Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba
Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba
| Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart | |
|---|---|
| 18th Duchess of Alba (more...) | |
| Duchess of Alba | |
| Tenure | 18 February 1955 – 20 November 2014 |
| Predecessor | Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba |
| Successor | Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 19th Duke of Alba |
| Full name María del Rosario Cayetana Paloma Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Fernanda Teresa Francisca de Paula Lourdes Antonia Josefa Fausta Rita Castor Dorotea Santa Esperanza Fitz-James Stuart, Silva, Falcó y Gurtubay | |
| Born | 28 March 1926 Liria Palace, Madrid, Spain |
| Baptised | 18 April 1926 Royal Chapel, Royal Palace of Madrid |
| Died | 20 November 2014(aged 88) Palace of the Dukes of Alba, Seville, Spain |
| Noble family | FitzJames Alba |
| Spouse(s) | Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz (m. 1947; died 1972) Jesús Aguirre (m. 1978; died 2001) Alfonso Díez Carabantes (m. 2011) |
| Issue Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 19th Duke of Alba Alfonso Martínez de Irujo, 18th Duke of Hijar Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 23rd Count of Siruela Fernando Martínez de Irujo, 11th Marquis of San Vicente del Barco Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, 4th Duke of Arjona Eugenia Martínez de Irujo, 12th Duchess of Montoro | |
| Father | Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba |
| Mother | María del Rosario de Silva, 9th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco |
| Signature |  |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba, GE (28 March 1926 – 20 November 2014), was head of the House of Alba and the third woman to hold the dukedom of Alba in her own right.
Born at Liria Palace in Madrid on 28 March 1926, she was the only child of the 17th Duke of Alba (a prominent Spanish politician and diplomat during the 1930s and 1940s) by his wife, María del Rosario de Silva y Gurtubay, 9th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco. Her godmother was Queen Victoria Eugenie, the consort of King Alfonso XIII of Spain.
As head of the dynasty, she was styled by her most senior title of "Duchess of Alba", whilst holding over 40 other hereditary titles.[1] According to Guinness World Records, she was the most titled aristocrat in the world.[2]
Via her descent from James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, she was King James II of England's senior illegitimate-line descendant. She was inducted into *Vanity Fair'*s International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame[3] in 2011.
| Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart | |
|---|---|
| 18th Duchess of Alba (more...) | |
| Duchess of Alba | |
| Tenure | 18 February 1955 – 20 November 2014 |
| Predecessor | Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba |
| Successor | Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 19th Duke of Alba |
| Full name María del Rosario Cayetana Paloma Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Fernanda Teresa Francisca de Paula Lourdes Antonia Josefa Fausta Rita Castor Dorotea Santa Esperanza Fitz-James Stuart, Silva, Falcó y Gurtubay | |
| Born | 28 March 1926 Liria Palace, Madrid, Spain |
| Baptised | 18 April 1926 Royal Chapel, Royal Palace of Madrid |
| Died | 20 November 2014(aged 88) Palace of the Dukes of Alba, Seville, Spain |
| Noble family | FitzJames Alba |
| Spouse(s) | Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz (m. 1947; died 1972) Jesús Aguirre (m. 1978; died 2001) Alfonso Díez Carabantes (m. 2011) |
| Issue Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 19th Duke of Alba Alfonso Martínez de Irujo, 18th Duke of Hijar Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 23rd Count of Siruela Fernando Martínez de Irujo, 11th Marquis of San Vicente del Barco Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, 4th Duke of Arjona Eugenia Martínez de Irujo, 12th Duchess of Montoro | |
| Father | Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba |
| Mother | María del Rosario de Silva, 9th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco |
| Signature | |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Life and family
The Duchess (left) horse riding with bullfighter Ángel Peralta in 1961
The Duchess (right) visiting an event in 2005
On 12 October 1947, the Duchess married Don Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz (1919–1972), son of the Duke of Sotomayor.[4] The wedding in Spain, two years after the end of World War II, resisted the decline in frequency of very extravagant European weddings among high nobility and attracted the attention of the international media. The New York Times called it "the most expensive wedding of the world."[5] It was reported that 20 million pesetas (equivalent to $10,000,000 rounded in 2015) was spent.
