Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Duchess of Calabria and Palermo
From an early age, Princess Maria Carolina has represented her family at numerous public events alongside her parents, H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Grand Master of the Sacred and Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, and H.R.H. Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Through her involvement in the Constantinian Order, she has supported humanitarian projects worldwide.
In 2022, she collaborated with the Italian Red Cross to coordinate the delivery of over 30 tons of essential supplies to Ukraine. That same year, she visited the Breast Unit at the CHU Campus Bio-Medico Foundation in Rome to support breast cancer prevention programs funded by the Order. Her longstanding humanitarian commitment, which includes numerous charitable missions across Italy and abroad, was formally recognized in 2018 when she received the Premio Regina Maria Cristina Benedetta for her international humanitarian contributions.
She is also actively engaged in environmental and social causes, supporting initiatives such as Ocean 1, UNICEF, and the Italian association Salvamamme. She regularly takes part in Monaco’s “No Finish Line” charity event under the patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II. Dedicated to animal welfare, she has adopted endangered species and contributed to their preservation. A strong advocate against violence toward women, she participated in the “March in March” events in New York in 2016 and 2018, organized by the Women for Peace association under the United Nations.
Princess Maria Carolina has also worked closely with the Fondation des Femmes, the leading French foundation supporting gender equality and the fight against violence toward women. She visited several emergency shelters and personally assisted women—some with young children—who had been forced to leave their homes due to domestic violence.
In addition to her charitable commitments, she has gained hands-on experience through internships at the Monaco Red Cross in 2017where she received first-aid training, at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in 2019, and at Sotheby’s, focusing on contemporary art.
Her passion for the arts, fashion, and cinema is reflected in her personal pursuits. She attended drama school in Monaco and appeared in the 2014 film Grace of Monaco alongside Nicole Kidman. In 2025, she collaborated with her sister, Princess Maria Chiara, and the French luxury brand Olympia Le-Tan on a capsule collection entitled Dolce Vita del Mezzogiorno, which celebrates southern Italian artistry and the sisters’ cultural heritage through craftsmanship and storytelling.
Her commitment to charitable causes also extends to local associations such as Les Anges Gardiens de Monaco, which supports vulnerable people in Nice, and Action Innocence Monaco. In recognition of her ties to her heritage, a rose cultivated at the Italian Agricultural Technical Institute of Caronia (Sicily) was named in her honor.
Today, Princess Maria Carolina continues to embody the values of tradition, creativity, and service, balancing her roles as cultural ambassador, humanitarian, and artist
Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was born in Rome on 23 June 2003. She is the daughter of His Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and Head of the Royal House, and Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Castro. As the eldest child of the family, she assumes a role of responsibility with dedication and determination, contributing to public and private initiatives that reflect the values of her family.
In 2016, Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies abolished the Salic law, which excluded women from dynastic succession, in favour of the principle of absolute primogeniture. Following this reform, Princess Maria Carolina became the heiress and has since borne the title of Duchess of Calabria, traditionally attributed to the heir of the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
Having grown up in an international environment between Monte-Carlo, Paris and Rome, Princess Maria Carolina is actively involved in cultural, social and humanitarian initiatives that reflect her family’s heritage and values. She also participates in creative and philanthropic projects alongside her younger sister, Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
EDUCATION
Princess Maria Carolina received an international and cosmopolitan education, provided at home by private tutors. Her academic curriculum followed both the Cambridge International programme and that of the CNED (Centre National d’Enseignement à Distance), under the supervision of the Department of Education of the Principality of Monaco. She completed her schooling in March 2020, obtaining her diploma one year ahead of schedule.
She subsequently continued her studies at the Istituto Marangoni in Paris, where she specialised in fashion design, fashion business and styling. She further enriched her academic background by undertaking online economics courses through Harvard University.
She speaks, reads and writes fluently six languages: Italian, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.
ROYAL AND HUMANITARIAN ENGAGEMENTS
Since childhood, Princess Maria Carolina has regularly represented the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies at official events, religious ceremonies and charitable initiatives alongside her parents.
She actively supports the humanitarian projects of the Constantinian Order throughout Europe and in several countries around the world.
In 2022, she collaborated with the Italian Red Cross to coordinate the delivery of more than thirty tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including medical supplies and essential materials.
That same year, she visited the Breast Unit of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico as part of breast cancer prevention and awareness programmes funded by the Constantinian Order.
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT
Princess Maria Carolina is involved in several social and environmental causes, particularly those related to ocean protection, gender equality and support for vulnerable populations. She notably supports initiatives of UNICEF, the World Wide Fund for Nature, as well as organisations engaged in environmental and social causes such as Passion Sea and Ocean 1, which work to protect the oceans and raise awareness of climate issues.
Princess Maria Carolina is particularly committed to defending women’s rights, promoting gender equality and combating violence against women. In this context, she participated in the “March in March” marches in New York in 2016 and 2018, organised by the association Women for Peace within the framework of initiatives linked to the United Nations.
She has also collaborated with the Fondation des Femmes, supporting emergency shelters and assistance programmes for women victims of domestic violence. She is also an ambassador of the Italian association Salvamamme, which assists women and young girls in vulnerable situations by providing practical support including essential goods, moral and psychological assistance, as well as access to reception facilities.
Her philanthropic commitment also extends to local organisations such as Les Anges Gardiens de Monaco, which assists vulnerable people in the Nice region, as well as Action Innocence Monaco, which works to protect children from online risks.
She regularly participates in the charitable event “No Finish Line” in Monaco, organised under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco, a solidarity race in which each kilometre completed is converted into a donation for disadvantaged children.
She also supports the environmental initiatives of the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, which is dedicated to environmental protection and the fight against climate change.
PROFESSIONAL AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Princess Maria Carolina has gained experience in several fields related to humanitarian work, art, the environment and creative industries, developing a profile that combines social commitment, culture and heritage.
In 2017, she completed an internship with the Monaco Red Cross, where she received first aid training and participated in humanitarian and awareness initiatives.
In 2019, she worked at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, deepening her interest in issues related to ocean protection and public awareness of environmental challenges.
That same year, she was officially presented to international society at the prestigious Bal des Débutantes in Paris, an event that annually brings together young personalities engaged in cultural and charitable initiatives.
Passionate about the arts and cinema, she attended acting classes in Monaco and appeared in the film Grace of Monaco alongside Nicole Kidman.
In 2024, she undertook an internship with the international auction house Sotheby’s, where she developed an interest in the contemporary art market and the dynamics of the international art market.
In 2025, she collaborated with her younger sister, Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and the French brand Olympia Le-Tan on the creation of the capsule collection “Dolce Vita del Mezzogiorno”, a project inspired by the craftsmanship and cultural heritage of southern Italy, aimed at promoting the traditions and savoir-faire of the Mezzogiorno.
She has also collaborated with several international fashion and jewellery houses, including Chopard, Pierre Cardin, Louis Vuitton and Emilio Pucci, contributing to projects highlighting Italian elegance and contemporary creativity.
DYNASTIC POSITION AND DISTINCTIONS
As heiress to the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Princess Maria Carolina plays an active role within her family’s dynastic institutions.
She is Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and Dame of the Royal Order of Saint Januarius, two historic distinctions linked to the tradition of the monarchy of the Two Sicilies.
Since 2006, an annual scholarship bearing her name has been awarded by the Constantinian Order to a student of the prestigious Scuola Militare Nunziatella. In recognition of her international humanitarian commitment, in 2018 she received the Regina Maria Cristina Benedetta Prize, awarded by the Associazione Internazionale Regina Elena.
A scholarship in her name has also been established at the Presidio Ospedaliero Santi Marta e Venera in Acireale to support medical education.
Since 2022, she has also contributed, through the educational initiatives of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, to the awarding of scholarships intended for students from modest backgrounds, enabling them to access preparatory classes for the Grandes Écoles and pursue higher education.
Furthermore, a rose cultivated at the Istituto Tecnico Agrario of Caronia, in Sicily, has been named in her honour, symbolising her attachment to the cultural and natural heritage of southern Italy.
