The Duke of Parma and Piacenza (Italian: duca di Parma e Piacenza) was the ruler of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, a historical state of Northern Italy. It was created by Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese) for his son Pier Luigi Farnese. It existed between 1545 and 1802, and again from 1814 to 1859.

The Duke of Parma was also Duke of Piacenza, except for the first years of the rule of Ottavio Farnese (1549–1556), and the time of the Napoleonic Wars, when the two were established as separate positions held by two different individuals. The Duke of Parma also usually held the title of Duke of Guastalla from 1746 (when Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor occupied the Duchy of Guastalla after the last Gonzaga duke died childless) until 1847 (when the territory was ceded to Modena), except for the Napoleonic era, when Napoleon's sister Pauline was briefly Duchess of Guastalla and of Varella. The last duke, Robert I, was driven from power in a revolution following France and Sardinia's victory over Austria. Its territory was merged into Sardinia in 1860.

The position is currently claimed by a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma. A recent pretender to the extinct Parmese throne, the late Carlos-Hugo, was also a pretender to the Spanish throne in the 1970s (see Carlism).

Reigning Dukes of Parma and Piacenza (1545–1802)

House of Farnese 1545–1731

DukePortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Pier Luigi 16 September 1545 – 10 September 154719 November 1503 Rome son of Cardinal Alexander Farnese (future Pope Paul III) and probably Silvia RuffiniGirolama Orsini 1519 Rome 4 children10 September 1547 Piacenza aged 43
Ottavio 9 November 1549 – 18 September 15869 October 1524 Valentano son of Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma and Girolama OrsiniMargaret of Parma 4 November 1538 Rome 2 children18 September 1586 Parma aged 61
Alessandro 18 September 1586 – 3 December 159227 August 1545 Rome son of Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma and Margaret of ParmaMaria of Portugal 11 November 1565 Brussels 3 children3 December 1592 Saint Waast, Netherlands aged 47
Ranuccio I 3 December 1592 – 5 March 162228 March 1569 Parma son of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma and Maria of PortugalMargherita Aldobrandini 7 May 1600 Rome 9 children5 March 1622 Parma aged 52
Odoardo 5 March 1622 – 11 September 164628 April 1612 Parma son of Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Margherita AldobrandiniMargherita de Medici 11 October 1628 Florence 4 children11 September 1646 Piacenza aged 34
Ranuccio II 11 September 1646 – 11 December 169417 September 1630 Casalmaggiore son of Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma and Margherita de Medici(1) Marguerite of Savoy 29 April 1660 Turin 2 children (2) Isabella of Modena 18 February 1664 Modena 3 children (3) Maria of Modena 1 October 1668 Modena 9 children11 December 1694 Parma aged 64
Francesco 11 December 1694 – 26 February 172719 May 1678 Parma son of Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma and Maria of ModenaDorothea Sophie of Neuburg 7 December 1696 Parma no issue26 February 1727 Piacenza aged 48
Antonio 26 February 1727 – 20 January 173129 November 1679 Parma son of Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma and Maria of ModenaEnrichetta d'Este 5 February 1728 Parma no issue20 January 1731 Parma aged 51

House of Bourbon 1731–1735

DukePortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Charles I 26 February 1731 – 3 October 173520 January 1716 Madrid son of Philip V of Spain and Elizabeth of ParmaMaria Amalia of Saxony 19 June 1738 13 children14 December 1788 Madrid aged 72

House of Habsburg 1735–1748

DukePortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Emperor Charles VI 3 October 1735 – 20 October 17401 October 1685 Vienna son of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleonore-Magdalena of NeuburgElisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 1 August 1708 Barcelona 4 children20 October 1740 Vienna aged 55
Maria Theresa 20 October 1740 – 18 October 174813 May 1717 Vienna daughter of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-WolfenbüttelFrancis I, Holy Roman Emperor 12 February 1736 16 children29 November 1780 Vienna aged 63

