New 'blow' to the Bourbons: Fernando de Borbón, cousin of Juan Carlos I, dies

The family history of Francisco de Borbón y Escasany, cousin of Juan Carlos I

Francisco de Borbón, 5th Duke of Seville, was born on November 16, 1943. He was one of the sons of aristocrat Francisco de Paula Enrique María Luis de Borbón y Borbón and Enriqueta Escasany y Miguel, who also belonged to another of the most influential families of the Spanish nobility.

The aristocrat inherited an illustrious lineage as, on his father's side, he was the grandson of Enriqueta de Borbón y Parade, 4th Duchess of Seville, while on his mother's side he descended from the Marchioness of Pobla de Claramunt.

Meanwhile, Francisco de Borbón y Escasany had ties with the Spanish royal family as he was a second cousin of Juan Carlos I. It has been reported that the Emeritus King and Francisco de Borbón y Escasany kept an excellent relationship.

The "empire" of Francisco de Borbón y Escasany

With a degree in Economics, Francisco de Borbón developed his career from a young age with a clear entrepreneurial vocation. His professional journey began in 1973 in the international financial sector as director of the merchant bank Hill Samuel and Co. Limited, in London. His management at the helm of this entity marked the beginning of an intense career that spanned decades.

Subsequently, he joined various financial and corporate institutions. He was at the helm of the presidency and general management of Miami National Bank and led the Cannon Group in its Ibero-American division.

Simultaneously, Francisco de Borbón shared executive functions with his brother, Alfonso Carlos de Borbón y Escasany, in various family companies. He served as CEO of Ahorro Familiar and chaired the Sociedad Internacional de Equipos Clínicos, based in Spain and linked to American Liberty in the United States.

Additionally, he was the sole administrator of Compañía Médica y Educacional de Sevilla, dedicated to the distribution of healthcare products, and led other companies such as Vapor, S.A. and Kingnoi, S.A., specializing in industrial machinery and real estate investments, respectively.

A life linked to the glossy magazines

Away from business, Francisco de Borbón y Escasany was a figure linked to the glossy magazines due to his high-profile romances. On July 7, 1973, he married for the first time with Countess Beatrice von Hardenberg-Fürstenberg with whom he had three children: Olivia (1974), Cristina (1976), and Francisco (1979).

Of his three children, Olivia de Borbón is the most media-savvy. In the 2000s, Olivia de Borbón became one of the most recognized faces on television as she participated in programs like "La Granja de los Famosos" alongside figures like writer Mari Cielo Pajares or swimmer David Meca.

During her participation, the "affair" she had with presenter Alonso Caparrós was notable. From that moment, Olivia distanced herself from the small screen and dedicated herself to her professional projects in the world of fashion and jewelry.

In 2011, she launched Aristocrazy, one of the most exclusive jewelry brands on the market. Regarding her personal life, in 2013 Olivia de Borbón began a romantic relationship with businessman Julián Porrás, whom she met one night in Puerto Banús.

A year after that meeting, the "epicenter of the jet set" witnessed the couple's wedding, and currently, Marbella is where the couple resides with their children, Flavia and Fernando Enrique.

Like his father, Fernando de Borbón has focused his professional activity in the business field. He was educated at Barry University in Miami and co-founded "Alpha Trading," an investment firm.

Regarding his personal life, in the fall of 2021, he married Sophie Elizabeth Karoly, an Austrian-born communication and marketing expert, in Seville. Although the religious ceremony was held in the Andalusian city, the celebration took place in Marbella where he currently lives.

After the death of his father, Fernando de Borbón is the heir to the title of the Duchy of Seville.

In 2020, the Borbón Von Handerberg family faced the hardest blow of their lives. In February of that year, Cristina de Borbón, the second daughter of Fernando de Borbón, lost her life at just 44 years old in a traffic accident.

Just a month after Cristina de Borbón's death, the family faced another tragic episode as Countess Beatrice von Hardenberg-Fürstenberg passed away due to a lung disease she had suffered from for years.

The countess was one of the most important women in Francisco de Borbón's life. However, they separated in 1989. Subsequently, the aristocrat remarried Isabelle Eugénie Karanitsch. That union ended two years later.

In 2000, he married for the third time in Marbella with aristocrat María de los Ángeles de Vargas-Zúñiga y Juanes, who accompanied him until the end of his days.