La Duquesa Se Caso!!!
Yesterday, the Most Titled Woman on Earth got married. Yes, one of my favorite subjects here on my blog, the Duchess of Alba (one of her many, many, many titles), María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba de Tormes, 85 , got married to her civil servant "Boy Toy", Alfonso Diez, who happens to be 60. This is her third wedding. And Good For Her! The Duchess, as you may know is Spain's premier aristocrat, is a distant relative of King James II of England, Winston Churchill and even Princess Diana. Considered to be one of the richest women in the world, she's worth an estimated (wait for it) 5.5 BILLION Dollars. As a result of this, her children were not very happy when she decided to re-marry, this "late in the game" and to a less-wealthy younger man. So, she decided to give her inheritance to them early--so they would basically shut up. They did. Now, let's get to the Spanish Wedding of the Year:
The Location: It happened at her Palace in Seville, Las Dueñas, a 16th-century Renaissance estate, which covers 9,542 square meters in the heart of the city. Supporters, well-wishers, fans of the Duchess--as well as press, of course, had gathered there to show their love for Cayetana. (she is ADORED by her country!).
Wedding DISH: Her one and only daughter, Eugenia de Irujo (above left with her mother and future father-in-law) DID NOT attend because supposedly--and conveniently enough--she came down with chickenpox THE NIGHT BEFORE, and was in a hospital in Madrid when her dear mother was getting married. Also, one of her sons, Jacobo also did not show up. He was in France "on vacation" with his wife. Why? It seems that the Duchess was asked last minute if she had any "questions" regarding her children's love for her. And she answered--as she always does--very honestly and basically said "I HATE Jacobo's wife...she's jealous of me and my happiness and fortune!". At-a-Girl. Done and done. Well, I guess that's why someone did not RSVP!
Her Wedding Dress: Cayetana, who's known for her quirky and sometimes very eclectic sense of style, decided to go subdued, cocktail and with a hint of an Homage to her beloved Seville. She wore a custom pale pink silk gauze dress by Spanish designers Victorio & Lucchino, favorites of all the Spanish aristocrat Divas, former Miss Spain's and movie stars, as well. It featured delicate applique' and multi-tiered Andalusian ruffles at the hem, 3/4 bishop sleeves, a lightly blouson top and a green velvet waist tie. Finished off with matching pink ballet flats. Post Wedding Flamenco: Right after saying "I Do", Cayetana and her new husband, walked out of the Palace to greet all the well-wishers and the 85-year-old Duchess broke out into an impromptu Flamenco dance! As Alfonso held on to her, she even kicked off her shoes and began the arm and hand flourishes Flamenco is known for. Well, as you can imagine, the crowd went insane! Olé!
Guests: Other than the two No Shows from her only daughter and one of her sons, the rest of her children were there. It was a small private affair with less than 40 guests (No King Juan Carlos or Queen Sofia or even Crown Princess Letizia, their not really her friends darlings). Her oldest son, Carlos acted as Padrino, and gave her away. And Cayetana's best friend, Carmen Tello was the Madrina. She's the wife of a famous bullfighter. Her daughter's former husband, the handsome Francisco Rivera (above) attended. She still considers him her son-in-law. Francisco's brother, Spanish matador , the even more handsome Cayetano Rivera was also there, along with his girlfriend, the beautiful Eva Gonzalez, TV presenter, model and former Miss Spain.
Click Below for Video of Guests Arriving to the Wedding:
Click Below for Video of Cayetana and her Post Wedding Flamenco Dance:

Bow Down To The Diva... In less than two weeks, there's going to be another Royal Wedding. Well, it won't be of the William-and-Kate Royal Wedding proportions, but it will be somewhat "royal". You see, the 18th Duchess of Alba, Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart is going to be betrothed...for the third time on October 5th at the Palacio de Dueñas in Sevilla. In case you are not up to speed with the Euro Royals--well, other than yes, William and Kate!--Cayetana is the most titled royal in the World. She is a Duchess about seven times, a Marchesa about 19, a Countess 23 times, as well as Viscountess and a Baroness. It is rumored that when Queen Elizabeth greets her, the Queen has to bow to Cayetana! Well, just on that, she gets my "At-A-Girl" Nick Points! Oh, and did I mention she probably owns most of Spain and is supposedly one of the wealthiest women in the world. And yes, this famous and priceless Goya painting:
But let's get back to her upcoming wedding. It's very controversial. You see, she's 85 and she has decided to marry again--much to the dismay of her children--who basically live off of the "House of Alba" trust fund. The lucky guy, a man by the name of Alfonso Díez Carabantes (above), a civil servant who runs his own pr firm and is (sit down) 24 years her junior (At-a-Girl Part DOS!). Even though the family and even King Juan Carlos were opposed to their marriage (of course, people said that Alfonso was only after her millions, if not BILLIONS). As of last year, the duchess decided to proceed with the marriage, overcoming her children's opposition by giving them their inheritance in advance, although Díez has formally renounced any claim to her wealth. The wedding is coming up and naturally, there are already Wedding Souvenirs being hawked on the streets of Sevilla, the site of her wedding:
Their wedding will be a fabulous affair for Spain--and hopefully for the happy couple. I can't wait to see what she wears--and the reaction on her children's faces... Will King Juan Carlos show up??? I wonder... hope Crown Princess Letizia shows up!! Stay tuned...