Princess Irene of the Netherlands: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:42, 11 November 2025


HRH The Dowager Duchess of Parma

Titles	Dowager Duchess of Parma Princess of the Netherlands
Reign	7 May 1977 - 18 August 2010
Coronation	19 November 1977
Predecessor	Countess Madeleine of Lignieres
Successor	Princess Luisa of Brazil
Biographical Information
Born	30 April 1939 (age 86) the Hague, the Netherlands
Spouse	Duke Carlo IV of Parma (m. 1964; w. 2010)
Issue	Carlo V Margherita, Princess of Vidin Prince Giacomo Maria Carolina, Princess of Wykradt-Isny
Name	Irene Emma Elisabeth
House	Orange-Nassau (by birth) Bourbon-Parma (by marriage)
Father	Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Mother	Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
Religion	Calvinist

Irene, Dowager Duchess of Parma (born Princess Irene of the Netherlands on 30 April 1939) is a member of the Parmense Ducal Family as the mother of Carlo V, Duke of Parma. She was Duchess consort of Parma from 1977 until 2010.

Life[edit | edit source]

Irene was born the second daughter of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.

Irene was excluded from the line of succession upon her 1964 marriage, but her succession rights were restored in 1985.

Marriage and Issue[edit | edit source]

On 25 January 1964, Irene's engagement to Prince Carlo Hugo of Parma was announced. The engagement provoked a constitutional crisis due to her secret conversion to Roman Catholicism. The couple were married in Parma on 29 April 1964, with no members of the Dutch Royal Family present. Carlo and Irene had four children, Carlo, Margherita, Giacomo, and Maria Carolina.

Carlo and Irene lived separately beginning in 1981, but continued to perform public duties together. Irene was widowed in 2010.

Name	Birth	Marriage
Carlo V	27 January 1970	Princess Luisa of Brazil (m. 2010); has issue
Margherita, Princess of Vidin	13 October 1972	Konstantin Assen, Prince of Vidin (m. 1994); has issue
Prince Giacomo	13 October 1972	Countess Alix of Harambure (m. 2013); has issue
Maria Carolina, Princess of Wykradt-Isny	23 June 1974	Alexander II, Prince of Wykradt-Isny (m. 1992); has issue

Residences[edit | edit source]

TBA

Sartorial Information[edit | edit source]

Tiara Collection[edit | edit source]

(1955) Diamond Bandeau; 16th birthday gift from her parents
(1964) Sapphire Tiara; Wedding gift from her in-laws
(1964) Diamond Tiara; Wedding gift from her parents

Clothing Collection[edit | edit source]

Clothing Collection

Titles and Honours[edit | edit source]

1939-1964 Princess Irene of the Netherlands
1964-1974 Princess Irene of Parma
1974-1977 Irene, Hereditary Duchess of Parma
1977-2010 Irene, Duchess of Parma
2010-present Irene, Dowager Duchess of Parma

National Honours[edit | edit source]

Order of St. George (1977)

Order of St. Louis (1964)

Foreign Honours[edit | edit source]

Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (1977) (Italy)

Order of the Netherlands Lion (1964) (the Netherlands)

Order of the House of Orange (1957) (the Netherlands)

Ancestry[edit | edit source]


Parents	Grandparents	Great-Grandparents	Great-Great-Grandparents
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld	Prince Bernhard of Lippe Armgard von Sierstorpff-Cramm	Ernest, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld Countess Caroline of Wartensleben Baron Aschwin Sierstorpff-Cramm Hedwig von Sierstorpff-Driburg	Julius, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld Countess Adelheid of Castell-Castell Leopold Otto, Count of Wartensleben Mathilde Halbach Baron Adolf Cramm Hedwig von Cramm Baron Ernst Sierstorpff-Driburg Karoline von Vincke
Queen Juliana of the Netherlands	Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands	Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt King William III of the Netherlands Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont	Grand Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Princess Alexandrine of Prussia Prince Adolph of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Princess Mathilde of Schonburg-Waldenburg King William II of the Netherlands Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont Princess Helena of Nassau

Lines of Succession[edit | edit source]


Irene, Dowager Duchess of Parma House of Orange-Nassau Born: 30 April 1939
Lines of Succession
Preceded by	Succession to the Dutch throne	Followed by
Prince Johan of the Netherlands	13th in the line of succession	Carlo V, Duke of Parma

Notes[edit | edit source]

Face: Vanessa Redgrave

@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 |Calvinist
 |}
-'''General'''
+'''Irene, Dowager Duchess of Parma''' (born ''Princess Irene of the Netherlands'' on 30 April 1939) is a member of the Parmense Ducal Family as the mother of '''Carlo V, Duke of Parma'''. She was Duchess consort of Parma from 1977 until 2010.
 ==Life==
@@ Line 192: / Line 192: @@
 {| class="wikitable wiki-table"
 |+
-! colspan="3" |Name
+! colspan="3" |Irene, Dowager Duchess of Parma
-House of
+House of Orange-Nassau
-Born:
+Born: 30 April 1939
 |-
 | colspan="3" |<center>'''Lines of Succession'''</center>
 |-
 |<center>Preceded by</center>
-|<center>Succession to the TBD throne</center>
+|<center>Succession to the [[The Netherlands|Dutch]] throne</center>
 |<center>Followed by</center>
 |-
-|<center></center>
+|<center>[[Prince Johan of the Netherlands]]</center>
-|<center>in the line of succession</center>
+|<center>13th in the line of succession</center>
-|<center></center>
+|<center>[[Carlo V, Duke of Parma]]</center>
 |}
 == Notes ==
-Face: TBA
+Face: Vanessa Redgrave
 [[Category:The Netherlands]]
 [[Category:Parma]]
 [[Category:House Orange-Nassau]]
 [[Category:Consorts of Parma]]