Italian princess ‘lucky to be alive’ after crashing ‘headfirst’ into wall on motorcycle

‘Surviving this was nothing short of a miracle,’ Princess Maria Carolina said

Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies urged her followers to wear helmets (Instagram/@carolinadebourbon)

Italy’s Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is considering herself “lucky to be alive” after getting into a horrific motorcycle accident.

The 21-year-old daughter of Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, and Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro, turned to Instagram on Wednesday to let her followers know what happened and to urge them to be safe when riding a motorcycle.

“I’m incredibly lucky to be alive. I crashed headfirst into a wall whilst riding a motorcycle and ended up in reanimation in the Intensive Care Unit. Surviving this was nothing short of a miracle,” she captioned her Instagram post, which featured various photos of her lying in a hospital bed.

“I wanted to share my own experience as I’ve realized now more than ever that motorcycles are powerful and thrilling but also unforgiving. Please ride with care. Wear full protection, especially a proper helmet. Mine saved my life.”

She concluded her post by thanking her medical team for all of their help.

“My deepest thanks to the outstanding team at Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace for their expert care during those critical days, and to the emergency medical team and first responders on the scene, whose quick and decisive actions in those first moments made all the difference,” she wrote.

The royal, who is also the Duchess of Calabria and Duchess of Palermo, shared the news of the accident a few days after documenting her trip to Monaco for this year’s Grand Prix.

In an Instagram post from Tuesday, she showed a photo of her with British F1 racer Lando Norris, who won first place this year, in addition to photos with her mother Camilla and her younger sister, Princess Chiara de Bourbon.

“Grand Prix weekend recap,” she captioned the post.

Prior to that, the princess — who currently lives between Paris, Monte Carlo, and Rome — attended the 2025 Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony on May 15, where she walked the red carpet. Alongside pictures of her showing off her two-toned gown, the royal wrote on Instagram at the time, “An incredible honor to walk the red carpet at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony.”

In July 2024, she hosted a lavish 21st birthday party at the Cervo Hotel at Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, featuring a four-tiered cake, a fireworks display, dozens of balloons, and a tank of exotic fish.