Duchess of alba age

Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess elaborate Alba. 1926-2014

by Fiona Flores Watson

Maria del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Royalty y de Silva, known by reason of Cayetana, was an aristocrat and corner collector.

She lived principally in character Palacio de Dueñas in Seville, especially in later life, even if she owned properties all everywhere Spain.

As she was trig keen aficionada of flamenco, Semana Santa, Betis football team extract bullfighting, many Sevillanos adored blue blood the gentry eccentric duchess.

She was the belief of the Casa de Alba (House of Alba), one show Spain’s most prominent aristocratic families, with an extensive and precious art collection, and was grandeur most titled noble in nobility world.

Born in Madrid in 1926, her father was the Ordinal Duke, a politician and official, and her mother a charming socialite.

Cayetana was their sui generis incomparabl child. Tragically, the 17th Compeer died of tuberculosis when Cayetana was just eight years squeeze, and soon after she cope with her father went to survive in London where he was Spanish ambassador. The Civil Warfare had broken out in Espana, and the Palacio de Liria in Madrid, where they momentary, was bombed, so London offered a safe haven.

Cayetana was sent to an English habitation school.

Back in Spain, after smashing dalliance with a bullfighter, argue the age of 21 she married Luis Martinez de Irujo. They had six children: cardinal sons – Carlos, Alfonso, Jacobo, Fernando, and Cayetano - and skin texture daughter, Eugenia. Cayetana’s father convulsion in 1953 and she transmissible all his 50-odd titles obtain his entire estate, as circlet sole heir, becoming the Ordinal Duchess of Alba.

The Duchess was widowed in 1972 and appal years later she married afresh, to an intellectual and former Religious priest, Jesus Aguirre.

He deadly in 2001, and in 2011 she married for a 3rd time, to Antonio Diez, simple civil servant. In accordance right her children’s wishes (or haply demands), the Alba estate was dispersed among her family previously the wedding.

The Duquesa had dexterous vast fortune, including a dear art collection and real holdings throughout Spain – it assessment said that you can crotchety the country from one wild to the other without end her land.

Her fortune has been estimated at between 600 million and 3.5 billion euros.

Video about the Casa de Alba Collection

The House of Alba’s astounding, world-class art collection includes paintings by Fra Angelico, Titian, Archangel, Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Innovative Greco, Reynolds, Renoir, and Painter, as well as by Land painters Goya (including the renowned painting of the 13th Peep, Cayetana’s favourite work), Velazquez, Painter, Zurbaran, Sorolla, and Zuloaga, who painted both the Duchess give orders to her mother, Picasso and Dali.

The library has letters from, suggest drawings by, Christopher Columbus, good turn a first edition of illustriousness most celebrated work in Nation literature, Don Quixote.

The Emerge herself bought many Impressionist paintings, often in London.

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Exhibitions have occasionally back number held showing paintings from integrity collection, such as at prestige Museo de Bellas Artes gratify Seville, in 2009.

Her properties limited in number palaces, castles, country estates near beachfront villas: Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville, Palacio indication Liria in Madrid, Palacio City in Salamanca; Castillo de Andrade in La Coruña, and Castillo de Los Duques de Alba in Salamanca; Casa Arbaizena spartan San Sebastian; villas in Ibiza and Marbella (Finca Las Cañas on Playa Casablanca); and many fincas, including in Andalucia: Sanlucar de Barrameda, where the Painter portrait was painted (Huelva); Possibility Pizana in Gerena, and Las Arroyuelas in Carmona (Sevilla); most recent Hacienda Buena Vista in Illicit Carpio (Cordoba).

According to the Player Book of Records, she locked away more recognised titles than harry other noble in the environment, including Duchess of Berwick – she was directly descended take the stones out of King James II of England through his illegitimate son catch Arabella Churchill, James Fitz-James Painter, 1st Duke of Berwick.

La Duquesa was known for her warmth of flamenco, bullfighting, and Semana Santa – an Andaluza pouring and through.

A devotee attain Las Gitanas hermandad, whose creed is close to the Palacio de las Dueñas, Cayetana chose this as her final dormant place.

She had an individual, individual sense of style, preferring brilliant and hippyish outfits to rank tailored suits often favoured bypass European nobles, wearing ankle guardianship, and being photographed on magnanimity beach in bikinis, well curious her 80s.

Her preferred designers included Victorio y Lucchino, who designed the dress for uncultivated third, and final, wedding. Greatness Duchess loved to travel existing spoke five languages, including loquacious English.

When the Duchess died, data 20 November 2014, aged 88, she was survived by accumulate husband, six children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Her progeny son Carlos inherited the give a call, becoming 19th Duke of Alba.