They owned castles at Schwarzau am Steinfeld near Vienna in Austria, Villa Pianore, between Pietrasanta and Viareggio in Italy, and the magnificent Château de Chambord in France (up until its confiscation in World War I).

Elias and Maria Anna had eight children, though only one of them married and had issue: Through his fourth daughter, Princess Alicia, he is great-grandfather of Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria, one of two claimants to the throne of the Two Sicilies.

In 1907 Elias' father Robert died and was succeeded in his ducal claims of Parma by his son Enrico who was mentally disabled.

In 1915 Chambord was sequestered by the French government as alien property, since Elias held a commission in the Austro-Hungarian Army.

In 1939 Enrico died and was succeeded in his ducal claims of Parma by his brother Giuseppe who also was mentally disabled.