Wealthy Spanish duchess marries
Source: Agencies |
October 6, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A WEALTHY, 85-year-old Spanish duchess considered the world's most title-laden noble married a civil servant 25 years her junior yesterday, shrugging off her children's qualms and celebrating by kicking off her shoes and dancing flamenco.
A crowd of several hundred clapped and roared its approval as the Duchess of Alba waved and danced on a red carpet after her wedding to Alfonso Diez at Palacio de las Duenas, her 15th-century residence in Seville.
Diez stood close by in a dark suit, smiling and holding an outstretched arm at the ready, as if to catch his bride if she stumbled.
The duchess hiked up her dress as she performed a few whirling steps of Spain's quintessential art form in the city perhaps best known for it.
With her frizzy white hair, squeaky voice and wildly colorful clothes, the duchess is among Spain's most famous people. Only a few dozen family members and close friends were invited to the ceremony.
The twice-widowed duchess wore a salmon, shin-length dress by Spanish designers Victorio y Lucchino.
Her full name -- take a deep breath - is Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva. She goes by simply Cayetana, and is a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill.
She and Diez, a social security administration employee, are old acquaintances through her second husband and Diez's brother, an antiques dealer. They bumped into each other about three years ago and started dating.
Her six children, all from her first marriage, reportedly balked when the idea of marriage emerged. In July, the duchess assigned them and her grandchildren chunks of her estate.
Estimates of her wealth range from 600 million euros (US$800 million) to 3.5 billion euros.
A crowd of several hundred clapped and roared its approval as the Duchess of Alba waved and danced on a red carpet after her wedding to Alfonso Diez at Palacio de las Duenas, her 15th-century residence in Seville.
Diez stood close by in a dark suit, smiling and holding an outstretched arm at the ready, as if to catch his bride if she stumbled.
The duchess hiked up her dress as she performed a few whirling steps of Spain's quintessential art form in the city perhaps best known for it.
With her frizzy white hair, squeaky voice and wildly colorful clothes, the duchess is among Spain's most famous people. Only a few dozen family members and close friends were invited to the ceremony.
The twice-widowed duchess wore a salmon, shin-length dress by Spanish designers Victorio y Lucchino.
Her full name -- take a deep breath - is Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva. She goes by simply Cayetana, and is a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill.
She and Diez, a social security administration employee, are old acquaintances through her second husband and Diez's brother, an antiques dealer. They bumped into each other about three years ago and started dating.
Her six children, all from her first marriage, reportedly balked when the idea of marriage emerged. In July, the duchess assigned them and her grandchildren chunks of her estate.
Estimates of her wealth range from 600 million euros (US$800 million) to 3.5 billion euros.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
