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 y Silva
María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of AlbaGE (28 March 1926 – 20 November 2014) was one of the most senior aristocrats in Spain, as well as the most titled aristocrat in the world, a record now held by
Princess Victoria of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 20th Duchess of Medinaceli.
On 12 October 1947, the Duchess married Don Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz (1919–1972), younger son of the
Duke of Sotomayor and his wife Ana María de Artázcoz y Labayen (1892–1930),
court lady of
Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain.[2] 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."[3] It was reported that 20 million pesetas (equivalent to $10,000,000 rounded in 2015) was spent.
Widowed in 1972, the Duchess remarried first on 16 March 1978
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.[4] 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.[5] 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".[4][6] 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.[7] Díez formally renounced any claim to her wealth.[4] They married on 5 October 2011 at the
Palacio de las Dueñas in
Seville,[8] where the Duchess, whose passions included
flamenco, performed a short dance for the spectators.[9]
Death
The Duchess died in the Palacio de las Dueñas on 20 November 2014, at the age of 88. 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.[10]
The Duchess' body was
laid in repose at the Town Hall, where thousands of civilians 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. Juan José Asenjo and Curro Romero, and Mariano Rajoy, Spain's prime minister, also formally paid their respects.[11] Her funeral was held at
Seville Cathedral by
Carlos Amigo Vallejo, where the Royal Family was represented by the
Infanta Elena.[12]
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Styles
28 March 1926 - 11 January 1935 : The Most Excellent Doña Maria 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
Titles
As head of the dynasty, Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart was styled by her most senior title of "Duchess of Alba", while having held over 50 other hereditary
titles during her lifetime.[7] She was 14 times a
Grandee of Spain. According to Guinness World Records, she was the most titled aristocrat in the world.[13]