Princess Isabel Alfonsa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

2.1. Early Life and Family

Isabel Alfonsa was born on October 16, 1904, at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain. She was the third child and only daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and his first wife, Mercedes, Princess of Asturias. Her mother, Mercedes, was the heir presumptive to the Spanish Throne from September 11, 1880, until October 17, 1904. Tragically, Mercedes died just one day after Isabel Alfonsa's birth due to complications from labor. Isabel Alfonsa's maternal grandparents were Alfonso XII of Spain and Maria Christina of Austria. Through her father, she was a paternal great-granddaughter of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies. She was also a grand-niece of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and thus a maternal great-aunt of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Isabel Alfonsa was baptized at the Royal Palace of Madrid on October 24, 1904. She was given the full baptismal name Isabel Alfonsa María Teresa Antonia Cristina Mercedes Carolina Adelaida Rafaela. Her godparents were her uncle, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and Infanta María Isabel Francisca de Asís.

Some time after her birth, her brother, Fernando María, passed away in San Sebastián. In 1907, her father, Prince Carlos, remarried to Louise of Orléans, a daughter of Philippe, Count of Paris and María Isabel of Orléans. From this second marriage, Prince Carlos and Louise had one son and three daughters. One of their daughters, María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, would later become the paternal grandmother of Felipe VI of Spain. Despite being a maternal grandchild, Isabel Alfonsa was granted the title of Infanta of Spain by her uncle, King Alfonso XIII, a special designation reflecting her close ties to the Spanish royal family.

2.2. Marriage and Issue

On March 9, 1929, Isabel Alfonsa married her first cousin once removed, Count Jan Kanty Zamoyski, in Madrid. Jan Kanty, born in 1900, was the seventh child and third son of Count Andrzej Zamoyski and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The wedding was a significant event, with Isabel Alfonsa wearing a white charmeuse wedding dress, adorned with a white veil and an orange blossom wreath. The ceremony was attended by numerous relatives from both the bride's and groom's families.

Isabel Alfonsa and Jan Kanty had four children:

• Count Karol Alfons Zamoyski (born October 28, 1930 - died October 26, 1979)
• Countess Maria Krystyna Zamoyska (born September 2, 1932 - died December 6, 1959)
• Count Józef Michal Zamoyski (born June 27, 1935 - died May 22 or 23, 2010)
• Countess Maria Teresa Zamoyska (born April 18, 1938)

From 1929 to 1945, the family resided in Stará Ľubovňa, a town in Czechoslovakia. This period marked a relatively stable time in their lives, before the onset of significant political changes in Europe.

2.3. Exile and Later Life

In 1945, the political landscape in Eastern Europe drastically changed with the advance of the Red Army. This forced Isabel Alfonsa and her family to flee Czechoslovakia and seek refuge in her homeland, Spain. They settled in Valencina de la Concepción in the Seville region. This period of exile was a major turning point, forcing the family to adapt to new circumstances away from their established life in Czechoslovakia.

In 1961, Isabel Alfonsa became a widow with the death of her husband, Count Jan Kanty Zamoyski. Following this loss, she chose to live in a convent, dedicating her later years to a more contemplative life. This decision reflected a personal turn towards spiritual solace in her final decades.

4.1. Titles

Isabel Alfonsa was born a Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. This title stemmed from her paternal lineage, belonging to the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the Spanish Bourbons that ruled the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In addition to her birthright, she was granted the personal title of Infanta of Spain by her uncle, King Alfonso XIII of Spain. This was a notable distinction, as the title was typically reserved for children and male-line grandchildren of the reigning Spanish monarch. Upon her marriage to Count Jan Kanty Zamoyski in 1929, she acquired the title of Countess Jan Kanty Zamoyski, becoming a member of the ancient and prominent Zamoyski family of Poland.

4.2. Honours

Isabel Alfonsa received several prestigious honours throughout her life, recognizing her status within European royalty and nobility. These included:

• Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
• Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa

4.3. Arms

Princess Isabel Alfonsa's heraldry evolved throughout her life, reflecting her different marital and widowhood statuses. Her coat of arms visually represented her royal heritage and her union with the Zamoyski family.