The Duchess of Alba remained in the memory of the Spaniards as a rich old lady with clear signs schizophrenia and an ugly face disfigured by plastic surgery. The whole life of this eccentric woman resembles a swing. After all, many times fate raised her to heaven and threw her down. What events influenced the change in a woman’s appearance and led her to outright ugliness? Let's figure it out right now.
To be born a duchess...
Duchess Cayetana Alba was born already a representative of blue blood on March 18, 1926 in Spain. This woman went down in history as the most titled person in the world. Due to the number of titles, according to the standards of decency established in high society, the Queen of England herself must curtsy when meeting, saluting Cayetana. A fortune of 3.5 billion euros allowed the blue-blooded young lady to live in grand style and not think about what to feed her children or what is better to buy: boots or tights.
Personal life of a groovy old lady
The Duchess of Alba in her youth was an enviable bride, because her father’s fortune and the presence of a dozen titles could not go unnoticed by the young gigolos. Cayetana married three times, and each time out of great love, trying not to imitate her eminent ancestors:
- Duke Sotomayor. Having increased the already existing regalia in marriage, young Cayetana began hastily giving birth to children. The marriage produced 6 heirs, but at the age of 48 the husband died, leaving a grieving wife with a horde of offspring.
- Jesus Aguirre. Five years later, the merry widow walked down the aisle again. This time for a former priest, which caused a storm of discontent in her family. Distinguished by her violent disposition, in response to numerous questions about Cayetana’s family life, Alba replied: “Everything is very good with us. And in case you were wondering, we have sex every night." Unaccustomed to hearing such obscenity from the august lips, the audience gasped, because the woman replaced the words “we are having sex” with a stronger phrase. It was because of her young husband that the aging fashionista underwent plastic surgery, which became disastrous for her. The second husband, unfortunately, also died.
- Alfonso Diez. The third husband became a general bone of contention, because he was accused of encroaching on the property of his elderly beloved. Duchess Cayetana Alba dispelled all doubts by passing on a significant fortune to her children. She only kept her love nest.
Duchess plastic surgery
Photos of the Duchess of Alba in her youth reveal her noble origin and belonging to the highest strata of society, but the portrait of the Duchess of Alba in adulthood and old age resembles a mutilated mummy. For the most part changes in appearance occurred due to the desire not to grow old and give a head start to the young hubby.
- Rhinoplasty. Duchess Cayetana Alba has never been a scorching beauty. Compared to other pomaded people, she looked gray. The billionaire's nose was wide with a huge, sloppy knob instead of a tip.
Already in adulthood, she decided to undergo plastic surgery. Even a billion-dollar fortune could not save the woman from the unfortunate consequences of surgery. Her nose, after repeated operations, acquired a strange, clearly man-made shape. The unfortunate tip of the nose, the size of an olive, was removed, but the organ itself soared sharply upward, exposing its huge nostrils to everyone around. The sharply triangular-pointed nose of the noble lady also became smaller at the back. As a result, the nose came out short, upturned and disproportionate.
- Lip correction. The Duchess of Alba suffered from Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. With this disease, a certain part of the face swells. For the titled lady, this part was the upper lip and the entire upper jaw. The manifestation of such a disease looks terrifying, because the face is completely deformed, as if it had been in a bee hive.
The lips of the “perky granny” were so swollen that she was credited with plastic surgery to enlarge them. However, it is worth noting that the cause of their deformation was precisely the disease. Famous Cayetana Alba in last years throughout her life she looked as if she had hidden a cutlet under her lip.
- Facelift. The plastic surgeries of the Duchess of Alba to preserve the last bits of her former youth looked comical. After all, it is very difficult to make candy from a baked apple, which is her august face. The woman had to resort to anti-aging plastic surgery.
Alba began doing a facelift at the age of 55, diligently stretching the skin that was trying to slip. At the age of 82, the woman’s face looks strange to say the least, because the skin is stretched to a crisp only on the face, and on the rest of the old woman’s body it hangs in flakes, as if the granny is trying to throw it off.
- Beauty injections. Botox is not contraindicated even for people with such a high status. The woman gave herself injections several times to prevent the appearance of facial wrinkles. Along with the illness that overcame her, Botox had an ambiguous reaction, because her face swelled even more, and a disgusting oily sheen appeared on it.
