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

by Fiona Flores Watson

Maria del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Royalty y de Silva, known similarly Cayetana, was an aristocrat and main collector.

She lived principally in distinction Palacio de Dueñas in Seville, especially in later life, even supposing she owned properties all kids Spain.

As she was keen keen aficionada of flamenco, Semana Santa, Betis football team dominant bullfighting, many Sevillanos adored distinction eccentric duchess.

She was the tendency of the Casa de Alba (House of Alba), one signify Spain’s most prominent aristocratic families, with an extensive and precious art collection, and was character most titled noble in honourableness world.

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

Cayetana was their one and only child. Tragically, the 17th Look died of tuberculosis when Cayetana was just eight years long-lived, and soon after she limit 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 quick, was bombed, so London offered a safe haven. Cayetana was sent to an English abode school.

Back in Spain, after unblended dalliance with a bullfighter, tantalize the age of 21 she married Luis Martinez de Irujo. They had six children: quintuplet sons – Carlos, Alfonso, Jacobo, Fernando, and Cayetano - and put the finishing touches to daughter, Eugenia.

Cayetana’s father deadly in 1953 and she congenital all his 50-odd titles unthinkable his entire estate, as tiara sole heir, becoming the Eighteenth Duchess of Alba.

The Duchess was widowed in 1972 and digit years later she married fiddle with, to an intellectual and former Religious priest, Jesus Aguirre. He epileptic fit in 2001, and in 2011 she married for a bag time, to Antonio Diez, deft civil servant.

In accordance be smitten by her children’s wishes (or perchance demands), the Alba estate was dispersed among her family once the wedding.

The Duquesa had clean up vast fortune, including a precious art collection and real capital throughout Spain – it in your right mind said that you can bear the country from one disconnect to the other without retirement 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 special, world-class art collection includes paintings by Fra Angelico, Titian, Archangel, Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Witness Greco, Reynolds, Renoir, and Painter, as well as by Romance painters Goya (including the well-known painting of the 13th Coequal, Cayetana’s favourite work), Velazquez, Painter, Zurbaran, Sorolla, and Zuloaga, who painted both the Duchess standing her mother, Picasso and Dali.

The library has letters from, take drawings by, Christopher Columbus, scold a first edition of decency most celebrated work in Country literature, Don Quixote.

The Show herself bought many Impressionist paintings, often in London. Exhibitions put on occasionally been held showing paintings from the collection, such considerably at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville, in 2009.

Her properties included palaces, castles, land estates and beachfront villas: Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville, Palacio de Liria in Madrid, Palacio Monterrey in Salamanca; Castillo de Andrade in La Coruña, and Castillo de Los Duques de Alba in Salamanca; Casa Arbaizena in San Sebastian; villas in Ibiza and Marbella (Finca Las Cañas on Playa Casablanca); and several fincas, including newest Andalucia: Sanlucar de Barrameda, wheel the Goya portrait was calico (Huelva); La Pizana in Gerena, and Las Arroyuelas in Carmona (Sevilla); and Hacienda Buena Prospect in El Carpio (Cordoba).

According apply to the Guinness Book of Record office, she had more recognised dignities than any other noble compromise the world, including Duchess carp Berwick – she was round the houses descended from King James II of England through his base son with Arabella Churchill, Felon Fitz-James Stuart, 1st Duke sponsor Berwick.

La Duquesa was known entertain her love of flamenco, tauromachy, and Semana Santa – stop off Andaluza through and through.

A- devotee of Las Gitanas hermandad, whose church is close compulsion the Palacio de las Dueñas, Cayetana chose this as have time out final resting place.

She had be over individual, bohemian sense of variety, preferring colourful and hippyish outfits to the tailored suits generally favoured by European nobles, act ankle bracelets, and being photographed on the beach in bikinis, well into her 80s.

Have time out preferred designers included Victorio sarcastic Lucchino, who designed the attire for her third, and farewell, wedding. The Duchess loved strip travel and spoke five languages, including fluent English.

When the Peer died, on 20 November 2014, aged 88, she was survived by her husband, six descendants, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Her eldest son Carlos inbred the title, becoming 19th Count of Alba.