Who is Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Spanish Celebrities Born In April

Also Known As: Louis Alphonse de Bourbon, Luis Alfonso de Borbón y de Martinez, Louis XX

Age: 50 Years, 50 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Duchess of Anjou (m. 2004), Marie Marguerite

father: Alfonso de Borbón-Segovia, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz

mother: María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco

siblings: Duke of Bourbon, Francisco de Asís

children: Duke of Berry, Duke of Burgundy, Prince Alphonse, Prince Louis, Princess Eugénie

Born Country: Spain

Emperors & Kings Spanish Men

City: Madrid, Spain

More Facts

awards: Knights of the Order of the Holy Spirit
Knight in the order of Saint-Michel

Recommended For You

1

What are Louis Alphonse's official titles?

Louis Alphonse is officially known as His Royal Highness Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou.
2

What is Louis Alphonse's claim to the French throne?

Louis Alphonse is considered by Legitimist royalists as the rightful heir to the French throne.
3

Where does Louis Alphonse reside?

Louis Alphonse resides in Madrid, Spain.
4

What languages does Louis Alphonse speak?

Louis Alphonse is fluent in Spanish, French, and English.
5

What are Louis Alphonse's hobbies?

Louis Alphonse is known to enjoy horseback riding and skiing as his hobbies.

Recommended Lists:

Spanish People

Spanish Monarchs

Spanish Historical Personalities

Childhood & Early Life

Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou was born on April 25, 1974 in Madrid, Spain into the Royal House of Bourbon. He is the second son of Alfonso de Borbón, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz, and his wife Doña María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco, the granddaughter of Francisco Franco.

He had an elder brother, François de Bourbon, who died in a car accident on February 7, 1984 in Pamplona while returning from a ski trip in the Pyrenees. His father, who was driving the car, had to go through six operations, while he himself was in the hospital for a month to recover from injuries.

His parents, Alfonso and Carmen, separated in 1979, received a civil divorce 1982, and their Catholic marriage was finally annulled in 1986. His father obtained custody of his two sons, but after the car accident, a Spanish court had granted Carmen temporary custody of him, but restored custody to his father six months later.

His mother lived with Jean-Marie Rossi, a Frenchman of Italian descent 20 years her senior, and married him civilly on December 11, 1984. From this marriage, he had a stepsister named Cynthia Rossi, as well as three step siblings ¬— Mathilda, Marella and Frederick — from Jean-Marie Rossi’s previous marriage.

He attended the Lycée Français de Madrid, and in June 1992, got his COU, an academic level in Spain that was equivalent to 12th grade in the United States. He completed his graduate level study in economics from the IESE Business School.

Continue Reading Below

Succession

At the time of his birth, Louis Alphonse’s father Alfonso de Borbón was the ‘Dauphin of France’ due to his father’s claim to the French throne, and used ‘Duke of Bourbon’ as title of pretence. Alfonso’s father, Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia, later renounced the throne and died in St. Gall Cantonal Hospital in Switzerland on 20 March 1975.

After the death of his father, Alfonso asserted his claim to be both the ‘Head of the House of Bourbon’ and the Legitimist claimant to the throne of France. He subsequently took the title of ‘Duke of Anjou’ and conferred upon Louis Alphonse the title ‘Duke of Touraine’ on September 19, 1981.

When Louis Alphonse’s elder brother François died in the car accident, Louis Alphonse was recognized by the Legitimists as the heir apparent to his father. On September 27, 1984 his father gave him the additional title of ‘Duke of Bourbon’.

In 1987, the Spanish government declared that titles that are traditionally attached to the dynasty will be borne by the title holders on a lifetime basis and would not be transferred. As a result, Louis Alphonse did not inherit the Dukedom of Cádiz after the death of his father.

After his father, Alfonso de Borbón, died in a skiing accident near Vail, Colorado on January 30, 1989, he succeeded him as the Legitimist pretender to the French throne as Louis XX. A lawsuit was filed against Vail Associated, the company that owned the ski resort where the accident happened, for which he was awarded 150 million pesetas in 1994.

He also took the title ‘Duke of Anjou’, but did not take his father's Spanish dukedom, and was recognized by some members of the Capetian dynasty as the Head of the House of Bourbon. The French Society of the Cincinnati, which had earlier elected his father to be the representative of Louis XVI, subsequently elected him as his successor in 1994.

Titles & Honors

He has previously held the titles 'Prince Louis Alphonse de Bourbon', the 'Duke of Touraine' and the 'Duke of Bourbon', and currently holds the Legitimist style courtesy title, the 'Duke of Anjou'. He received the honors 'Sovereign Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Order of the Holy Spirit' from House of Bourbon-France and 'Bailiff Knights Grand Cross in Obedience' from Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Personal Life & Legacy

Louis Alphonse is a banker by profession, and worked at the Venezuelan bank Banco Occidental de Descuento in 2005. He has also worked for several years at BNP Paribas, a French bank in Madrid.

In November 2003, his engagement to Venezuelan María Margarita Vargas Santaella, the daughter of Victor Vargas, was announced officially. The next year, they married civilly in Caracas on November 5, 2004 and had the religious ceremony in La Romana, Dominican Republic the following day.

Continue Reading Below

He regularly visited his mother in France and had also acquired French citizenship through his paternal grandmother, Emmanuelle de Dampierre, a French national. He lived in Venezuela for some before shifting to the United States, but later settled in Madrid.

His mother, who had separated from Rossi in 1994, got married for a third time to José Campos García, a Spaniard 13 years her junior, on June 18, 2006 in Cazalla de la Sierra, Seville. However, Alphonse did not attend the wedding as he greatly respected his stepfather Rossi and did not approve of her separation from him, as well as her ‘celebrity’ lifestyle.

His wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Eugénie, on 5 March 2007, at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami, Florida. She was baptized at the papal nunciature in Paris in June 2007 and is recognized by Legitimists as Princess Eugénie.

On May 28, 2010, the couple welcomed twin sons, Louis and Alphonse, who were baptized on September 5, 2010 at St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Louis and Alphonse were subsequently named Duke of Burgundy and Duke of Berry, respectively, by their father.

Prince Louis, who is recognized as the Legitimist Dauphin of France, is expected to succeed his father as the head of the French royal house. He will also be the head of the senior Bourbon line as King Philipe VI of Spain has no sons.

Facts About Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou

Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, is a direct descendant of King Louis XIV of France, known as the "Sun King."

He holds multiple titles including Duke of Bourbon, Duke of Touraine, and Duke of Cadiz.

Louis Alphonse is a passionate advocate for preserving French cultural heritage and traditions.

He enjoys participating in equestrian sports and has a deep appreciation for horsemanship.

Despite his royal lineage, Louis Alphonse is known for his down-to-earth demeanor and friendly interactions with the public.

Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou Biography

You wanted to know

What are Louis Alphonse's official titles?

What is Louis Alphonse's claim to the French throne?

Where does Louis Alphonse reside?

What languages does Louis Alphonse speak?

What are Louis Alphonse's hobbies?