Spain’s Duchess Of Alba Dead At 88

The richest woman in Spain, the duchess of Alba, has died at the age of 88. She suffered from a short illness and took her last breath at home. She is survived by her husband, Alfonso Diez. Diez has been married to the duchess of Alba for three years and is 25 years younger than her.

The duchess of Alba, officially named Doa Mar¡a del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, was the head of one of Spain’s oldest and most noble families. Her eccentric behaviors and wild antics placed her in the forefront of gossip columns and popular television shows. She chose to express herself flamboyantly through her wardrobe, dance, and the arts.

At the time of her death, she is estimated to be between $753 million and $4.3 billion, including property and monetary assets. NPR estimates her at closer to the $4 billion side of the range. The large range in estimate is expected to be split among each of her six children.

The duchess of Alba has been known to travel her own life’s path since she decided to forge her own way of existence. Her squeaky voice and unpredictable ways kept her relevant in the headlines right up until her final days. According to BBC News, many of her escapades were quite public and controversial.

“Once a famed beauty who turned down a request to be Picasso’s muse, she shocked the establishment when she married her confessor, a defrocked Jesuit priest, in 1978, six years after the death of her first husband with whom she had six children.”

They went on to say, “But it was her third marriage to a civil servant 25 years her junior in 2011 that provoked an even bigger scandal, a union that was opposed by her children as well as King Juan Carlos of Spain, but that was welcomed by Spaniards as a colourful drama.”

Her popularity in the Spanish media may have far surpassed that of England’s Kate Middleton. Another accomplishment of the duchess of Alba is to be named the most titled person by the Guinness World Records. Officially, she is a Spanish grandee 14 times over, a duchess five times over, a countess-duchess one time over, a marchioness 18 times over, a countess 18 times over, and a viscountess one time over.

The duchess of Alba, who preferred to be called Cayetana, is survived by her husband and six children. Her titles pass on to her eldest son, Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 14th Duke of Huescar.

[Photo Courtesy: BBC News]