Carlos III of Spain and his family

[umigon]

He was styled Infante of Spain after his uncle Ferdinand VI gave him the title right after his birth. When he was deprived of his succession rights in 1759 it was established that he would never bear the title of Prince of Asturias but, as a son of the King of Spain, even if Ferdinand hadn't granted him the title, he would have automatically become an infante of Spain after his father's accesion to the Crown.

So he was Duke of Calabria, a Prince of Naples and Sicily ... and an Infante of Spain.


He was left behind in Naples because it was thought that he would be a political embarrasment. They also thought it would be better for his mental and physical health, as in Naples, don Felipe had lived all his life, he had his attendants, doctors and nurses there. So, to sum up, it was thought wiser to live him in his "natural" habit rather than take him to a strange environment where he would not only might have become unhappy, but where he also represented a political embarrasment. I know it sounds  tough, but that was how things were done back then!

[REMI]

He was styled Infante of Spain after his uncle Ferdinand VI gave him the title right after his birth. When he was deprived of his succession rights in 1759 it was established that he would never bear the title of Prince of Asturias but, as a son of the King of Spain, even if Ferdinand hadn't granted him the title, he would have automatically become an infante of Spain after his father's accesion to the Crown.

So he was Duke of Calabria, a Prince of Naples and Sicily ... and an Infante of Spain.

I don't think the title "infante of Spain" is granted automatically...A royal decree is always necessary .Carlos III and Maria Amalia of Saxony fathered 13 children. In the official list of the infantes, you can read that all of them beared the title of "infante of Spain" EXCEPT  Don Filippo di Borbone, duca di Calabria, principe di Napoli e di Sicilia...

REMI

[umigon]

A royal decree is necessary when a "new" infante is created, an "infante de gracia" such as the sons of a king's brother might be. That was the case when Felipe was born and Fernando VI granted him the title. But in Spain, the legitimate children of a King and of a Prince of Asturias are born being Infantes and Infantas of Spain. The title of the Prince of Asturias must be, indeed, granted and sworn by the King and Cortes respectively, but in the other cases the children receive it immediately after being born or after their father sits on the throne, which was not the case of Felipe and his siblings, as they had received the title from their uncle Fernando.

[duchesse de Chartres]

Prince Filippo of Naples and Sicily, Infante of Spain, baptised Filippo Antonio Gennaro Pasquale Francesco de Paula of Naples and Sicily. He was the Duke of Calabria and eldest son of Charles III of Spain.

Born at Portici he was the heir to the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily but was excluded from the succession due to being [rather crudly put these days] an imbecile; does anyone know what exactly was wrong with him? when it was discovered? also any stories would be much appreciated =]

[REMI]

Prince Filippo of Naples and Sicily, Infante of Spain, baptised Filippo Antonio Gennaro Pasquale Francesco de Paula of Naples and Sicily. He was the Duke of Calabria and eldest son of Charles III of Spain.

Born at Portici he was the heir to the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily but was excluded from the succession due to being [rather crudly put these days] an imbecile; does anyone know what exactly was wrong with him? when it was discovered? also any stories would be much appreciated =]

Don Filippo di Borbone, duca di Calabria, royal prince of Naples et Sicily, eldest son of Don Carlo VII, king of Naples et Sicily (future king Don Carlos III of Spain in 1759), born in Royal Palace of Naples (not in Portici), was totally imbecile from birth..
But it was said that the child had become idiot after a seizure of epilepsy: his nurse would have given the breast after a violent quarrell !!! (in Los diamantes de la corona, of Juan Balanso, in spanish...)
When his father went to Madrid with his second son Don Carlo, future prince of Asturias et later King Don Carlos IV of Spain, Don Filippo stayed in Napoli. He was left to the care of  his brother, the new King Ferdinand IV, the third son of Don Carlos III.
 Don Filippo di Borbone died in Royal Palace of Napoli on September 19, 1777 at the age of 30 years.The Duke of Fernando Nunez, in his "Historia de Carlos III", wrote that this poor prince liked much music...

REMI

[duchesse de Chartres]

Prince Filippo of Naples and Sicily, Infante of Spain, baptised Filippo Antonio Gennaro Pasquale Francesco de Paula of Naples and Sicily. He was the Duke of Calabria and eldest son of Charles III of Spain.

Born at Portici he was the heir to the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily but was excluded from the succession due to being [rather crudly put these days] an imbecile; does anyone know what exactly was wrong with him? when it was discovered? also any stories would be much appreciated =]

Don Filippo di Borbone, duca di Calabria, royal prince of Naples et Sicily, eldest son of Don Carlo VII, king of Naples et Sicily (future king Don Carlos III of Spain in 1759), born in Royal Palace of Naples (not in Portici), was totally imbecile from birth..
But it was said that the child had become idiot after a seizure of epilepsy: his nurse would have given the breast after a violent quarrell !!! (in Los diamantes de la corona, of Juan Balanso, in spanish...)
When his father went to Madrid with his second son Don Carlo, future prince of Asturias et later King Don Carlos IV of Spain, Don Filippo stayed in Napoli. He was left to the care of  his brother, the new King Ferdinand IV, the third son of Don Carlos III.
 Don Filippo di Borbone died in Royal Palace of Napoli on September 19, 1777 at the age of 30 years.The Duke of Fernando Nunez, in his "Historia de Carlos III", wrote that this poor prince liked much music...

REMI

i c, are you sure it was naples?! i have alwaaaays seen it as Portici and more often precisely the Palace that his parents erected in the town which can still be seen today lol..

[REMI]

You may be right....Indeed, Harold Acton has written, in his book "The Bourbons of Naples" (chapter IV):"On the 13 of june 1747, the Court happened to be in Portici when a new birth was expected..." Nevertheless, other authors have don Filippo come into the world in Naples. In another text, I have read that seven children out thirteen were born in Portici.
Don Filippo lived recluse in Capodimonte till his death. He was out twice a year to show people he was really stupid. But the poor boy with no intelligence was gifted with a strong sexual appetite.
Sir William Hamilton said "on several occasions, the prince has escaped the vigilance his guards. He grabbed the ladies who passed through the corridors. More than one has been rescued from his embraces in the critical moment."

REMI

[CountessKate]

Maria Amalia of Saxony lost her looks fairly early on, due to smallpox, but was apparently considered reasonably pretty up to then.  Her painting at age 14 by Louis de Silvestre, in the Prado, shows quite an attractive face.

I would be inclined to take the Silvestre portrait as likely to be a closer likeness since Silvestre painted the Saxon royal family frequently; but there seems to be a very wide variation in portraits of Maria Amalia generally and hardly any of them look like each other, so without any contemporary comments it's hard to know if they are like her or not.