Coat of arms of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza.

The Duchy of Parma was a small Italian state between 1545 and 1802, and again from 1814 to 1860.

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 individuals. The Duke of Parma also usually held the title of Duke of Guastalla from 1735 (when Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor took it from Mantua) to 1847 (when the territory was ceded to Modena), again, except for the Napoleonic dukes, when Napoleon's sister Pauline was Duchess of Guastalla.

The position is currently held by a member of the Bourbon family, which also holds the Spanish throne. Therefore, the Duke of Parma is a legitimate (though not prime) claimant to the Kingdom of Spain; indeed, the current Duke of Parma, Carlos-Hugo, was a pretender to the Spanish throne in the 1970s (see Carlism).

Reigning Dukes of Parma (1545-1802)

House of Farnese 1545–1731

• Pier Luigi, 1545–1547
• Ottavio, 1547–1586
• Alessandro, 1586–1592
• Ranuccio I, 1592–1622
• Odoardo, 1622–1646
• Ranuccio II, 1646–1694
• Francesco, 1694–1727
• Antonio, 1727–1731

House of Bourbon 1731–1735

See also: Bourbon family tree

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Charles, Duke of Parma 1731–1735		20 January 1716 Madrid son of Philip V of Spain and Elizabeth of Parma	Maria Amalia of Saxony 1738 13 children	14 December 1788 Madrid aged 72

House of Habsburg 1735–1748

• Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, 1735–1740
• Maria Theresa of Austria, 1740–1748

House of Bourbon 1748–1803

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Philip, Duke of Parma 1748–1765		15 March 1720 Madrid daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elizabeth of Parma	Louise-Elisabeth de Bourbon 25 October 1739 3 children	18 July 1765 Alessandria aged 45
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma 1765–1802 nominal since 1796		20 January 1751 Parma son of Philip, Duke of Parma and Louise-Elisabeth de Bourbon	Archduchess Marie Amalie of Austria 19 July 1769 7 children	9 October 1802 Fontevivo aged 51

Honorary 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 in 1808.

• Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès, duc de Parme, i.e. Duke of Parma
• Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, i.e. Duke of Piacenza

Reigning Dukes of Parma (1814-1860)

House of Habsburg 1814–1847

• Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, 1814–1847
• Napoléon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte, the son of Marie Louise and Napoleon I of France was at one time in the line of succession, but was never Duke of Parma.

House of Bourbon, 1847–1860

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Charles II, Duke of Parma 1847–1848		22 December 1799 Madrid son of Louis of Etruria and Maria Louisa, Duchess of Lucca	Maria Teresa of Savoy 5 September 1820 2 children	16 April 1883 Nice aged 84
Charles III, Duke of Parma 1848–1854		14 January 1823 Pianore son of Charles II, Duke of Parma and Maria Teresa of Savoy	Louise Marie Thérèse of France 10 November 1845 4 children	27 March 1854 Parma aged 31
Robert I, Duke of Parma 1854–1860		9 July 1848 Florence son of Charles III, Duke of Parma and Louise Marie Thérèse of France	Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies 1869 12 children Maria Antonia of Portugal 1884 12 children	16 November 1907 Viareggio aged 63

Nominal Dukes of Parma (since 1860)

House of Bourbon, since 1860

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Robert I, Duke of Parma 1860–1907 titular		9 July 1848 Florence son of Charles III, Duke of Parma and Louise Marie Thérèse of France	Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies 1869 12 children Maria Antonia of Portugal 1884 12 children	16 November 1907 Viareggio aged 63
Henry, Duke of Parma 1907–1939 titular		13 June 1873 Wartegg son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies	never married	16 November 1939 Pianore aged 66
Joseph, Duke of Parma 1939–1950 titular		30 June 1875 Biarritz son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies	never married	7 January 1950 Pianore aged 75
Elias, Duke of Parma 1950–1959 titular		23 July 1880 Biarritz son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies	Maria Anna of Austria 25 May 1903 Vienna 8 children	27 June 1959 Friedberg aged 79
Robert II, Duke of Parma 1959–1974 titular		7 August 1909 Weilburg son of Elias, Duke of Parma and Maria Anna of Austria	never married	25 November 1974 Vienna aged 65
Xavier, Duke of Parma 1974–1977 titular	-	25 May 1889 Viareggio son of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal	Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset 12 November 1927 Lignières 6 children	7 May 1977 Zizers aged 87
Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma since1977 titular	-	8 April 1930 Paris son of Xavier, Duke of Parma and Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset	Princess Irene of the Netherlands 29 April 1964 Rome 4 children	incumbent