Six children were born of this marriage; noble titles were ceded to all of them by their mother in accordance with Spanish protocol, including the rank of Grandee of Spain:
Widowed in 1972, the Duchess remarried first on 16 March 1978 to Jesús Aguirre y Ortiz de Zárate (1934–2001), a Doctor of Theology and a former Jesuit priest. The wedding caused shock; Aguirre was illegitimate, which carried a stigma among the wealthy and devout in 1970s Spain.[15] Eight years younger than the Duchess, he maintained a good relationship with her children. During their marriage he administered, with his stepson Carlos, the Alba estates.[16] Aguirre died in 2001.
The re-widowed Duchess expressed her wish to marry Alfonso Díez Carabantes in the 2000s, a civil servant who separately had a public relations business, 24 years her junior. It was reported objections came from her children and from King Juan Carlos. The House of Alba in 2008 issued a statement saying that the relationship "was based on a long friendship and there are no plans to marry".[15][17] The duchess decided to proceed and gave her children their inheritance which included majestic palaces in Spain, paintings by old and modern masters (from Fra Angelico, Titian and Goya to Renoir and Marc Chagall), a first-edition copy of Cervantes's Don Quixote, letters written by Christopher Columbus, and substantial land; her wealth was estimated at between €600 million and €3.5 billion.[1] Díez formally renounced any claim to her wealth.[15] They married on 5 October 2011 at the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville.[18] The Duchess, whose passions included flamenco, performed a quick few steps of the dance in front of the crowds that had gathered outside the palace on the day of the wedding.[19]
As a socialite, the duchess met famous VIPs from Spain and abroad. Jackie Kennedy visited her Seville palace, as did Wallis Simpson, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. In 1959 the duchess, together with designer Yves Saint Laurent, hosted a Dior show for charitable purposes in her Liria Palace, Madrid, a palace which movie stars Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn and Raf Vallone visited. In her youth the duchess posed for Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton and she appeared on the cover of Time and Harper's Bazaar.
Her ancestor, paternal with one exception being maternal, was King James II who had her closer ancestor and three other children with Arabella Churchill, sister of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, making her a distant cousin of the Spencer-Churchill, Churchill and Spencer prominent British contemporaries. The Spencers will have multiplied the Alba cousinage with the monarchy on the ascension to the throne of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Her titles included that of Duchess of Berwick in the Jacobite Peerage. The Jacobean Peerage has no rank in Britain; its senior holders often have inheritance and status in Catholic remnant aristocracies. In 1802, the dukedom passed to her Spanish noble male-line ancestor from his mother who took the surname accordingly.
Death
Memorial plaque in Seville
The Duchess died in the Palacio de las Dueñas on 20 November 2014, at the age of 88. She was survived by her last husband, her six children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[20] She was succeeded by her son Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 14th Duke of Huéscar, who thus became the 19th Duke of Alba. At the time of her death, her net worth was estimated to be $5 billion.[21]
Funeral
After her death, the Duchess' body was laid in repose at the Town Hall, where thousands of Sevillans paid their last respects. Pictures of the Duchess with her family were placed at her coffin. The King of Spain telephoned her son to pay his respects and sent two flower crowns to Seville. The Lord Mayor said that the flags of the city would be lowered in mourning. Msgrs. Juan José Asenjo and Curro Romero, and Mr. Rajoy, Spain's prime minister, also formally paid their respects.[22] Her funeral was held at Seville Cathedral by Msgr. Carlos Amigo Vallejo, where the Royal Family was represented by the Infanta Elena.[23]
Titles, styles and honours
Titles
Coat of arms of Cayetana, 18th Duchess of Alba
- Dukedoms
18th Duchess of Alba, Grandee of Spain
15th Duchess of Aliaga, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso
4th Duchess of Arjona, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Cayetano[24]
11th Duchess of Berwick, Grandee of Spain
17th Duchess of Híjar, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso[25]
11th Duchess of Liria and Jérica, Grandee of Spain
11th Duchess of Montoro, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her daughter Doña Eugenia
- Count-Dukedoms
12th Countess-Duchess of Olivares, Grandee of Spain
- Marquessates
17th Marchioness of the Carpio, Grandee of Spain
10th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Fernando
16th Marchioness of La Algaba
16th Marchioness of Almenara -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso[26]
18th Marchioness of Barcarrota
10th Marchioness of Castañeda
23rd Marchioness of Coria
14th Marchioness of Eliche
16th Marchioness of Mirallo
20th Marchioness of la Mota
20th Marchioness of Moya
