robert I of France, 866–923
  5. Hugh the Great, 898–956
  6. Hugh Capet, c. 939–996
  7. Robert II of France, 972–1031
  8. Henry I of France, 1008–1060
  9. Philip I of France, 1052–1108
  10. Louis VI of France, 1081–1137
  11. Philip II of France, 1165–1223
  12. Louis VIII of France, 1187–1226
  13. Louis IX of France, 1214–1270
  14. Robert, Count of Clermont, 1256–1317
  15. Louis I, Duke of Bourbon, 1279–1342
  16. James I, Count of La Marche, 1319–1362
  17. John I, Count of La Marche, 1344–1393
  18. Louis, Count of Vendôme, 1376–1446
  19. John VIII, Count of Vendôme, 1426–1478
  20. Francis, Count of Vendôme, 1470–1495
  21. Charles, Duke of Vendôme, 1489–1537
  22. Antoine of Navarre, Duke of Vendôme, 1518–1562
  23. Henry IV of France, 1553–1610
  24. Louis XIII of France, 1601–1643
  25. Louis XIV of France, 1638–1715
  26. Louis, Grand Dauphin of France, 1661–1711
  27. Philip V of Spain, 1683–1746
  28. Charles III of Spain, 1716–1788
  29. Charles IV of Spain, 1748–1819
  30. Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain, 1794–1865
  31. Infante Enrique, Duke of Seville, 1823–1870
  32. Francisco de Paula de Borbón y Castellví, 1853–1942
  33. Francisco de Borbón y de la Torre, 1882–1952
  34. Francisco de Borbón y Borbón, 1912–1995
  35. Francisco de Borbón y Escasany, 5th Duke of Seville, b. 1943