- Chin plastic surgery. Looking at what the Duchess of Alba looked like in her youth, it becomes clear that it was not only illness that changed her facial contours so much, but also plastic surgery. The shape of the chin of the famous flamenco lover has changed so much that modern plastic surgeons agree on a sewn-in implant that narrows the face and at the same time shortens it. Huge swollen lips contributed to the disfigurement of the face, entering into dissonance with the reduced chin.
- Neck lift. A woman's age is always revealed by her neck. Knowing this, the restless woman underwent a series of operations to tighten the skin of her neck. As a result, excess tissue was removed, and Cayetana is sure that she looks a hundred times younger.
- Correction of cheekbones. Undoubtedly, silicone implants are resting peacefully under the skin of the “ancient old lady”, because due to Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, a lift or a reduced nose could not beautify her face. Now her face has completely changed, causing righteous horror to those around her. Swelling, redness, partial paralysis of the face - nothing stopped the eccentric rich young lady from further plastic surgery.
- Tummy tuck. Having given birth to six children, Duchess Cayetana Alba famously showed off her body to Ibiza holidaymakers. It should be noted that she did this in vain. Just look at the photos of the Duchess of Alba, in which her drooping belly is “decorated” by huge healed scars.
Since in the photographs the stomach does not drag along the sand and does not hit the knees, the scar makes one think about the billionaire’s skin tightening on this part of the body.
Comparing the rest of the old woman’s flea-small body with the state of her stomach, you involuntarily note the deplorable state of the body dressed in a bright bikini.
- Wardrobe of a noble person. Throughout her life, this topic caused lively debate and gossip among fans and ill-wishers of the noble person, almost like her passionate love for flamenco with the Spanish guitar.
In her advanced age and opulent status, she dressed herself like an aged moth. Disgusting pink flowers in gray hair cause a vague feeling of not quite normal mental health women.
Photos of the Duchess of Alba are full of a riot of tacky colors, fishnet stockings, cleavage and mini-dresses.
Duchess Cayetana Alba proudly exposed her no longer seductive knees. Leaving behind heaps of falling sand, the proud and wayward woman walked until the last day of her life.
Many consider the perky old lady to look like a monkey from the circus, while others consider her so charismatic that even her “ass stretched over her face” did not spoil her. The opinions of fans and enemies of the wayward grandmother differ markedly.
She lived a bright and eventful life, and even at such an old age she did not stop playing pranks, telling much younger acquaintances that she was going to bury them all. A vibrant woman with the heart of a rebel, the look of a scarecrow and the face of a quasimodo.
Video: Wedding flamenco from the Duchess of Alba
The appearance of Alba in the Netherlands
The Spanish King Philip II, immediately after receiving news of the unrest in the Netherlands, sent a punitive detachment to suppress the rioters. The Duke of Alba was appointed commander of the army.
Note 1
Fernando Alvarez de Toledo y Pimentel - third Duke of the Alba family. Years of life 1507-1582. He went down in history as the Grand Duke of Alba. He became famous during his six-year governorship in the Netherlands (from 1567 to 1573). Was sent by the Spanish king to suppress the revolution in the country.
On August 8, 1567, Alba led a twelve thousand army of selected Spanish troops and crossed the border of the Netherlands. Ten days later he entered Brussels. The quiet city greeted the Spanish envoy warily. Many left the country; Prince William of Orange led the emigrant opposition. The ruler of the country, Margarita of Parma, understood that this was the end of her power, and she was soon recalled from the Netherlands.
On September 9, Alba, having occupied all strategically important fortresses, dealt a crushing blow that horrified the entire population. The leaders of the Dutch National Party, Counts Egmont and Horn, were arrested.
Note 2
Lamoral Egmont - statesman of the Netherlands. Years of life 1522-1568. He opposed the ruin of the country, hoping that Philip II would stop the robbery of the Netherlands. He remained loyal to the Spanish crown and Catholicism until his execution by the Duke of Alba.
Note 3
Philippe de Montmorency Count of Horn - admiral and member of the Council of State of the Netherlands. Years of life 1524-1568. He advocated the autonomy of the country, but was against an armed conflict with Spain. Executed by Alba.
The Duke of Alba became the sole ruler of the Netherlands with unlimited powers.
The Duke of Alba's policy to pacify the rioters
Alba received categorical instructions from the Spanish king:
- supporters of the rebellion should be executed;
- the property of heretics was transferred to the royal treasury;
- The Catholic faith was maintained with all its might and strictness.
The dictator of the Netherlands created the “Rebellion Council” to carry out the trial of the rebels. The trial for riots began to operate in September 1567. The people aptly called the new body the “Bloody Council.” In the first three months of activity, 1,800 people were executed under the sentence, and in two years - 8,000. The parallel confiscation of the property of those executed served as enrichment for the Spanish treasury.
In 1567, the Duke of Alba submitted for discussion to the States General a draft law on the introduction of new system taxation modeled on the Spanish economy. This system was called alcabala.
Definition 1
Alcabala is a tax on trade transactions in Spain and the Spanish colonies.
Alcabala consisted of three types taxes:
- 1% tax on all movable and immovable property;
- 5% tax on the sale of all real estate;
- 10% tax on each trade transaction with movable goods.
The Spanish governor did not understand that such taxes for the Netherlands and its economy were tantamount to disaster. In the realities of the country, the goods reached the buyer through many intermediaries. The States General managed to persuade Alba to postpone the introduction of alcabala until at least 1571. In the meantime, the Netherlands annually supplied the royal treasury of Spain with a payment of 2 million florins. The one percent tax brought an additional 3,300 thousand florins to Spain.
Results of the activities of the Duke of Alba
Alba's desire to restore order in the Netherlands and turn them into obedient subjects of the crown ended in failure. The governor's cruelty met resistance from the Dutch. Instead of mercenary troops, following the example of the Prince of Orange, local residents declared a guerrilla war on the Spanish troops. The forests of Flanders and Geniegau were inhabited by flying squads of forest geuzes. Sea gueuzes plied the expanses of the sea. Their actions were short-lived, but effective. They killed informers and Spanish soldiers, Catholic priests and hated officials.
In 1573, the Duke of Alba was recalled by the king back to Spain. He failed in the mission assigned to him.
He was born in 1507 and belonged to one of the most famous Spanish families. In the third year of his life, he lost his father and remained in the care of his grandfather, Ferdinand de Toledo, who gave him an excellent education, and especially tried to improve him in military and political sciences. Young Alba, being only 16 years old, already took part in the campaign of the Castilian constable against France, and was present at the capture of Fontarabia, and the next year (1525) distinguished himself in the famous battle of Pavia . The name of Alba became even more famous during the campaign of Charles V in Hungary against the Turkish Sultan Suleiman II, and in other wars that shook Europe at the beginning of the 16th century. His gloomy disposition was, however, the reason that Charles V did not trust his military abilities for a long time, until he discovered them most brilliantly. Returning with an army from Africa, where, under the leadership of the emperor, he participated in the conquest of Tunisia and the defeat of the bloody pirate Barbarossa, Alba, against his wishes, had to begin the siege of Marseilles, which, according to his predictions, was unsuccessful. In 1541, he took part in an unsuccessful campaign against Algeria, and in 1543 he withstood a 6-month siege of the French in Perpignan, and distinguished himself in Navarre and Catalonia. In 1545, Charles V went to Germany, and left the government of Spain to his 16-year-old son Philip, entrusting him to the councils of Alba.
Duke of Alba. Artist A. Moreau, 1549
Less than 40 years old, the duke was already made generalissimo of the imperial troops, and led them in the war against Schmalkalden Union; guided by his advice, the emperor won in 1547 Battle of Mühlberg, so detrimental to John Frederick, Elector of Saxony, who was captured here. The perspicacious Alba even then advised Karl not to trust Moritz of Saxony, and the further course of events justified his fears. After the incident in Innsbruck, where Charles V was almost captured by Moritz, and after imprisonment Treaty of Passau, Alba returned to Spain, and accompanied Prince Philip on a trip to Italy and Germany.