17th Marchioness of Orani -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso[27]
12th Marchioness of Osera
14th Marchioness of San Leonardo
19th Marchioness of Sarria
12th Marchioness of Tarazona
15th Marchioness of Valdunquillo
18th Marchioness of Villanueva del Fresno
17th Marchioness of Villanueva del Río
- Countships
27th Countess of Aranda, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso[28]
22nd Countess of Lemos, Grandee of Spain
20th Countess of Lerín, Grandee of Spain, Constabless of Navarre
20th Countess of Miranda del Castañar, Grandee of Spain
16th Countess of Monterrey, Grandee of Spain
20th Countess of Osorno, Grandee of Spain
18th Countess of Palma del Río, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso[29]
12th Countess of Salvatierra, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Cayetano
22nd Countess of Siruela, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Jacobo
19th Countess of Andrade
14th Countess of Ayala
16th Countess of Casarrubios del Monte
16th Countess of Fuentes de Valdepero
11th Countess of Fuentidueña
17th Countess of Galve
18th Countess of Gelves
16th Countess of Guimerá -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso[30]
21st Countess of Modica (Kingdom of Sicily)
24th Countess of Ribadeo -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso[31]
25th Countess of San Esteban de Gormaz
12th Countess of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
20th Countess of Villalba
- Viscountcies
12th Viscountess of la Calzada
- Lordships
29th Lady of Moguer
Styles
28 March 1926 – 11 January 1935: The Most Excellent Doña Mª del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva
11 January 1935 – 28 January 1947: The Most Excellent The Duchess of Aliaga
28 January 1947 – 18 February 1955: The Most Excellent The Duchess of Montoro
18 February 1955 – 20 November 2014: The Most Excellent The Duchess of Alba de Tormes
Honours
- National honours
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic[32][33]
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise[34][35][36]
Spain: Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild[37]
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Alcántara[38]
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Charity[39]
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Agricultural Merit[40]
Spain: Recipient of the Medal of Concepción[43]
Spain: Recipient of the Medal of Línea[44]
Spain: Recipient of the Medal of The Community of Madrid[45]
Spain: Former Grand Master Recipient of the Medal of The Spanish Red Cross[46]
Spain: Recipient of the Medal of Suffering for the Motherland
- Foreign honours
[[INLINE_IMAGE|//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/State_Flag_of_Greece_%281863-1924_and_1935-1973%29.svg/23px-State_Flag_of_Greece_%281863-1924_and_1935-1973%29.svg.png|//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/State_Flag_of_Greece_%281863-1924_and_1935-1973%29.svg/35px-State_Flag_of_Greece_%281863-1924_and_1935-1973%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/State_Flag_of_Greece_%281863-1924_and_1935-1973%29.svg/45px-State_Flag_of_Greece_%281863-1924_and_1935-1973%29.svg.png 2x|Greece|h15|w23|thumbborder flagicon-img flagicon-img]] Greek royal family: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence[47][48]
[[INLINE_IMAGE|//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_the_Two_Sicilies_%281816%29.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_the_Two_Sicilies_%281816%29.svg.png|//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_the_Two_Sicilies_%281816%29.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_the_Two_Sicilies_%281816%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_the_Two_Sicilies_%281816%29.svg/45px-Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_the_Two_Sicilies_%281816%29.svg.png 2x|Kingdom of the Two Sicilies|h15|w23|thumbborder flagicon-img flagicon-img]] House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Calabrian Two Sicilian Order of Saint George[47][49][50]
Japan: Wisteria Dame of the Order of the Precious Crown, 4th Class[51]
Honorary appointments
- National honorary appointments
Castilla-La Mancha: Marshal of Castilla-La Mancha[52]
Aragon: Constable of Aragon[53]
[[INLINE_IMAGE|//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Flag_of_the_Valencian_Community_%282x3%29.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Valencian_Community_%282x3%29.svg.png|//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Flag_of_the_Valencian_Community_%282x3%29.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_Valencian_Community_%282x3%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Flag_of_the_Valencian_Community_%282x3%29.svg/45px-Flag_of_the_Valencian_Community_%282x3%29.svg.png 2x|Valencian Community|h15|w23|thumbborder flagicon-img flagicon-img]] Llíria: Honorary Mayor of Llíria[54]
Seville: Knight of the Royal Cavalry Armory of Seville[55][56]
Spain: Honorary President of the Spanish Red Cross[57]
Spain: Honorary President of the Spanish National Orchestra[58]
Spain: Honorary President of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando[59]
- Foreign honorary appointments
United States: Member of the Hispanic Society of America[60]
United States: Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences