Born on 28 September 1893 at Schwarzau am Steinfeld Castle in Lower Austria, Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma was the eighteenth of twenty-four children of Duke Robert of Parma, who had been living in exile since losing his throne following the unification of Italy. Duke Robert divided his time with his large family between his residences in Italy, France and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Raised in a cosmopolitan and multilingual environment, Prince Felix spoke many languages: he learned German and Portuguese from his mother, Princess Maria Antónia of Braganza, while his father taught him French and Italian. During his schooling, the Prince attended Jesuit establishments, notably that of Mödling, in the suburbs of Vienna, where he obtained his school-leaving certificate, equivalent to a secondary school diploma. In 1913, he attended Stonyhurst College in England, where he furthered his knowledge of the English language.

In August 1914, when the First World War broke out, Prince Felix enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian army to serve the country that had welcomed his family into exile and to which he was linked through the marriage of his sister, Archduchess Zita, to Archduke Karl, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. However, he requested not to fight against France, a country to which he remained attached through his Bourbon heritage and in whose service two of his brothers wished to enlist. He subsequently served in the 15th Dragoon Regiment on the Eastern Front.

In November 1917, while accompanying his brother-in-law Karl - who had become Emperor of Austria - on a motor tour of the Goritz region, he saved him from drowning. This dramatic episode further strengthened the bond between the two brothers-in-law and helps explain the future closeness of the imperial couple to the Grand Ducal family of Luxembourg.

On 6 October 1918, Prince Felix and Princess Charlotte became engaged. Felix left the army in November 1918 and, despite reservations about his military service on the side of Austria-Hungary, he was naturalised as a Luxembourgish citizen shortly before his marriage to Charlotte, who became Grand Duchess.

Their union was celebrated on 6 November 1919 in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg. Charlotte conferred upon her husband the title of Prince Consort of Luxembourg, wishing to give him a recognised status and a public role at her side.

He assisted the Grand Duchess in the administration of the court and in her ceremonial duties, particularly when the Grand Duchess was unable to perform them due to her pregnancies. 

Six children were born from their marriage: Hereditary Prince Jean, Princess Elisabeth, Princess Marie-Adélaïde, Princess Marie Gabrielle, Prince Charles and Princess Alix.

During their exile, Prince Felix accompanied Grand Duchess Charlotte on her visits to the Luxembourg community in the United States and the United Kingdom.

After settling in London in 1942, he joined the British Army and served as a liaison officer, first with Northern Command and later with the 21st Army Group. He worked closely with General Leclerc’s 2nd French Armoured Division and took part in the liberation of Paris alongside them.

Prince Felix and his son, Prince Jean, took part in the liberation of Luxembourg in September 1944 and oversaw the transition until the Grand Duchess’s return from exile in April 1945. As President of the Red Cross, he devoted this period to the search for missing persons and, in the hope of finding his brothers Xavier and Louis, visited the Dachau camp in April 1945.

After the war, he helped build a Luxembourg army, serving as Inspector General from 1945 to 1967. He also had a seat on the Council of State from 1937 to 1951, then again from 1961 to 1969.

Although he remained in the background compared to his wife, Prince Felix played a fundamental role in the country’s institutional life. His sense of duty and his commitment to the independence of his adopted homeland make him a prominent figure in Luxembourg’s contemporary history.