Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba

Doña María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain (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 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 the Queen Consort of Spain, Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, wife of Alfonso XIII de Borbón, King 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. According to Guinness World Records, she was the most titled aristocrat in the world.

Via her descent from James FitzJames, she was King James II of England's senior illegitimate descendant.

She was inducted into Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 2011.

On 12 October 1947, the Duchess married Don Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz (1919–1972), son of the Duke of Sotomayor. The wedding in Spain, just after the Second World War, is considered to be one of the last great weddings of European nobility and attracted the attention of the international media. The New York Times called it "the most expensive wedding of the world." It was reported that 20 million pesetas (€7,644,678 equivalent in 2014) was spent at that time. Six children were born of this marriage, who were all conferred noble titles by their mother, in accordance with Spanish Royal protocol, including the rank of Grandee of Spain.

After becoming a widow, the Duchess remarried 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 was scandalous in 1970s Spain. 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. Aguirre died in 2001.

Details emerged in 2008 regarding the Duchess's intention to marry Alfonso Díez Carabantes, a civil servant who also runs a public relations business, 24 years her junior. It was reported that there were objections from her children and from King Juan Carlos, and the House of Alba that year issued a statement saying that the relationship "was based on a long friendship and there are no plans to marry". The duchess decided to proceed with the marriage, overcoming her children's opposition by giving them their inheritance in advance. The duchess's fortune included ancient palaces throughout 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 huge tracts of land; her wealth was estimated at between €600 million and €3.5 billion. Díez formally renounced any claim to her wealth. They married on 5 October 2011 at the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville. 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.

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 hosted one Dior show for charitable purposes in her Liria Palace in Madrid, together with designer Yves Saint Laurent. Movie stars such as Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn and Raf Vallone visited Liria Palace. In her youth the duchess posed for Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton and she appeared on the cover of Time and Harper's Bazaar.

The Duchess's titles included that of Duchess of Berwick and she was a direct descendant of King James II and a distant relative of Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales. The mother of the first duke of Berwick was Arabella Churchill, sister of the first duke of Marlborough, John Churchill. In 1802 after the death of the 13th duchess, who was childless, the dukedom passed to her relative, the duke of Berwick, a Spanish nobleman.

The Duchess died in the Palacio de las Dueñas on November 20, 2014, at the age of 88. She was survived by her last husband, her six children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was succeeded by her son Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 14th Duke of Huéscar, who thus became the 19th Duke of Alba.

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. Her funeral was held at Seville Cathedral by Msgr. Carlos Amigo Vallejo where the Royal Family were represented by the Infanta Elena.

Titles

Coat of arms of Cayetana, 18th Duchess of Alba.

• 18th Duchess of Alba, Grandee of Spain
• 15th Duchess of Aliaga, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso
• 13th Duchess of Almazán, Grandee of Spain -obtained in 2013
• 4th Duchess of Arjona, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Cayetano
• 11th Duchess of Berwick, Grandee of Spain
• 17th Duchess of Híjar, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso
• 11th Duchess of Liria and Jérica, Grandee of Spain
• 11th Duchess of Montoro, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her daughter Doña Eugenia

• 12th Countess-Duchess of Olivares, Grandee of Spain

• 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
• 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
• 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

• 27th Countess of Aranda, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso
• 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
• 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
• 21st Countess of Modica (Kingdom of Sicily)
• 24th Countess of Ribadeo -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso
• 25th Countess of San Esteban de Gormaz
• 12th Countess of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
• 20th Countess of Villalba

• 12th Viscountess of la Calzada

• 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

•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic
•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise
•  Spain: Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild
•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Alcántara
•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Charity
•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Agricultural Merit
•  Spain Recipient of the Medal of Andalusia
•  Spain: Recipient of the Medal of Concepción
•  Spain: Recipient of the Medal of Línea
•  Spain: Recipient of the Medal of The Community of Madrid
•  Spain: Former Grand Master Recipient of the Medal of The Spanish Red Cross
•  Spain: Recipient of the Medal of Suffering for the Motherland

• Greek royal family: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence
• House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Calabrian Two Sicilian Order of Saint George
•  Japan: Wisteria Dame of the Order of the Precious Crown, 4th Class

Honorary appointments

•  Castilla-La Mancha: Marshal of Castilla-La Mancha
•  Aragon: Constable of Aragon
• Llíria: Honorary Mayor of Llíria
•  Seville: Knight of the Royal Cavalry Armory of Seville
•  Spain: Honorary President of the Spanish Red Cross
•  Spain: Honorary President of the Spanish National Orchestra
•  Spain: Honorary President of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando

•  United States: Member of the Hispanic Society of America
•  United States: Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences