Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba
The Most Excellent The Duke of Alba GE KOGF OCIII GCVO LH OL | |
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Portrait by Zuloaga, 1918 | |
Foreign Minister of Spain | |
In office 30 January 1930 – 18 February 1931 | |
Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
Prime Minister | Miguel Primo de Rivera |
Preceded by | Miguel Primo de Rivera |
Succeeded by | Álvaro de Figueroa |
Personal details | |
Born |
Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó 17 October 1878 Madrid, Spain |
Died |
September 24, 1953 74) Lausanne, Switzerland | (aged
Nationality | Spanish |
Spouse(s) | María del Rosario de Silva y Gurtubay, 9th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco |
Children | Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba |
Residence | Liria Palace |
Medal record | ||
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Men's Polo | ||
Representing | ||
Olympic Games | ||
1920 Antwerp | Team competition |
Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó, 17th Duke of Alba, GE, KOGF, OCIII, GCVO, LH, OL (17 October 1878 – 24 September 1953) was a Spanish noble, diplomat, politician and art collector. He was one of the most important aristocrats of his time, and held, among other titles, the Dukedoms of Alba de Tormes and Berwick, the Countship of Lemos, Lerín and Montijo and the Marquessate of Carpio. He was also a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece of Spain in 1926.[1]
Marriage and family
The Duke was the son of Carlos María Fitz-James Stuart, 16th Duke of Alba and María del Rosario Falcó, 21st Countess of Siruela. He married in London on 7 October 1920, María del Rosario de Silva, 9th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco (Madrid, 4 April 1900 – Madrid, 11 January 1934) and had a single daughter, Cayetana, who inherited all the family's titles and fortune.
Early years
He carried out his first studies under private tutors, but was later sent to England to study at Beaumont College, followed by Eton. After returning to Spain and concluding his school days at San Isidro, he continued with his higher education enrolling in the Universidad Central de Madrid, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in Law.
Diplomatic career
He served as Lord of the Bedchamber to the young King Alfonso XIII, who had acceded on his birth. In May 1902 royal visitors came to Madrid for the festivities to mark the King´s birthday and enthronement. The duke received the Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) from the Duke of Connaught who was present for the festivities.[2][3]
Between 2 February 1930 and 18 February 1931 Alba was Foreign Minister in Spain. During the Spanish Civil War, the Communists occupied his residence, the Palace of Liria (which his daughter later restored), and murdered his younger brother Hernando Carlos Maria Theresa FitzJames Stuart y Falco (1882-1936). Alba became General Franco's official representative in London. He was still the Ambassador there in 1939, when Neville Chamberlain's cabinet formally gave Franco's Nationalists diplomatic recognition.
Master spy Kim Philby says in his memoir My Silent War that the Spanish diplomatic bag during WW2 was regularly accessed, "and from it [we] learnt that Alba periodically sent to Madrid despatches on the British political scene of quite exceptional quality. As we had no doubt that the Spanish Foreign Ministry would make them available to the German allies, these despatches represented a really serious leakage. Yet there was nothing that could be done. There was no evidence that the Duke had obtained his information improperly. He simply moved with people in the know and reported they said, with shrewd commentaries of his own."
Following World War II, Alba's relations with Franco markedly cooled, the result of Alba supporting a prompt monarchist restoration much more than Franco did. He was a leading guest at the 1947 wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[4]
Olympic career
He won a silver medal in the 1920 Olympic Games polo event.[5]
Ancestry
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Honours
- 1925: Grand Cordon Order of Leopold.[6]
Titles and styles
Titles
Dukedoms
- 17th Duke of Alba, Grandee of Spain
- 13th Duke of Huéscar, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to his grandson Don Carlos
- 10th Duke of Berwick, Grandee of Spain (Jacobite Peerage)
- 10th Duke of Liria and Jérica, Grandee of Spain
- 10th Duke of Montoro, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to his daughter Doña Cayetana
- 2nd Duke of Arjona, Grandee of Spain
Count-Dukedoms
- 11th Count-Duke of Olivares, Grandee of Spain
Marquessates
- 16th Marquess of the Carpio, Grandee of Spain
- 22nd Marquess of Coria
- 19th Marquess of Ardales -Ceded to his sister Doña Sol
- 19th Marquess of la Mota
- 19th Marquess of Moya
- 18th Marquess of Sarria
- 17th Marquess of Barcarrota
- 17th Marquess of Villanueva del Fresno
- 16th Marquess of Villanueva del Río
- 15th Marquess of la Albaga
- 13th Marquess of Eliche
- 13th Marquess of San Leonardo
- 11th Marquess of Osera
- 11th Marquess of Tarazona
Countships
- 21st Count of Lemos, Grandee of Spain
- 21st Count of Siruela, Grandee of Spain
- 19th Count of Lerín, Grandee of Spain, Constable of Navarre
- 19th Count of Osorno, Grandee of Spain
- 15th Count of Monterrey, Grandee of Spain
- 24th Count of San Esteban de Gormaz
- 20th Count of Miranda del Castañar
- 20th Count of Modica (Kingdom of Sicily)
- 19th Count of Villalba
- 18th Count of Andrade
- 17th Count of Gelves
- 16th Count of Galve
- 15th Count of Casarrubios del Monte
- 15th Count of Fuentes de Valdepero
- 13th Count of Ayala
- 11th Count of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
- 10th Count of Fuentidueña
- 10th Earl of Tinmouth (Jacobite Peerage)
Viscountcies
- 11th Viscount of la Calzada
Baronies
Styles
- The Most Excellent The Duke of Huéscar (1878–1901).
- The Most Excellent The Duke of Alba de Tormes (1901–1953).
References
- ↑ Geneall
- ↑ "No. 27440". The London Gazette. 6 June 1902. p. 3681.
- ↑ William A. Shaw, The Knights of England, page 425
- ↑ Royal Collection: Seating plan for the Ball Supper Room
- ↑ Sports Reference Olympics Archived 2009-07-04 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Royal Decree of 1925/-Mémorial du centenaire de l'Ordre de Léopold. 1832-1932. Bruxelles, J. Rozez, 1933.
External links
- Newspaper clippings about Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba in the 20th Century Press Archives of the German National Library of Economics (ZBW)
Spanish nobility | ||
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Preceded by Carlos María Fitz-James Stuart |
Duke of Alba 1902–1953 |
Succeeded by Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart |
Duke of Berwick 1902–1953 | ||
Duke of Montoro 1902–1947 | ||
Duke of Huéscar 1902–1951 |
Succeeded by Carlos Fitz-James Stuart | |
Preceded by Empress Eugénie |
Marquess of Ardales 1920–1953 |
Succeeded by Jaime de Mitjans |
Italian nobility | ||
Preceded by Carlos María Fitz-James Stuart |
Count of Modica 1902–1953 |
Succeeded by Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart |