Don Carlos Gereda y de Borbon
Encyclopedia
His Excellency Don Carlos Gereda y de Borbón, Marqués de Almazán, 49th Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem (Malta branch), was born on 24 January 1947 in Montevideo
, Uruguay
to Don Nicolás Gereda y Bustamante and his wife Dona María Luisa de Borbón y Pínto. He is the 5th great grandson of King Carlos IV of Spain (d. 1819).
to care for a country estate they had inherited. His position within the Borbón family
is established from the line of the Duke of Santa Elena, his grandfather, second in rank to the Duke of Seville
, his cousin, both of whom are descendants of Charles IV of Spain
, and Henry, Duke of Seville. This branch is considered second in nobility only to the Spanish Royal Family
.
At an early age he returned to his native Spain
before being sent to Ladycross Preparatory School
in Sussex
, England
. From there he progressed to Downside Abbey
, a Benedictine
Public School. After completing his education at Downside he returned to Madrid
to read Industrial Engineering
at University.
On 15 February 1975 Don Carlos married Dona Maríá las Nieves Castellano y Barón Marquesa de Almazán (b. 24 Sept. 1947) acquiring the title of Marqués de Almazán which had been created by Philip II of Spain
in 1575.
. This career path provided him with the opportunity to travel the world, from the Far East
to South America
and Central Europe
. He and his wife, Blanche, lived in Buenos Aires
from 1979 to 1986, where they established an Oil Services Company which is still in operation today. Don Carlos is currently involved in establishing a Museum of Science and Leisure in Malaga
, Spain, which he hopes will be the most important of its kind in the Mediterranean.
in England.
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
to Don Nicolás Gereda y Bustamante and his wife Dona María Luisa de Borbón y Pínto. He is the 5th great grandson of King Carlos IV of Spain (d. 1819).
Early life and pedigree
Don Carlos was born in Uruguay as his parents had moved there after the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
to care for a country estate they had inherited. His position within the Borbón family
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
is established from the line of the Duke of Santa Elena, his grandfather, second in rank to the Duke of Seville
Duke of Seville
The Dukedom of Seville is a Spanish nobility title granted in 1823 by Ferdinand VII of Spain to his nephew Infante Enrique. The Dukes are also Grandees of Spain.The current Duke of Seville is Don Francisco de Borbón y Escasany.-List of holders:-Source:...
, his cousin, both of whom are descendants of Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
, and Henry, Duke of Seville. This branch is considered second in nobility only to the Spanish Royal Family
Spanish Royal Family
The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Spain consists of the current king, Juan Carlos, his spouse, Queen Sofia of Spain and their direct descendants. The Spanish royal family belongs to the House of Borbón...
.
At an early age he returned to his native Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
before being sent to Ladycross Preparatory School
Ladycross School
Ladycross was a Catholic preparatory school based in Seaford, East Sussex, overlooking the downs with trenches which led up to the cliffs. Founded in 1891, more than 2,000 pupils attended it before its closure in 1977.-History:...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. From there he progressed to Downside Abbey
Downside Abbey
The Basilica of St Gregory the Great at Downside, commonly known as Downside Abbey, is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery and the Senior House of the English Benedictine Congregation. One of its main apostolates is a school for children aged nine to eighteen...
, a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Public School. After completing his education at Downside he returned to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
to read Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineering
Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis...
at University.
On 15 February 1975 Don Carlos married Dona Maríá las Nieves Castellano y Barón Marquesa de Almazán (b. 24 Sept. 1947) acquiring the title of Marqués de Almazán which had been created by Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
in 1575.
Career
In 1975 he began a career as a commercial development entrepreneurEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. This career path provided him with the opportunity to travel the world, from the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
. He and his wife, Blanche, lived in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
from 1979 to 1986, where they established an Oil Services Company which is still in operation today. Don Carlos is currently involved in establishing a Museum of Science and Leisure in Malaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, Spain, which he hopes will be the most important of its kind in the Mediterranean.
Grand Master
In October 2008, at a Chapter General, Don Carlos was elected as the 49th Prince and Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem(Malta branch). He took the solemn oath in front of the Knights and Dames of the Order in Manchester CathedralManchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester...
in England.
Honours
Don Carlos has received several honours including:- Knight of Justice of the Sacred Military Order of St George. (Crown of the Two Sicilies)
- Grand Cross of Justice of the Royal Brotherhood of St Teotonio of Portugal
- Grand Cordon of the Dragon of AnnamDragon of AnnamThe Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam was created on March 14, 1886, in the ancient Vietnamese city of Huế, by Emperor Đồng Khánh of the Imperial House of Annam, upon the "recommendation" of the President of France as a jointly awarded French colonial order...
(VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
) - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ
- The Order of the Saint Queen TamarOrder of the Saint Queen TamarThe Order of the Saint Queen Tamar is a dynastic order of knighthood of the Royal House of Georgia, originally founded in 1915 by Georgians while in exile.-History:...
of GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... - Grand Collar El Halil Afriqui (EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
) - Grand Cross of the Holy Trinity (EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
) - Grand Cross with Collar of the Emblem of the Ancient Cavalry & Devotion of St Michael the Miraculous (Georgia)