The Duchess Of Alba Dies At 88
My favorite living European royal, the Duchess of Alba, has died. She had 49 inherited aristocratic titles — dozens more than the Queen of England. Born in Madrid on 28 March 1926, the duchess – whose full name was Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James-Stuart y de Silva – died on Thursday morning in her home, a 16th-century palace in Seville, with her six children and husband at her side. “Cayetana always had Seville in her heart and for this reason she will always remain in Seville’s heart. May she rest in peace,†tweeted Seville’s mayor, Juan Ignacio Zoido, referring to the duchess by the name she was known by in Spain. Her body will lie in state in the Andalusian capital, Spanish media reported. One of Spain’s wealthiest aristocrats and a constant presence in Spain’s gossip press, the duchess became famous around the world in 2011 when she married Alfonso DÃez, a civil servant 25 years her junior. Her decision provoked a family feud, with her children accusing DÃez of being a gold-digger who was only interested in her fortune, estimated to be up to $5 billion. With those assets, she not only has more titles than Queen Elizabeth — she also (probably) had more money.
