Excma. Sr.ª D.ª María del Rosario Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain (born 28 March 1926, dead 20 November 2014) was the head of the House of Alba and the third woman to carry the title in her own right.

She was born at Liria Palace on 28 March 1926, as the only child of the 17th Duke of Alba (a prominent politician and diplomat during the 1930s and 1940s), and 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, King of Spain Alfonso XIII de Borbón's wife.

The matriarch's senior title is Duchess of Alba, but she had more than 40 others. According to Guinness World Records, she had more titles recognized by an existing government than any other noble in the world.

As the most direct male-line descendant from James FitzJames, illegitimate son of king James II of England, she also claims the title of Duchess of Berwick.

Spouse(s)

Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz (m. 1947; dec. 1972)
Jesús Aguirre y Ortiz de Zárate (m. 1978; dec. 2001)
Alfonso Díez Carabantes
(m. 2011)

Issue

Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 14th Duke of Huéscar
Alfonso Martínez de Irujo, 15th Duke of Aliaga
Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 23rd Count of Siruela
Fernando Martínez de Irujo, 11th Marquis of San Vicente del Barco
Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, 13th Count of Salvatierra
Eugenia Martínez de Irujo, 12th Duchess of Montoro

Full name
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, Silva, Falcó y Gurtubay Noble family House of Alba
House of FitzJames 

Father Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba

Mother María del Rosario de Silva, 9th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco 

Born 28 March 1926
Liria Palace, Madrid

Baptised 18 April 1926
Royal Chapel, Royal Palace of Madrid

.DiedNovember 20, 2014 (aged 88)
Seville, Spain - in Hospital Quirón Sagrado Corazón de Sevilla

Life and family

On 12 October 1947, the Duchess married Don Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz (1919–1972), son of the Duke of Sotomayor. The wedding was considered the last great feudal wedding in Spain and attracted the attention of the international media. The New York Times called it "the most expensive wedding of the world." Rumor has it that 20 million pesetas were spent at that time. Six children were born of this marriage, all of whom have received titles of nobility with that of Grandee of Spain from their mother.

• Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 14th Duke of Huéscar (born 2 October 1948, Madrid). In 1988, he married Matilde Solís-Beaumont y Martínez-Campos, but they later divorced. Together they have two children:
  • Fernando Juan Fitz-James Stuart y Solís (born 14 September 1990 in Madrid)
  • Carlos Arturo José María Fitz-James Stuart y Solís (born 29 November 1991 in Madrid)

• Alfonso Martínez de Irujo y Fitz-James Stuart, 16th Duke of Aliaga (born 22 October 1950, Madrid). On 4 July 1977 he married Princess María de la Santísima Trinidad of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (born 8 April 1957), whom he later divorced. Together they have two children:
  • Luis Martínez de Irujo y Hohenlohe (born 26 May 1978).
  • Javier Martínez de Irujo y Hohenlohe (born 9 January 1981). He married sherry heiress Inés Domecq y Fernández-Govantes in 2008. They have two children.
    • Sol Martínez de Irujo y Domecq (born 2011).
    • Alfonso Martínez de Irujo y Domecq (born 2013).

• Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Martínez de Irujo, 23rd Count of Siruela (born 15 July 1954, Madrid). On 1 November 1980, he married María Eugenia Fernández de Castro y Fernández-Shaw (born 15 October 1954), but they later divorced. He remarried journalist, editor and writer Inka Martí Kiemann in April 2004. Jacobo and María Eugenia have two children:
  • Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Fernández de Castro (born 23 January 1981). He married Asela Pilar Pérez Becerril on 14 May 2011. Co-owners of an art gallery. They had a daughter.
    • Asela Fitz-James Stuart y Pérez (born 2012).
  • Brianda Eugenia Fitz-James Stuart y Fernández de Castro (born 11 April 1984).

• Fernando Martínez de Irujo, 11th Marquis of San Vicente del Barco (born 11 July 1959).
• Cayetano Martínez de Irujo y Fitz-James Stuart, 13th Count of Salvatierra (born 4 April 1963, Madrid). In October 2005, after a five year relationship, he married Genoveva Casanova y González from Mexico (daughter of Kenneth Larry Casanova and his first wife Mariana González y Reimann). They separated in 2007, but have twin children:
  • Luis Martínez de Irujo y Casanova (born 25 October 2001)
  • Amina Martínez de Irujo y Casanova (born 25 October 2001)

• Eugenia Martínez de Irujo, 12th Duchess of Montoro, born 26 November 1968. On 23 October 1998, she married bullfighter Francisco Rivera Ordóñez of the Ordóñez bullfighting dynasty. The couple divorced in 2002. They have one child:
  • Cayetana Rivera y Martínez de Irujo (born 16 October 1999)

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 Jesuitpriest. 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 includes 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 is estimated at between €600 million and €3.5 billion. Díez has formally renounced any claim to her wealth. They married on 5 October 2011 at the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville.

As a socialite, the duchess has met famous VIPs from Spain and abroad. Jackie Kennedy visited her Seville palace, as Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monacodid. In 1959 the duchess hosted one Dior show for charitable purposes in her Liria Palace in Madrid, together with designer Yves Saint Laurent. In youth times she posed for Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton and she appeared in cover pages of Time and Harper's Bazaar.

Titles, styles and honours

Titles Dukedoms

• 18th Duchess of Alba, Grandee of Spain
• 15th Duchess of Aliaga, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso
• 4th Duchess of Arjona, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Cayetano
• 11th Duchess of Berwick, Grandee of Spain (Jacobite Peerage)
• 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

Count-Dukedoms

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

Marquessates

• 17th Marquise of the Carpio, Grandee of Spain
• 10th Marquise of San Vicente del Barco, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to her son Don Fernando
• 16th Marquise of La Algaba
• 16th Marquise of Almenara -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso
• 18th Marquise of Barcarrota
• 10th Marquise of Castañeda
• 23rd Marquise of Coria
• 14th Marquise of Eliche
• 16th Marquise of Mirallo
• 20th Marquise of la Mota
• 20th Marquise of Moya
• 17th Marquise of Orani -Ceded to her son Don Alfonso
• 12th Marquise of Osera
• 14th Marquise of San Leonardo
• 19th Marquise of Sarria
• 12th Marquise of Tarazona
• 15th Marquise of Valdunquillo
• 18th Marquise of Villanueva del Fresno
• 17th Marquise of Villanueva del Río

Countcies

• 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

Viscountcies

• 12th Viscountess of la Calzada

Manorials

• 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 – present: The Most Excellent The Duchess of Alba de Tormes

Honours

• Dame Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alphonso X the Wise (14 December 2001).
• Dame Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Agricultural Merit (29 March 1974).
• Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (1 April 1964).
• Dame Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Charity (5 April 1962).
• Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence (1962).
• Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (1961).

Honorary appointments

• Constable of Aragon
• Dame of the Royal Cavalry Armory of Seville
• Honorary Mayor of Liria (Madrid)
• Honorary President of the Opera Philharmonic
• Honorary President of the Spanish Red Cross
• Marshal of Castilla
• Member of the Hispanic Society of America, New York
• Member of Merit of the Royal Hispanic-American Academy of Arts, Sciences and Letters of Cádiz