Jordan Bardella and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, whose relationship has captivated audiences in France and beyond, made a notable appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix. The couple, aged 30 and 22 respectively, have been the subject of much fascination due to their burgeoning romance.
Throughout the event at the Monte-Carlo circuit, they were spotted sharing laughter, taking selfies, and whispering to one another, exuding a comfortable and affectionate presence as they enjoyed the thrilling race.
This high-profile event marks their first official public outing as a couple. Speculation about their relationship began in January when they were seen departing from an exclusive gathering of Parisian elites together.
Bardella, seen as the frontrunner to succeed as France’s president and a protégé of the far-right leader Marine Le Pen, pairs intriguingly with Maria Carolina, an influencer and heiress of the now-defunct Italian throne, whose sister has previously been linked romantically to the future king of Denmark.
Together, they form a formidable power couple, capturing the attention of media outlets in both France and Italy. However, their relationship has sparked debate, with some critics arguing that Bardella may be compromising his working-class image.
Despite the controversies, both appeared unfazed as they openly celebrated their relationship at the Circuit de Monaco on Sunday, enjoying their time together in the public eye.
The two had reportedly first met at the race a year earlier, in May, when Bardella attended with his father, a motor-racing enthusiast.
A regular attendee to the well-heeled occasion, Maria Carolina was also joined on the weekend by her sister Princess Maria Chiara, 21, and her parents, Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, and Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro, the bouffant-haired ‘momager’ to her socialite daughters.
They’ve made headlines across France and beyond thanks to their budding romance – and now Jordan Bardella, 30, and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (pictured together), 22, have made their debut at the Monaco Grand Prix
Prince Carlo holds a claim to the now-defunct throne of the former House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family, which ruled over southern Italy and Sicily during the 18th and 19th centuries.
But despite having no land or people to rule, the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies has made sure they stay as relevant as possible in high society, having previously rubbed shoulders with US President Donald Trump, Prince Albert of Monaco, King Frederik of Denmark, Spain’s King Felipe and Britain’s Prince Michael of Kent.
In the summer of 2023, the princesses hit headlines after Chiara was rumoured to be engaged to Prince Christian of Denmark, with the royal even seemingly fanning the flames of the rumours until she later appeared to dismiss the speculation.
In April, Maria Carolina and the National Rally leader were pictured in Corsica in images published by French magazine Paris Match.
The pair were shown strolling along a path on the Mediterranean island after the magazine said it had ‘stumbled upon’ them during a trip there.
‘Bardella posed for photos with the select few, whilst his gaze lingered on the beautiful princess sharing the VIP box,’ Paris Match reported.
Princess Maria Carolina, who is fluent in six languages and was brought up between Rome, Paris and Monte Carlo, attended Harvard and studied at the Istituto Marangoni in Italy, and moves in high circles.
In June 2024, she was photographed holding hands with Brigitte Macron at an event in Paris celebrating the 60th birthday of Stéphane Bern, a French royalty watcher.
From making each other laugh to taking selfies together and whispering in one another’s ears, the much talked-about couple put on a cosy display as they watched the action unfold at the Monte-Carlo circuit
The prestigious event marked the loved-up pair’s first public appearance together after rumours about their relationship were sparked in January, when they were spotted leaving a party for Paris’s elite together
She was also invited to sit in the front rows near François Hollande, the former French president, and Trump at the ceremony marking the reopening of Notre-Dame in December 2024.
Donald Trump invited the princess and her family to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2018, and the family publicly congratulated their ‘friend’ on his re-election on November 6, 2024.
In 2024, the princess told Tatler: ‘I am still waiting for Prince Charming to come and serenade me with a guitar and a red rose. The position is still open, and I’m accepting applications.’
The relationship marks a striking contrast for Bardella, who was raised by his working-class mother on a housing estate in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis and has built his political brand on championing ordinary French voters.
The unlikely pairing has fuelled speculation in French media about how it could shape Bardella’s public image as he positions himself for a possible Elysee bid.
Rumours had already been swirling after Bardella was seen with the Duchess of Calabria and Palermo at high-profile events earlier this year, with images circulating in the French and Italian press in January.
Questioned afterwards, Bardella said: ‘I do not wish for my private life to be discussed. It is my last bastion of freedom, and I intend to preserve it as much as possible,’ before confessing to RTL that he was ‘a happy man’.
Commentators were quick to interpret the pictures in April as a deft move by the social media-savvy politician to soften his image ahead of a likely bid for the presidency.
Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and her mother Duchess of Castro commanded attention in glamorous ensembles as they attended the Grand Prix
‘It’s one more step in building his image after a nationwide tour to promote his book,’ said Philippe Moreau Chevrolet, a communications professor at Sciences Po.
‘This is the beginning of a story that will be fed over time and will turn into a serial. Soon we’ll be getting other covers about holidays and dinners in town,’ he added.
Bardella was likely seeking to push ‘a narrative that humanises him and reassures people about his ability to commit’, he said.
‘Will his voters buy into the fairy tale of the descendant of Italian immigrants who’s dating a princess? Or will they say he’s betraying us to join the jet set? We don’t know.’
Left-wing lawmaker Alexis Corbiere decried what he called ‘a new stage in the normalisation of the far right’.
Le Pen has since 2011 sought to distance what is now called the RN party from the legacy of her father who openly made antisemitic and racist statements. Bardella took over in 2022.
The RN became the biggest single party in parliament after Macron called snap polls in 2024, and it established a stronger footprint in local elections earlier this year.
Bardella’s public appearance with the princess goes against his usual preference to keep his private life under wraps. He has reportedly not been publicly linked with anyone since splitting with Nolwenn Olivier, Marine Le Pen’s niece, in 2023.
Chiara and her sister, Princess Carolina, are known to chase the spotlight, often posing for photos on glamorous trips and giving tell-all interviews to Italian media (pictured with their father in Monaco)
Meanwhile, when asked to respond to long-running speculation that he was gay, Bardella said: ‘I’m straight. I could say the opposite to please you, but … there’s not the shadow of a doubt,’ reported Tatler.
Chiara and Carolina, whose mother is the daughter of Italian industry tycoon Camillo Crociani and the actress Edy Vessel, have become well-known in aristocratic circles for their lavish parties and fashionable looks at glitzy events.
They’ve also been known to chase the spotlight, often posing for photos on glamorous trips and giving tell-all interviews to Italian media.
They’re not above flexing their connections either, with Chiara previously saying: ‘The Bourbon family is related to almost all the royal families or former rulers of Europe, it’s a kind of big club.
‘King Felipe VI of Spain, he is my father’s cousin and I am very close to the heir, Leonor, who, like me, loves sports and in particular women’s football.
‘Then the Belgian royals were often our guests in the summer in Saint-Tropez… and one of my best friends is Alexandra of Hanover, Caroline of Monaco’s youngest daughter.’
While the family has no official remit, they spend their time doing charity work and promoting the interests of Southern Italy.
The two sisters also rub shoulders with the most elite socialites of Europe, speaking fluently in English, French and Italian.
In recent years, they have been building a large fanbase by sharing snaps of their luxurious lives on Instagram, and clips of themselves on TikTok, dancing, showing off their style, and having fun in various glamorous locations.
The sisters – who are managed by their mother – have also made appearances at Paris Fashion Week while in 2023, the siblings announced they would be starring in ‘Côte d’Azur: In the Privacy of Billionaires, Stars & Princesses’ on the French streaming service, myCANAL.
Carolina, Duchess of Calabria and of Palermo, will inherit her father’s title and duties, and his claim to Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
Who are the ancient royal family of Bourbon-Two Sicilies?
The last King of Two Sicilies was Francis II, who was overthrown in 1860 and spent the remainder of his life in exile
The Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies – or Bourbon des Deux Siciles – is an ancient branch of the Spanish royal family which ruled parts of southern Italy for more than 100 years from 1734 to 1861. Its descendants still carry the name today, some 150 years later.
The line descends from Philippe de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV of France (1638–1715), who established the Bourbon dynasty in Spain in 1700 as Philip V (1683–1746).
In 1759 King Philip’s younger grandson was granted the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, becoming Ferdinand IV and III (1751–1825), respectively, of those realms. His descendants occupied the joint throne (renamed ‘Kingdom of the Two Sicilies’ in 1816) until 1860.
The family, then led by Francis II, was overthrown in 1860 by Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi, who proclaimed a dictatorship on behalf of Victor Emmanuel II, the the King of Piedmont-Sardinia and later King of Italy. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Kingdom of Sardinia were merged into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.
The deposed Francis II and his wife spent time in Rome as guests of the Pope where they ran a government in exile. They left the city before it was occupied by the Italians in 1870.
They led a wandering life from then on, living in Austria, France, and Bavaria.
Francis II died in 1894 and was succeeded by his half-brother, Prince Alfonso, who was in turn succeeded by his son, Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of Calabria.
Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, 57 and Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro, 49 with their daughters Princess Maria Carolina, 17 and Maria Chiara Di Bourbon-Two Sicilies, 15
The succession has been disputed since Ferdinand’s death in 1960. Both his nephew Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria, and brother Prince Ranieri, pictured, laid claim to the throne. This feud continues between their descendants today
The succession has been disputed since Ferdinand’s death in 1960 because he had six daughters and no sons to carry the family line.
Both his nephew Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria, and brother Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro, laid claim to the throne. This feud continues between their descendants today.
Chiara and Carolina are the daughters of Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, grandson of Prince Ranieri. The claimant on the other side of the family is Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria, grandson of Infante Alfonso.
Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, grandson of Prince Ranieri, and his wife Camilla
Prince Carlo, who only has two daughters, has overturned centuries of male primogeniture and has stated his title will pass to his eldest daughter, Carolina.
Prince Carlo married his wife Camilla, daughter of Italian film star Edoarda Crociani, better known as Edy Vessel, in 1998 at Monte Carlo cathedral. Camilla’s sister Cristina revealed their mother was obsessed with her daughters marrying princes.
As Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Carlo holds many honours, including Sovereign Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Januarius, of the Two Sicilian Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit.
Today Carlo and Camilla are ‘very active in promoting the cultural, artistic, historical, and spiritual identity of southern Italy,’ according to their official website. They split their time between homes in Monte Carlo and Paris.
Camilla is also active in charity work and gives her time to the Red Cross and UNICEF, as well as the Association Monaco Against Autism, Amitié sans Frontières et la Princess Grace of Monaco Foundation.
She campaigns against animal cruelty and is in charge of her own non-profit organisation, the Camilla of Bourbon Charitable Foundation, which works with the government in Mauritius to preserve its wildlife and promote sustainable development.
The family posing for pictures at the Influencer Awards in Monaco in 2019, with Chiara in a pink gown, Camilla in a grey number and Carolina in a rose gold dress