House of Bourbon-Parma 1748–1802

DukePortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Philip 18 October 1748 – 18 July 176515 March 1720 Madrid son of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth FarnesePrincess Louise Élisabeth of France 25 October 1739 3 children18 July 1765 Alessandria aged 45
Ferdinand 18 July 1765 – 9 October 180220 January 1751 Parma son of Philip, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise Élisabeth of FranceArchduchess Maria Amalia of Austria 19 July 1769 7 children9 October 1802 Fontevivo aged 51

French Dukes of Parma (1808–1814)

These did not actually rule over any territory of Parma and Piacenza, but were of the honorary, hereditary type duché grand-fief, granted by Napoleon I in 1808. The title of Duc de Parme became extinct in 1824 upon the death of the 1st Duke, the title of Duc de Plaisance became extinct in 1926 upon the death of the 6th Duke.

DukePortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès 1808–181418 October 1753 Montpellier son of Jean-Antoine de Cambacérès and Marie-Rose Vassalnever married8 March 1824 Paris aged 70
Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance 1808–181419 March 1739 Saint-Sauveur-Lendelin fourth son of Paul Lebrun and Louise Le CronierAnne Delagoutte 1773 3 sons and 2 daughters16 June 1824 Sainte-Mesme aged 85

Reigning Dukes of Parma (1814–1859)

House of Habsburg-Lorraine, 1814–1847

DukePortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Marie Louise 11 April 1814 – 17 December 184712 December 1791 Vienna daughter of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily(1) Napoleon I 1 April 1810 Louvre 1 son (2) Adam Albert, Count von Neipperg 7 September 1821 Parma 3 children (3) Charles René, Count of Bombelles Parma 17 February 1834 no issue17 December 1847 Parma aged 56

House of Bourbon-Parma, 1847–1859

DukePortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Charles II 17 December 1847 – 17 May 184922 December 1799 Madrid son of Louis of Etruria and Maria Louisa, Duchess of LuccaMaria Teresa of Savoy 5 September 1820 2 children16 April 1883 Nice aged 83
Charles III 17 May 1849 – 27 March 185414 January 1823 Pianore son of Charles II, Duke of Parma and Maria Teresa of SavoyLouise Marie Thérèse of France 10 November 1845 4 children27 March 1854 Parma aged 31
Robert I 27 March 1854 – 9 June 18599 July 1848 Florence son of Charles III, Duke of Parma and Louise Marie Thérèse of France(1) Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies 5 April 1869 12 children (2) Maria Antonia of Portugal 15 October 1884 12 children16 November 1907 Viareggio aged 59

Titulair Dukes of Parma (1859–present)

DukePortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Robert I 1859–19079 July 1848 Florence son of Charles III, Duke of Parma and Louise Marie Thérèse of ArtoisMaria Pia of the Two Sicilies 5 April 1869 12 children Maria Antonia of Portugal 15 October 1884 12 children16 November 1907 Viareggio aged 59
Henry 1907–1939'13 June 1873 Wartegg son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Maria Pia of the Two Siciliesnever married16 November 1939 Pianore aged 66
Joseph 1939–195030 June 1875 Biarritz son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Maria Pia of the Two Siciliesnever married7 January 1950 Pianore aged 75
Elias 1950–195923 July 1880 Biarritz son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Maria Pia of the Two SiciliesMaria Anna of Austria 25 May 1903 Vienna 8 children27 June 1959 Friedberg aged 79
Robert II 1959–19747 August 1909 Weilburg son of Elias, Duke of Parma and Maria Anna of Austrianever married25 November 1974 Vienna aged 65
Xavier 1974–197725 May 1889 Viareggio son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Maria Antonia of PortugalMadeleine de Bourbon-Busset 12 November 1927 Lignières 6 children7 May 1977 Zizers aged 87
Carlos Hugo 1977–20108 April 1930 Paris son of Xavier, Duke of Parma and Madeleine de Bourbon-BussetPrincess Irene of the Netherlands 29 April 1964 Rome 4 children18 August 2010 Barcelona aged 80
Carlos since 201027 January 1970 Nijmegen son of Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma and Princess Irene of the NetherlandsAnnemarie Gualthérie van Weezel 20 November 2010 Brussels 3 childrenincumbent

See also