Inside the glamorous lives of Italian Princesses Maria Carolina and Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

Imagine having all the wealth and prestige of being royalty with none of the duties or strict royal rules; that's exactly how Princess Maria Carolina, 21, and Princess Maria Chiara, 19, of Bourbon-Two Sicilies live.

The glamorous sisters were born into the former House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, which ruled Southern Italy and Sicily for over a century until the family was deposed in 1861.

Today they're more likely to be seen rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous at high society events across Europe than at any formal royal engagements, and it's an arrangement they seem perfectly happy with.

But who are these two striking princesses and how do they fit into the royal landscape in Europe? Keep reading to find out.

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Born into a defunct royal house

Princess Maria Carolina, Duchess of Calabria, Duchess of Palermo was born to Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and his Italian heiress wife Camilla Crociani in 2003.

Though she was given the title of princess at birth, Maria Carolina - who goes by 'Carolina' - is a royal in name alone.

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Her great-great-great-grandfather was Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies, who was succeeded by his son Francis II, the last King of the Two Sicilies.

A series of successive invasions saw Francis II deposed just a few years into his rule and his descendants have been fractured heirs to a defunct monarchy ever since.

But that hasn't stopped Carolina and her younger sister Princess Maria Chiara, Duchess of Noto, Duchess of Capri, born in 2005, from enjoying all the benefits of their royal heritage.

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Raised in luxury

Both born and raised in Rome, Italy, Carolina and Chiara wanted for nothing as children.

With a prince for a father (albeit a disputed one) and Italian billionaire Camillo Crociani as their maternal grandfather, the princesses were treated to the best childhood and education money could buy.

Both attended private lessons with personal tutors and Carolina was a year ahead in the International Cambridge Educational system, while Chiara was two years ahead.

They can both also can speak, read and write fluently in six languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian) according to the royal family's website.

After graduating, both princesses pursued charitable and humanitarian projects as well as exploring personal careers in fashion and the arts.

Carolina and Chiara have worked with Red Cross, the Ocean 1 project, and UNICEF, among others, but its their glamourous film and red carpet appearances that really get people talking.

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Socialite princesses

The sisters were just 11 and nine when they made their silver screen debut in 2014, when they made a small cameo in Grace of Monaco, starring Nicole Kidman.

Though neither has pursued a Hollywood career (yet!), both princesses have studied acting and have made red carpet appearances at the Venice Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival.

Today they're models and socialities, walking runways, gracing the glossy pages of magazines, and sharing their lavish lifestyles on their respective social media pages.

Carolina's Instagram is stacked with photos of her travelling the world, posing behind the scenes at fashion shows, and rubbing shoulders with stars like F1 racer Charles Leclerc.

Meanwhile Chiara's page is full of old family photos, glamorous selfies, and elegant fashion snaps.

She also had to post a public statement there in August 2023 denying rumours that she and Crown Prince Christian of Denmark were an item, insisting they share nothing more than a "close friendship".

The sisters also attend formal events with their father from time to time, especially Carolina, who stands to inherit his position as disputed head of the former House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

She would be the first woman to ever hold the title, though it's not worth quite as much as it was centuries ago.

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