Alba de Tormes is now a municipality in the province of Salamanca, Spain and gave its name to one of Spain's most important dukedoms, which had its ancestral seat in the Castillo de los Duques de Alba.
The House of Fitz-James derives from James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick. He was the illegitimate son of James II & VII of Great Britain and Arabella Stuart, and who we saw in a previous Blog. An accomplished soldier, he spent almost all his life abroad in foreign military service. After he father was deposed, he was sent to Spain to restore the flagging fortunes of Philip V and won a great victory at Almanza in 1707. He also fought for King Louis XIV of France and was given French and Spanish dukedoms.
In 1472, García Álvarez de Toledo, 2nd Count of Alba de Tormes, was elevated to the title of Duke of Alba de Tormes by King Henry IV of Castile. In 1802, María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba, died without any issue and her titles were inherited by a relative, Carlos Miguel Fitz-James Stuart, 7th Duke of Berwick, who now also became the 14th Duke of Alba. Thus the Arms of Fitz-James Stuart and Alba were united.
(María Cayetana de Silva was famous for being painted by Goya as The White Duchess.)
Quarterly: 1. Grandquarterly Azure three Fleurs-de-Lys or (France) and Gules three Lions passant gardant in pale or armed and langued azure (England); 2. Or a Lion rampant within a double tressure flory-counterflory gules (Scotland); 3. Azure a Harp or stringed argent (Ireland), and 4. Chequy of fifteen (five rows of three) argent and azure (Alba); all within a Bordure compony azure a Fleur-de-Lys or and gules a Lion passant guardant or.
A Demi-Angel dressed in a Tunic checky azure and argent winged argent holding in its dexter Hand a Sword argent hilt and pommell or and in its sinister an Orb azure surmounted by a Cross or.
On 12th October 1947, the Duchess married Don Luis Martínez de Irujo y Artázcoz (1919–1972), younger son of the Duke of Sotomayor, and his wife Ana María de Artázcoz y Labayen. The New York Times called it "the most expensive wedding of the world" as it was reported that 20 million pesetas was spent on it. They had six children.
After Aguirre died, the Duchess planned to marry again. Her fiancé was Alfonso Díez Carabantes, a civil servant with a public relations business and this time 28 years her junior. It was reported that objections came from her children and even from King Juan Carlos. Eventually deciding to give her children their inheritance early and after Díez formally renounced any claim to her wealth, they married on 5th October 2011 at the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville. The Duchess, an eccentric socialite who lead a colourful life and 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.
The Duchess died in the Palacio de las Dueñas on 20 November 2014, when her net worth was estimated to be $5 billion. Her funeral was a lavish affair, attended by the present King of Spain’s sister, Infanta Elena. Her father, Juan Carlos, sent two wreaths and the Lord Mayor of the town ordered flags to be flown at half-mast. The Spanish flag and a Banner with her Coat of Arms were draped over her coffin.