In December 1847, at the death of Empress Marie Louise, his father became the reigning duke of Parma, but abdicated on 24 March 1849.

He placed Parma under martial law, inflicted heavy penalties on the members of the late provisional government, closed the university, and instituted a regular policy of persecution.

[1] Ferdinando Carlo spent much of the first ten years of his life following his parents in their frequent travels to their castles of Urschendorff and Weistropp, near Dresden, and to the court in Vienna.

Ferdinando had more in common with his father: a skill for languages, a passion for travel, a coarse sense of humor and a restless nature.

He entered the army in Lucca living as a simple soldier, sharing the life in the barracks, hours in the training grounds and lengthy exercises among the foothills of the Apennines.

"[2] In 1845, as the duchy of Lucca was in great financial need, Ferdinando's father decided to marry him to a princess with a large dowry.

The bride chosen was Princess Louise of Artois (1819–1864), the only sister of the Legitimist pretender to the throne of France, the Comte de Chambord.

However, as his father threatened to cut his privy purse, leaving him completely destitute, Ferdinando ended up agreeing with the idea.

Their wedding took place on 10 November 1845 at Schloss Frohsdorff, Chambords's home in exile, near Lanzenkirchen in Austria, some 30 miles outside of Vienna.

Their first child was born thirteen months after the wedding and three more children followed in quick succession:[2] Louise was described at that time as a pretty blonde, fair complexioned with golden hair and blue eyes, but not very tall.

On 17 December 1847 Empress Marie Louise died and Ferdinando Carlo's father succeeded as Duke Charles II of Parma.

Ferdinando Carlo escaped from Parma, but was arrested in Cremona and taken as a prisoner in Milan where he remained for several months until the British government negotiated his release.

[4] At this time he was described by a contemporary as "Tall and slim with an open and merry countenance, a light-hearted, light-headed, careless young man".

[4] After a brief sojourn on the island of Malta, he traveled to Naples and then Livorno where he was joined by his wife Louise who had just given birth to their first son while in exile in Florence.

Disraeli who met him at this time, described Ferdinando as "a very droll man, exceedingly amusing and clever—a rattle, a mimic and gamboled in mind and body.

[4] On 5 April 1849 the Austrian army entered Parma, and officially restored Charles II, who was in exile in Saxony.

For several years Charles II had considered abdicating in favor of Ferdinando Carlo, but he delayed it in the hope that when he did so things would be more secure for his son.

Ferdinando Carlo, still living in England, succeeded to the title of Duke of Parma, Piacenza, and the Annexed States taking the name Charles III.

[4] Though conscious at all time of his rank—he used his walking stick on anyone who he deemed disrespectful towards him—he was simple in his manners, very approachable and he had great personal charm.

[2] The rift between husband and wife grew when Charles III openly began an affair with Countess Emma Guadagni (1829–1866),[5] a sister-in-law of the Austrian general governor of Trento.

They met in Florence in February 1852, while Charles III was a guest of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

In a semi-official visit to Queen Isabella II of Spain in December 1853, Charles III took his mistress with him, bringing about the final breakdown of his marriage.

On Sunday 26 March 1854, around 4:00 p.m, Charles left the Riserva Palace to take a walk on the streets of Parma, as he used to do every afternoon.

During his walk, he saw his wife, Duchess Louise, who was sitting in a carriage, listening to an open-air concert in a square of Parma.

At 5:45 the Duke was returning to his palace; while he was passing by the church of Santa Lucia, he stopped for a moment to ask about the identity of a pretty girl whom he had just seen in an upper window across the street.