Meanwhile it opened new war with France. Charles V besieged Metz, defended by the Duke of Guise, and summoned Alba to him; but this siege, despite all the efforts of the Spaniards, was unsuccessful. After its removal, the Duke of Alba was sent to Italy against Pope Paul IV, the implacable enemy of the emperor. Having defeated the papal troops and terrified Rome, he turned against the Duke of Guise, who had come to the aid of the pope, and with skillful maneuvers weakened and exhausted his courageous opponent to the point that he was forced to return to France. At this very time, Charles V abdicated the throne in favor of his son Philip II, and Alba, by the will of his young sovereign, had to not only return to the pope all the regions he had conquered, but even on his knees beg for forgiveness for what he dared to raise against his sword. In 1555, he concluded a marriage alliance between Philip II and Elizabeth, daughter of the French king Henry II, in Paris, after which he was the head of the Madrid cabinet until the very beginning of the religious (Protestant) uprising in the Netherlands, which then belonged to Spain.
Alba, Fernando Alvarez de Toledo
This is where it starts for Alba new period, in which he strengthened his glory as a great commander, but at the same time stained himself with inhumanity and fanaticism. Having received orders from Philip II to pacify the Dutch provinces that rebelled against Spain with severity, he went to Flanders with 8,000 selected troops. At the mere news of his approach, about a mass of the richest citizens of the Netherlands, devoted to Protestantism, left their fatherland and moved to England, or gathered under the banner of Prince William of Orange, who had retired to Germany. In August 1567, Alba accepted the Dutch viceroy from the peace-loving and weak Duchess of Parma. Having stationed his troops in the main cities and built citadels in them at the expense of the citizens, he appointed his favorite, the frantic Juan Vargas, as chairman of the inquisitorial court, which began to act with incredible cruelty and for which history gave the name bloody. Fame, wealth, nobility, intelligence - everything was a crime in the eyes of unforgiving judges: Counts Egmont And Horn, the flower of the Dutch nobility, and many other nobles died on the scaffold. Their estates were plundered by Spanish soldiers.
Alba defeated Prince Louis of Nassau on the Plain of Eming (1568), and even William of Orange was no happier in the fight against such a skillful and experienced enemy. Abandoned by the Belgians, he was forced to retreat to Germany. The Pope sent Alba, the conqueror of the Protestants, to Brussels a consecrated hat and sword. Alba himself erected a statue for himself in the Antwerp citadel, which depicted him trampling with his feet two allegorical figures, signifying the noble and civil classes of the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the hatred of the people against the persecutors grew more and more, and when, in addition to the previous burdensome taxes, Alba, in order to cover the costs of the war, demanded from the citizens a tenth of all their property, the unrest became general, and many cities in northern Holland submitted to the Prince of Orange. But luck once again favored Alba: most of these cities were again taken by the Spaniards. He himself took possession of Mons; His son, Don Friedrich de Toledo, conquered Harlem after a defense that lasted 7 months and cost the Spaniards up to 10,000 troops. The revenge of the victors was terrible: cities and regions were plundered and devastated by them.
But despite these successes, Alba's position became more and more difficult: lack of money and military needs, bold actions of the naval gezov and the participation that the Protestant sovereigns of Germany began to take in the fate of the unfortunate country deprived him of hope for success. Philip himself was convinced that it was impossible to act with strictness alone, and therefore in 1573 he sent a new governor, Requesens, to replace Alba. In December of the same year, the stern Duke, accompanied by the curses of the people, left the country in which he had executed, in his own words, 18,000 citizens, and ignited a war that then lasted 68 years and cost Spain 800 million thalers.
Alba received an excellent reception in Madrid, but he did not enjoy his former influence on affairs for long. The disobedience of one of his sons to the will of the king was the reason for his removal from the court. He lived for two years in his castle of Usede, until, after the death of the Portuguese king Henry, who had no direct heirs, Don Antonio proclaimed himself king of Portugal. Philip, who also had claims to the Portuguese crown, again resorted to the experience of his old commander. 73-year-old Alba re-entered the military field, and this last campaign was perhaps more brilliant than all his previous ones. In three weeks he won two battles, of which the one that was fought on the banks of the river is especially noteworthy. Alcantara(1580), conquered the entire kingdom, and solemnly entered Lisbon, whose outskirts were set on fire, and the city itself was sacked. Philip, dissatisfied with this act, demanded from Alba an account of the countless sums he had seized; but this time the duke did not show his usual submission, and Philip, probably fearing his indignation, abandoned the matter. Soon after, Alba died on January 12, 1582, in Lisbon, as Viceroy of Portugal at the age of 74.
The Duke of Alba was small in stature, but strongly built, and had an important posture, slept little, worked and wrote a lot. It is said that during his sixty years of military service he did not lose a single battle. He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest commanders of his age; but cruelty and fanaticism forever stained his memory. Alba was the first to arm the infantry with muskets and train the cavalry to act in close formation.
A woman known for her passion for numerous plastic surgery who changed her appearance beyond recognition, extreme extravagance, eccentric behavior and unusual style in clothes - the Duchess of Alba (we will present a photo of her in the review) quite often became the heroine not only of gossip columns, but also of various scandalous publications.
Origin
To describe in detail the history of the ancient aristocratic family to which the 17th Duchess of Alba belongs, more than one hundred pages will be needed. In short, it dates back to 1429, when King Juan II of Spain gave a large estate called Alba de Tormes to Don Gutierre de Toledo for his faithful service. Since the owner of the estate did not have his own children, his nephew, Garcia de Toledo, also known as the first Duke of Alba, became his heir. Soon he became related to the Spanish royal house - his wife was the aunt of Ferdinand II of Aragon, who was nicknamed the Catholic King.
Over several centuries, the number of regalia, thanks to numerous marriages, increased so much that the total number of official titles approached fifty. This fact is included in the Guinness Book of Records. The Duchess of Alba is of such noble birth that Queen Elizabeth II of England must let her pass first and curtsy in her presence. Also, Cayetana is not obliged to kneel even before the Pope himself.
Birth of a daughter
The XVII Duke of Alba dreamed of an heir all his life, but on March 28, 1926, in the Spanish capital, on Princess Street, in the Palace de Liria, his daughter Cayetana was born (her full name is Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart de Silva). At this time, Ortega y Gasset and Gregorio Marañon were visiting the house. They witnessed this event.
At that time, the Duke of Alba was 48 years old. It was clear that Don Jacobo would no longer have sons, and this had nothing to do with the Duke’s advanced age. This is due to his wife's tuberculosis, which developed some time after the birth of the child. It is worth noting that at that time this disease was considered fatal. To protect the girl from possible infection, she was not only not allowed to approach her mother, but also to enter the part of the palace where the apartments of the dying duchess were located. Her mother died when Cayetana was 8 years old.
The baptism of the heiress of the de Alba family was a truly great event for the Spanish aristocracy. This is evidenced by the fact that the Spanish royal couple, Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia, became the girl’s godparents, and the entire court came to the celebration. In connection with the revolutionary events in the country, the autocrats will soon be expelled, and the Duchess of Alba, like her family, will retain devotion and respect for the monarchs throughout her life.
First love
There were more than enough fans of blue blood around the young and fabulously rich titled heiress, and they all vied with each other to offer her their hand and heart. By the way, among the potential contenders was the nephew of the great Russian writer, Count Tolstoy. But Cayetana did not like slender aristocrats. She preferred courageous bullfighters and flamenco performers. Therefore, it is not surprising that a very pretty 17-year-old girl, and this is exactly what the Duchess of Alba was in her youth, first fell in love with the matador Pepe Luis Vazquez.
Don Jacobo, as expected, was dissatisfied with his daughter's behavior. And after some thought, he sent her back to London, where the two of them had lived together before. The fact is that after the expulsion of the monarchs, the Duke served as ambassador to Great Britain and was forced, despite his monarchist beliefs, to defend the Franco regime. He had very strained relations with the dictator. The history of enmity began with the fact that Don Jacobo refused to organize the first joint appearance of their daughters. Franco, of course, did not forgive him for such arrogance. When the disgraced king of Spain called on his supporters to leave the service of the dictator, the Duke of Alba returned with his daughter to Madrid.
