Infanta María Cristina of Spain

Early life

Infanta Maria Cristina was born at the Palacio Real in Madrid, Spain. The Spanish Royal Family left the country in 1931, in the face of Republican demonstrations, settling in Paris, before moving to Fontainebleau.

By 1933 King Alfonso and his daughters, the Infantas Beatriz and Maria Cristina, had moved to Rome. Their father warned would-be suitors of the inherent dangers of hemophilia, from which suffered two of the king's sons (Alfonso and Gonzalo).

Marriage and issue

Letterhead of Infanta Maria Cristina.

She renounced her succession rights to the throne of the defunct Spanish crown and, on 10 June 1940, morganatically married Enrico Eugenio Marone-Cinzano (15 March 1895 Turin – 23 October 1968 Geneva) in Rome.^[1][2][3] He had been created 1st Count Marone on 13 May 1940 by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. He was the son of Alberto Marone and his wife, Paola Cinzano, and was the widower of Noemí Rosa de Alcorta y García-Mansilla, by whom he had issue.

The marriage produced four daughters, ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren:

• Doña Vittoria Eugenia Alfonsa Alberta del Pilar Enrica Paola Marone-Cinzano (b. Turin, 5 March 1941) she married José Carlos Álvarez de Toledo y Gross, 6th Marquess of Casa Loring (1929–2000) on 12 January 1961. They have four children and five grandchildren:
  • Vittoria Eugenia Álvarez de Toledo y Marone-Cizano, 7th Marchioness of Casa Loring (b. Málaga, 8 October 1961) she married Alfonso Codorniu y Aguilar on 29 September 1982. They have three children:
    • Jaime Codorníu y Álvarez de Toledo (b. Madrid, 16 February 1985)
    • Ana Codorníu y Álvarez de Toledo (b. Madrid, 24 January 1987)
    • Carla Codorniu y Alvarez de Toledo (5 July 1990)
  • Francisco de Borja Álvarez de Toledo y Marone-Cinzano, 9th Count of Villapaterna (b. Málaga, 25 March 1964) he married Jill Schlanger. They have two sons.
    • Daniel Álvarez de Toledo y Schlanger (b. Madrid, 1 June 1995)
    • Jacobo Álvarez de Toledo y Schlanger (b. Madrid, 20 March 1997)
  • Marco Alfonso Álvarez de Toledo y Marone-Cinzano (b. Málaga, 23 January 1965), a priest
  • Gonzalo Álvarez de Toledo y Marone-Cinzano (b. Madrid, 1 October 1973), unmarried and without issue
• Doña Giovanna Paola Gabriella Marone-Cinzano (b. 31 January 1943) she married Jaime Galobert y Satrustequi (4 February 1935) on 24 July 1967 and they were divorced in 1980. They have one son and three grandsons. She remarried Luis Ángel Sánchez-Merlo y Ruiz (b. Valladolid, 10 October 1947) on 4 August 1989.
  • Alfonso Alberto Galobart y Marone-Cinzano (b. Madrid, 12 April 1969) he married Alejandra Kindelán y Oteyza (b. Caracas, 12 September 1971) on 26 June 1998. They have three sons.
    • Andrea Galobart y Kindelán (b. 6 December 1999)
    • Alfonso Galobart y Kindelán (b. 15 February 2002)
    • Alejandro Galobart y Kindelán (2007)
• Doña María Theresa Beatrice Marone-Cinzano (b. Lausanne, 4 January 1945), married in Geneva on 22 April 1967 and divorced in 1989 José María Ruiz de Arana y Montalvo (Madrid, 27 April 1933 – Madrid, 30 April 2004), 17th Duke of Baena, 17th Duke of Sanlúcar La Mayor, 15th Marquess of Villamanrique, 13th Marquess of Castromonte, 5th Marquess of Brenes, 11th Count of Sevilla La Nueva and 5th Viscount of Mamblas. They have three daughters and three grandchildren:
  • María Cristina del Carmen Margarita Ruiz de Arana y Marone-Cinzano (b. Madrid, 25 March 1968), 18th Duquesa de Baena, 18th Duquesa de Sanlúcar la Mayor, 14th Marquesa de Castromonte, 12th Condesa de Sevilla la Nueva and 6th Viscondesa de Mamblas.
  • Isabel Alfonsa Ruiz de Arana y Marone-Cinzano (b. Madrid, 17 May 1970), 16th Marquesa de Villamanrique, married to Ignacio Izuzquiza y Fernández (b. Madrid, 6 May 1970). They have two children:
    • Cristina Izuzquiza y Ruiz de Arana (30 August 2002)
    • Iñigo Izuzquiza y Ruiz de Arana
  • Inés Ruiz de Arana y Marone-Cinzano (b. Madrid, 27 December 1973), 6th Marquesa de Brenes, married Carlos Magraner y Ubieta (1975) in 2008. They have one daughter:
    • Carla Magraner y Ruiz de Arana (b. 2013)
• Doña Anna Alessandra (Anna Sandra) Marone-Cinzano (b. Turin, 21 December 1948) she married Gian Carlo Stavro Santarosa on 7 December 1968 and they were divorced in 1975. They have two daughters. She remarried Fernando Schwartz y Giron in 1985.
  • Astrid Christina Antonia Stavro di Santarosa (b. Trieste, 24 April 1972)
  • Yara Paola Stavro di Santarosa (b. Trieste, 29 June 1974)

Death

Infanta Maria Cristina returned to Spain and spent periods of time there, but never lived there permanently. She died in Madrid of a heart attack on 23 December 1996 during a Christmas reunion of the royal family at the Villa Giralda, the residence of her cousin and sister-in-law the Countess of Barcelona. She was given a state funeral but was buried in the Marone-Cinzano Pantheon in Turin.