Duke of Parma head of the House of Bourbon
Elias was born at Biarritz, the youngest son of the deposed Duke Robert I of Parma and his first wife Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies). Despite the loss of the throne, His father Robert enjoyed considerable wealth. On 25 May 1903 at Vienna, Elias married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1882–1940), daughter of Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen and a niece of Queen Maria Cristina of Spain.
From 1907 to 1950 he served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers. They owned castles at Schwarzau am Steinfeld near Vienna in Austria, Villa Pianore near Viareggio in Italy, and the magnificent Château de Chambord in France (up until its confiscation in World War I). Elias was to have half of the estate in order to support his rank as head of the family.
This half included the château de Chambord.
In 1915 Chambord was sequestered by the French government as alien property, since Elias held a commission in the Austro-Hungarian Army. Liquidation proceedings were started in 1919 in application of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which gave the Allies the right to keep such property.
Elias" half-brothers, Sixtus and Xavier took Elias to court to obtain a greater share of their father"s estate. They claimed that the 1910 family agreement violated the French law which mandated equal division between siblings.
In 1925 the French courts determined that Sixtus and Xavier should have a larger share, but in 1928 this judgement was overturned on appeal.
In 1932 the court of cassation upheld the appeal on the grounds that there was a valid agreement between the siblings to an unequal division. Elias" rights to the château de Chambord were thereby recognised - but the wartime confiscation was upheld and Elias was financially compensated with 11 million francs. Elias continued to act as regent.
In 1950 Giuseppe died and Elias succeeded as pretender of Parma.
Elias died at Friedberg, Styria in 1959.