First marriage
At the beginning of 1946, Cayetana met Luis Martinez de Irujo, her future husband. He was the son of the Duke of Sotomayor and was a worthy contender for the role of husband of the wealthy heiress of the Alba family. A year and a half later, what historians dubbed the “last feudal wedding” was held in Seville, pursuing dynastic interests and, moreover, luxurious to the point of indecency. Judge for yourself, 20 million pesetas were spent on organizing this event, which corresponds to the modern exchange rate of 3.5 million euros. And this in a hungry country! The wedding was arranged so magnificently that the wedding of the future Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II, celebrated a month later, looked completely colorless against its background.
Savor
When Don Jacobo dies in 1953, the Duchess of Alba becomes the rightful head of the aristocratic house. Now that she is completely freed from her father's strict pressure, Cayetana decides to live the way she wants - to throw luxurious balls, dance her favorite flamenco and have fun at the bullfight.
In 1959, the Palacio de Liria, which was badly damaged during the bombing, was completely restored. By the way, the Duchess of Alba in her youth (see photo above) was a very pretty woman and dressed with taste. She could easily be called a trendsetter in Spanish fashion. Therefore, the first fashion show of Yves Saint Laurent was organized in her palace. The entire elite of Spain was present at the show, which caused a real sensation not only in the country, but also abroad.
Some time later, a new tragedy occurs in the Alba family - the Duke Consort falls ill with leukemia. Cayetana decides to keep the severity of the disease a secret from both the children and himself. Luis Martinez knew nothing about his terrible diagnosis until his very last days. In 1972 he dies in terrible agony. The twenty-five year marriage came to an end.
Heirs
The children of the Duchess of Alba, and there were six of them - five sons and a daughter - were all born in this marriage. But still, this statement is controversial, since at one time there were persistent rumors that Cayetana’s fourth son, Fernando, was not the child of Luis Martinez. His paternity is attributed to the great flamenco dancer Antonio El Bailarin, with whom the Duchess allegedly had a long and passionate relationship. Cayetana, naturally, denied everything, but before his death, Antonio wrote his autobiographical book, where he personally confirmed his paternity. It was not possible to verify this statement using a test, since all the materials were published after his death. Therefore, they hastened to simply hush up this unpleasant story.
Second marriage
Only 6 years passed after the death of her first husband, the Duchess of Alba met Jesus Aguirre, a former priest of the Jesuit Church, who was known as a brilliant intellectual, and fell in love with him. Aristocratic society was simply horrified, because it could not allow a man 11 years younger than his bride, and a socialist, to appear in their midst. The current situation was truly scandalous - out of two hundred invited to the official presentation of the newly created Duke Consort, not a single guest came.
But Cayetana was not very upset. She made every effort to get those around her to change their opinion about her husband, and she succeeded. In the end, even the children, who were extremely hostile, began to treat him as their own father. Very quickly, Aguirre managed to not only put all the previously neglected affairs of the Alba family in order, but also return to him the once lost financial well-being.
But that was not the main thing. Jesus managed to make his wife happy. He confessed his love to her day after day. Cayetana's happy marriage lasted 23 years until doctors discovered Aguirre had laryngeal cancer. The Duchess of Alba's second husband died in 2001. The shock of the loss was so great that she lost her fingers. right hand. As a result of this, I had to forget about my passion for drawing forever.
Third marriage
Everyone expected that the Duchess of Alba (her photo is in the article) would finally calm down and devote the rest of her life to communicating with her grandchildren. But instead she went to Ibiza and wore a sheer robe and some ankle bracelets as she lounged on the beach, challenging women much younger than her.
Over the course of two years, starting in 2007, she underwent three rather complex operations, which had a detrimental effect not only on her appearance, but also on her health in general - due to the illness, the duchess began to speak poorly and incomprehensibly and constantly move her jaws. But everyone knew that she had an insatiable thirst for life, so few were surprised when Cayetana had another admirer.
Alfonso Diez was a simple official, and he was 24 years younger than his chosen one. He was not considered to be any outstanding personality, so the press began looking for “skeletons in the closet.” She soon discovered something intriguing about Diez's personal life. On one of the TV channels, his former lover Jose Luis Gomez gave an interview and talked about their homosexual relationships and that it would be ridiculous to expect Alfonso to show sincere feelings for elderly woman. In response to such accusations, Diez sued the journalists and won the case. He was paid 50 thousand euros for moral damage.
