María Margarita Vargas Santaella
| Marie Marguerite | |
|---|---|
| Duchess of Anjou | |
Marie Marguerite in Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, 2015 | |
| Consort of the Legitimist pretender to the French throne | |
| Tenure | 6 November 2004 – present |
| Born | María Margarita Vargas Santaella 21 October 1983 Caracas, Venezuela |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Eugenia de Borbón Louis Alphonse Henri |
| Father | Víctor José Vargas Irausquín |
| Mother | Carmen Leonor Santaella Tellería |
| French royal family Legitimist |
|---|
|
Marie-Marguerite, Duchess of Anjou[1][2][3][4] (née Vargas Santaella; born 21 October 1983) is a Venezuelan-born heiress and wife of Louis Alphonse de Bourbon, the Legitimist pretender to the defunct kingdom of France.
Early life
María Margarita Vargas Santaella was born on 21 October 1983 in Caracas. Her father, Víctor José Vargas Irausquín, is the owner of Banco BOD or Banco Occidental de Descuento (BOD Bank or Western Bank of Discount - WBD).[5] Her mother is Carmen Leonor Santaella Tellería. She studied at the Colegio Merici de las Madres Ursulinas in Caracas and did her degree on pedagogy at the Universidad Metropolitana de Caracas.
Personal life
Wedding
She married Prince Louis Alphonse of Bourbon, Duke of Anjou and Legitimist Pretender to the French throne, in a civil ceremony in Caracas on 6 November 2004 and in a religious ceremony the following day at the Church of St. Stanislaus of Krakovia in La Romana, Dominican Republic.[6][7]
Issue
The Duke and Duchess of Anjou are parents to four children:
- Princess Eugénie (Eugénie de Jésus; born on 5 March 2007 in Miami, Florida, United States).[8]
- Prince Louis (born on 28 May 2010 in New York City, United States).[9][10]
- Prince Alphonse (twin of the above; born on 28 May 2010 in New York City, United States).[11]
- Prince Henri (born on 1 February 2019 in New York City, United States).[12]
They currently live in Madrid, Spain.
María Margarita obtained French nationality in 2012.[4]
References
- ^ "Marie-Marguerite d'Anjou, une marraine qui a du génie". Ma Commune (in French). 23 January 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ "Entretien avec la duchesse d'Anjou, Marie-Marguerite de Bourbon". Vexilla Galliae (in French). 5 December 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ "Les quarante ans de la duchesse d'Anjou". L'Eventail (in French). 20 November 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ a b "L'épouse du prince Louis de Bourbon acquiert la nationalité française". Le Figaro (in French). 1 November 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Lyons, John (2008-01-29). "Polo-Loving Banker Lives Really Large In Chávez Socialism". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
- ^ "Luis Alfonso de Borbón y Margarita Vargas contraen matrimonio en la República Dominicana". El País (in Spanish). 7 November 2004. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ "Margarita Vargas, la millonaria venezolana que lleva 16 años junto al 'príncipe de los Franco'". El País (in Spanish). 6 November 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ "Luis Alfonso de Borbón, encantado con el nacimiento de su primera hija". El Periódico Extremadura (in Spanish). 20 March 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ "Naissance à New York de deux héritiers du trône de France". La Dépeche (in French). 29 May 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ Los Duques de Anjou anuncian el nacimiento de sus hijos Luis y Alfonso Archived 6 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine; accessed 14 April 2014.
- ^ "Naissance à New York de deux héritiers du trône de France". La Dépeche (in French). 29 May 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ "Un jeune prince né à New York". Le Soir (in French). 6 February 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
Bibliography
Cassani Pironti, Fabio. Bref crayon généalogique de S.A.R. la Princesse Marie-Marguerite, Duchesse d'Anjou, née Vargas Santaella, Le Lien Légitimiste, n. 16, 2007.