Caserta – November 2003. HRH Princess Maria Carolina Chantal, Edoarda, Beatrice, Januaria of Bourbon Two Sicilies, the first-born child of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Calabria, was baptised at the Royal Palace of Caserta. The ceremony took place at the Palatine Chapel of the Royal Palace of Caserta and was con-celebrated by His Eminence Mario Francesco, Cardinal Pompedda, His Eminence Saraiva, Cardinal Martins, His Eminence Cardinal Poggi and several Bishops.
The baby Princess, who was born on 23 June 2003, was given the names of Maria Carolina – in honour of the Queen of Naples and Sicily, wife of King Ferdinand IV and daughter of the Holy Roman Empress of Maria Theresa of Habsburg and of Francis I of Lorraine – Chantal, Edoarda – after the baby’s grandmothers – Beatrice – name of her aunt on the father’s side – and Januaria – in honour of San Gennaro, the Patron Saint of Naples.
The godparents of the Princess were HRH Prince Laurent of Belgium , son of King Albert II, and HSH Prince Pierre d’Arenberg, Mrs Anna Maria Pisanu – wife of the Italian Home Secretary Giuseppe Pisanu and actress Mrs Ines Sastre.
Princess Maria Carolina has been the first member of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies to be born in Italy and to be christened at the Royal Palace of Caserta since the reign of King Francis II.
Following the religious ceremony, a cocktail party was held during which the guests visited the historic and world-renowned Royal Palace . A gala dinner followed the ceremony in the Throne Room and other state rooms of the palace. On display was a cake dedicated to Princess Maria Carolina which was 9 meters long and weighing over 100 kilos.
Following dinner, all the guests moved to the palace gardens, which had been specially illuminated for the occasion, to witness one of the largest firework displays seen at the palace.
Among those attending the baptism events were HRH The Duchess of Castro; Donna Edoarda Crociani, HRH Princess Beatrice and her children; TIH Prince Jean Christophe and Princess Caroline Napoleon; HRH Princess Anna and her children, Nicolas and Dorothèe Cochin; TRH Prince Louis Alphonse and Princess Cristina; HRH Prince Alexander. TRH Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium; TRH The Duke and Duchess of Bragança; HRH Crown Prince Kardam of Bulgaria; HRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice, HRH The Duke of Aosta; HRH Prince Michael of Yugoslavia; TRH Prince and Princess Alexander of Liechtenstein; HRH Prince Charles Philip of Orleans; HRH Faical Bey of Tunisia; HSH Prince Raimondo Orsini d’Aragona and HSH Princess Kethevan Orsini d’Aragona; Count Massimiliano Secco d’Aragona, TRH Prince Manfred and Princess Victoria Windish Graetz; HSH Prince Paolo Boncompagni Ludovisi; HSH Prince Alessandrojacopo Ludovisi Boncompagni Altemps; HSH Prince Charles-Henri Lobkowicz; Prince Charles Giovannelli; Princess Barbara Massimo; Prince Scipione Borghese; Don Muzio and Donna Elisabetta Sforza Cesarini; Prince and Princess Fabrizio Colonna; Prince Oddone Colonna; Prince and Princess Carlo Odescalchi; Countess Celia von Bismarck; Countess Eléonore de la Rochefoucault; Count and Countess Michel de Liedekerke; Count and Countess Hadelin de Liedekerke-Beaufort; Prince Carlo Massimo; Count and Countess Carlo Marullo di Condojanni, Princes of Casalnuovo; Marquess and Marchioness Aldo Pezzana Capranica del Grillo; Marquess Sersale; Count and Countess Alberto Sifola di San Martino; Marchioness de Goyzueta of Toverena; Marquess and Marchioness Fabrizio di Giura; Marquess and Marchioness Giacomo del Gallo.
Among the members of the aristocratic families of southern Italy, there were: Princess Acton of Leporano; Prince Augusto and Princess Tana Ruffo of Calabria; Prince and Princess Landolfo Ambrogio Caracciolo of Melissano; Prince and Princess Alessandro d’Aquino of Caramanico; Prince Ferdinando Ferrara Pignatelli of Strongoli, Countess Lidia d’Aquino of Caramanico; the Marquess and the Marchioness Pierluigi Sanfelice; the Marquess and the Marchioness Riccardo Imperiali; Countess Maria Lucia Imperiali; Count and Countess Riccardo Paternò of Montecupo, Dukes of San Nicola; Marquess and Marchioness Piero Piromallo Capece Piscitelli of Montebello; Baron and Baroness Francesco Sanseverino of Marcellinara; Baron and Baroness Giampietro Sanseverino of Marcellinara; Marquess and Marchioness Leopoldo de Gregorio Cattaneo di Sant’Elia; Princess Uzza de Gregorio Cattaneo di Sant’Elia; Duke and Duchess Giovan Battista Valiante d’Avena; Don Michele e Donna Micaela Valiante d’Avena.
Among the senior officers of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the following attended: The Grand Chancellor, HE Count Jacques de Liedekerke – representing the Prince & Grand Master – and the Countess; the Grand Prior of Rome, HE the Venerable Balì Franz von Lobstein; the Grand Prior of Naples and Naples, Frà Antonio Nesci; HE Ambassador Quaroni; Frà Carlo of the Marquesses Arditi di Castelvetere.
Among the political and military personalities , there were: the Mayor of Caserta, Mr Luigi Falco; HE The Prefect of Caserta, Mr Renato Schilardi and his wife; HE The Prefect of Naples, Mr Renato Profili and his wife; HE The Prefect of Naples, Mr Achille Serra and his wife; the Superintendent of the Royal Palace of Caserta, Mrs Giovanna Petrenga; the President of the Calabria Region, the Honourable Giuseppe Chiaravalloti and his wife; HE The Ambassador of Italy in the Holy See, Count Raniero Avogadro di Casalvonole and the Countess; HE The Ambassador of France Pierre Morel and his wife; HE The Ambassador of Argentina in Paris, Mr Archibald Lannus; HE The Ambassador of Panama to the Court of St James’s. Mrs Ariadne Singares Robinson; the Culture Councillor of Naples, the Honourable Giulia Parente; HE General Paolo Di Noia and his wife; HE General Palazzo and his wife; General Salvatore D’Amato and his wife; General Li Pira and his wife; Admiral Paolo Pagnottella and his wife.
Among the entrepreneurs there were; Mr and Mrs Ferragamo, Mr Brachetti Peretti, Mrs Carla Fendi, Mr and Mrs Giugiaro, Mr and Mrs Oetker, Countess Agusta, Mrs Arnault, Mr and Mrs Caltagirone, Mr and Mrs Gussalli Beretta, Mr Hirshmann, Mr and Mrs Mentasti, Mr and Mrs Pastor.
The British and Irish Delegate of the Constantinian Order, HE Anthony Bailey also attended.
Commenting on the events, His Royal Highness The Duke of Calabria said, “We are here because we have always been close to this land, to Neapolitans and to Southern Italy . The christening of Maria Carolina is a moment of intimate joy but also the chance to show people the beauty of Naples that is often described in an incorrect manner”.
As the Duke of Calabria said: “Between the 18th and 19th century Caserta and Naples were the milestones of my ancestors and my family. The christening of Maria Carolina gave us the possibility to bring many important guests to Caserta . We wanted to do something important for Caserta , to make people know its wonderful Royal Palace “.
The same spirit was behind the choice of the Dukes of Calabria to use products from companies of southern Italy for the making of clothes and decorations, for the bonbonnière made in Capodimonte porcelain, the dress for the Christening of Princess Maria Carolina made in silk coming from the former Royal Colony of San Leucio and decorated with the monogram of the baby.
Also to remember are the opening – attended by the Duke of Calabria and hosted by the Mayor of Caserta – of new Sport Centre in Tuoro dedicated to Queen Maria Carolina as well as several new charity initiatives among which the one in favour of the young inmates of the Correctional Centre of Nisida – who also made the ceramic masks of Pulcinella offered to their guests by the Duke of Calabria – and that in favour of the “Family Centre” for the HIV positive children of Secondigliano as well as the sum collected from the Knights of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George as present for Princess Maria Carolina and given by the Duke and Duchess of Calabria to a baby girl of Barra called Noemi, born on the same day as the Princess from a humble, less fortunate though respectable family.