Dowryless
Ignoring the rumors, Cayetana decided to marry for the third time. Naturally, the children dissuaded her from such a rash step. They even wanted to declare her incompetent, but it never came to that, since the king himself stood up for her. According to protocol, Spanish grandees can only marry with permission from the monarch. Juan Carlos gave his consent, but only after the Duchess transferred all her titles and property to her children and grandchildren, and Alfonso Diez refused the inheritance.
The most titled aristocrat has died
The Duchess of Alba, whose biography was either happy or tragic, lived a long and interesting life. Her friends were Queen Elizabeth II and Jacqueline Kennedy. She published two books of memoirs, where she spoke in detail about her life and personal relationships.
Before her death, she was taken to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia and pneumonia. The 88-year-old woman could no longer survive the disease. The Duchess of Alba died on November 20, 2014.
It must be said that she was very loved in her homeland, in Seville, so she became the only Spaniard to whom a monument was erected during her lifetime. It is a bronze statue made in full height. Its author is Sebastian Carlos Calero.
Fragment of the painting "Makha Dressed".
Spanish Duchess Cayetana Alba, great-granddaughter of “the bloodiest man in Spain” - Marshal Alba. She became famous for her balls and revelries. Allegedly, the Duchess posed for the artist Francisco Goya for the paired paintings “Maja Dressed” and “Maja Nude.” These works of art were purchased by Manuel Godoy, the first minister and favorite of the Queen of Spain. The minister secretly collected a collection of masterpieces with naked ladies.
In the hall in front of the public, the painting “Naked Macha” was covered by a painting with “Clothed Macha.” When the minister was alone, the painting with the “clothed fly” was moved to the side using a special mechanism, thus revealing the beauty of the second secret masterpiece with a naked figure.
The minister paid for his passion for art. Although the relatively tolerant 19th century has already arrived. Humane Spanish inquisitors confiscated immoral masterpieces, and collectors and artists usually faced imprisonment and public humiliation.
Maha naked.
“So radiantly good, so spontaneous, so arrogant, so capricious. Either she would enter into a conversation with street boys about the upcoming bullfight, then suddenly arrogantly did not notice the bows. Either with a defiant look she emphasized her sympathies for everything French, then she behaved like a true “The Spaniard is like a real maha,” describes the Duchess Lion Feuchtwanger, Goya’s biographer.
In general, the Duchess was a very emotional lady who did not like to be bored and did not let others.
Dressing up like a simple townswoman and being a hooligan was one of the noble person’s favorite pastimes.
The townspeople always heatedly discussed the duchess's adventures, condemning and admiring her at the same time. She was the queen of outrageousness of her time.
Maha dressed.
Paintings with naked women were confiscated from the minister by inquisitors, and the artist Francis Goya was charged with immoral behavior. Thanks to influential patrons, the painter managed to avoid punishment.
“Francisco Goya painted portraits of almost all one hundred and nineteen Spanish grandees. He knew their sins, their human weaknesses, he treated them as equals,” writes Feuchtwanger.
The Spanish Queen immediately liked Manuel Godoy in his youth
For the favorite minister, worse than the Inquisition was the wrath of Queen Maria Louise, who had long been a rival with the Duchess of Alba. One day, the Spanish queen sent the duchess into exile from Madrid for three years.
Spanish Queen Maria Luisa in her youth.
The people of Spain did not like Queen Maria Luisa and hated her favorite Manuel Godoy, and the Duchess of Alba aroused universal popular admiration. When the bullfighter dedicated the fight with the bull to the queen, the audience was silent, when the fight was dedicated to the Duchess of Alba, the audience rejoiced.
Novelist Lion Feuchtwanger describes the confrontation between the Duchess and the Queen over who is richer and more noble. The people of Cayetana Alba forgave every whim.
“In general, Cayetana de Alba led a no less proud and extravagant lifestyle than the queen: she had the same expensive quirks - and it was also impossible to call her much more virtuous than the queen...
It was great courage on her part to build herself a new castle now, when the whole country was suffering the greatest hardships because of the war. After all, Marie Antoinette’s extravagance during the construction of the Trianon was one of the reasons that brought her to the chopping block. But Doña Cayetana, with a arrogant smile, like a true Duchess of Alba, picked up Marie Antoinette’s amusements at the very moment when she had to leave them. Many, including Francisco, could not say whether she arouses delight or hatred in them. And it was always like this: Madrid was angry with Cayetana, Madrid laughed at Cayetana, Madrid was in love with Cayetana."
Life-worn favorite Manuel Godoy in the portrait of Francisco Goya
Queen Maria Luisa in the clothes of a simple Spanish woman. Portrait of Francisco Goya
Cayetana Alba was the 13th duchess of the family. She also inherited several titles from her relatives. The full name of the Duchess sounds impressive: Maria del Pilar Teresa Cayetana de Silva y Alvarez de Toledo.
Ceremonial portrait of Duchess Cayetana Alba (1795) by Goya.
At the age of 12, relatives married Cayetana to the 14-year-old Duke de Toledo of Medina Sidonia, who also belonged to the Alba family. So the relatives united the two branches of the family.
Family relationships The spouses developed harmoniously, there was mutual understanding and respect between them. Gossips said that the Duke and Duchess cheated on each other and did not even live together. In any case, the spouses were careful not to disgrace the honor of the family and not to humiliate each other.
The Duke of Toledo Alba died at the age of 40, the couple lived together for 26 years.
Cayetana's husband is the Duke of Alba in a portrait by Goya.
According to legend, the artist and the duchess had a secret long-term romance. While working on portraits of the Duchess, Goya wrote to a friend: “Sometimes I’m so excited that I can’t stand myself. It’s hard for me to calm down a little so I can get back to work.”
After the death of the Duke, Goya settled on the estate of the Duchess of Alba, consoling her from her mental anguish over her late husband. The Duchess allowed the artist into her closed residence, where only her closest people had access.
“The new castle was small; Cayetana invited only her closest friends and the most distinguished grandees. Francisco was proud and happy that he was included in them,” writes the biographer.
The Duchess of Alba in a portrait by Goya
Two details of the portrait indicate a serious relationship between the artist Goya and the widow of the Duchess: on the lady’s fingers there are rings with the names “Goya” and “Alba”, and the Duchess points to the inscription at her feet “Solo Goya”.
Presumably "Maja Nude" was written in 1800, after the death of the Duke of Alba. The Duchess of Alba passed away two years after the creation of this masterpiece. She died at 40, like her late husband.
The Duchess of Alba bequeathed her fortune to the poor, and left her simple ring as a legacy to the artist Francisco Goya.
Perhaps "The Naked Swing" was written after the death of the Duchess specifically by order of the minister - a connoisseur.
Young Francisco Goya
The descendants of the Duchess of Alba do not agree with the version that it was their noble great-grandmother who is depicted in such an obscene form “Naked Swing”, but it has not yet been possible to refute this version.
The Other Duchess of Cayetana Alba
In the 20th century and today, another Cayetana from the Alba clan became famous. This lady had the largest number of different titles in the world (7 duchess titles, 23 marquises and 19 countesses). In her youth, she was considered one of the first beauties of Spain, admired by crowds of fans.
The 20th century duchess danced flamenco professionally and skied.
Duchess Cayetana Alba in her wedding dress (1948)
At the age of 22, the Duchess of Alba married Duke Sotomayor, and they had six children. The husband died in 1972 at the age of 53.
Second marriage of Cayetana Alba (1978)
Six years later, in 1978, the Duchess married composer Jesus Aguirre, director of the music department of the Ministry of Culture. They lived together for 23 years, Aguirre died in 2001.
However, the widow, who was 75 years old, did not lose hope of finding new personal happiness. To questions from the press, the lady answered “I will still bury you all!”
The Duchess's third wedding (2011)
The news about the next marriage of the 85-year-old duchess to Alfonso Diez (Alfonso is his name) was discussed throughout the Internet in 2011.
Before the wedding, a smart, wealthy lady transferred all her property to her six children. Her fortune was estimated at 3.5 billion euros.
Unfortunately, the duchess was unable to enjoy family life for a long time; she died in 2014 at the age of 88.
Such are the fates of two bright namesake women from the Alba clan, who were remembered by contemporaries, and their name will be remembered by descendants.
