Carlos María Fitz-James Stuart y Palafox, 16th Duke of Alba, 9th Duke of Berwick GE (December 4, 1849 – October 15, 1901) was a Spanish nobleman and diplomat, who held, amongst others, the Dukedom of Alba and Berwick.

Biography

He was born at Madrid, the only son of

Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 15th Duke of Alba Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Ventimiglia, 15th Duke of Alba, GE (3 June 1821, Palermo, Sicily – 10 July 1881, Madrid, Spain) was a Spanish nobleman. He was a brother-in-law of Napoleon III through his wife, sister of Empress Eugenie. Biog ...

. His mother Maria Francesca was the daughter of

Cipriano de Palafox y Portocarrero Cipriano de Palafox y Portocarrero, 8th Count of Montijo, GE, LH (15 September 178415 March 1839), was a Spanish nobleman, politician and army officer. He was the father-in-law of Napoleon III. Life and career Pro-French in his outlook, he foug ...

, Duke of Peñaranda, and sister of

Eugénie de Montijo ''Doña'' María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 19th Countess of Teba, 16th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo (), was Empress of the French from her marriage to Emperor Napo ...

, Empress of the French.
During his father's lifetime he was styled

Duke of Huéscar Duke of Huéscar ( es, Duque de Huéscar) is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1563 by Philip II to María Josefa Pimentel, daughter of the Dukes of Benavente, as a gift for her we ...

. On 16 September 1860 he succeeded his mother in all her titles except the Marquisate of the Bañeza and the Viscountcy of Palacios de la Valduerna, and on 10 July 1881 he succeeded to all his father's titles except the Dukedom of Galisteo, which went to his sister Maria de la Asuncíon Rosalia, 18th Duchess of Galisteo. As a result of this inheritance the Duke of Alba was a Grandee of the first class twelve times over. As heir-male of

James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, 1st Duke of Liria and Jérica, 1st Duke of Fitz-James (21 August 1670 – 12 June 1734) was an Anglo-French military leader, illegitimate son of King James II of England by Arabella Churchill, sister o ...

he also claimed the English title of

Duke of Berwick Duke of Berwick () ''()'' is a title that was created in the Peerage of England on 19 March 1687 for James FitzJames, the illegitimate son of James II and VII, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland and Arabella Churchill. The title's name ...

, and used the title when staying with

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle () is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and west of Aberdeen. The estate and its original castle were bought ...

. He married Maria del Rosario, 22nd Countess of Siruela on 10 December 1877 at Madrid. She was herself a Grandee of the first class, and daughter of Manuel Pascual Luis Carlós Felix Fortunato Falcó, Marquis of Almonazir by his wife Maria del Pilar, 3rd Duchess of Fernan Nuñez. His wife was born at Pau on 3 October 1854 and died at Paris on 27 March 1904. They had 3 children: *

Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó, 17th Duke of Alba, 10th Duke of Berwick, GE (17 October 1878 – 24 September 1953) was a Spanish peer, diplomat, politician, art collector and Olympic medalist. A Jacobite, he was the most senior survivin ...

* Eugenia Sol María del Pilar, married the Duke of Santoña, Lady-in-waiting of Queen Victoria Eugenia. *

Hernando Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duke of Peñaranda de Duero Hernando is a common Spanish given name, equivalent to Fernando and the English Ferdinand. It may refer to: Places ;Canada * Hernando Island, British Columbia ;United States * Hernando, Florida * Hernando County, Florida * Hernando, Mississippi ; ...

. Like his father, he was educated at the

Salamanca University The University of Salamanca ( es, Universidad de Salamanca) is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the city of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is th ...

and the military school of Paris. He was Spanish Ambassador in Brussels between 1872 and 1878, and in Saint Petersburg until 1885. Between 1887 and 1894 he was Grand Treasurer of Spain and diplomat in Istanbul. In 1895, he founded the

Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro (), commonly known as Puerta de Hierro, is a private country club based in Madrid, Spain. It owes its name to the nearby iron memorial arch. Notorious for being associated with the royal families of Europe and t ...

along with a group of distinguished Spanish nobles and King

Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...

. The Duke of Alba was also a Senator of the Kingdom, Chamberlain to the Queen Regent Christina, and a

Knight of the Golden Fleece This article contains a list of knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Knights of the Burgundian Golden Fleece 15th Century !Year of Induction!!Name!!Born!!Died!!Notes , - , rowspan=25, 1430, , Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, , 1396, , ...

. He died from cancer as Spanish Ambassador in the US in New York, aboard

Sir Thomas Lipton Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton, 1st Baronet (10 May 18482 October 1931) was a Scotsman of Ulster-Scots parentage who was a self-made man, as company founder of Lipton Tea, merchant, philanthropist and yachtsman who lost 5 straight America's Cup ...

's yacht, aged 51.

Ancestry

Titles

References

George Edward Cokayne George Edward Cokayne, (29 April 1825 – 6 August 1911), was an English genealogist and long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London, who eventually rose to the rank of Clarenceux King of Arms. He wrote such authoritative and standar ...

, ed.

Vicary Gibbs Vicary Gibbs may refer to: * Vicary Gibbs (judge) (1751–1820), English barrister, judge and politician * Vicary Gibbs, 6th Baron Aldenham (born 1948), British peer * Vicary Gibbs (St Albans MP) Vicary Gibbs (12 May 1853 – 13 January 1932) w ...

, ''

The Complete Peerage ''The Complete Peerage'' (full title: ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom Extant, Extinct, or Dormant''; first edition by George Edward Cokayne, Clarenceux King of Arms; 2nd edition revis ...

'', volume II (London, 1912
page 167
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alba, Carlos Maria Fitz-James Stuart, 16th Duke of 1849 births 1901 deaths Dukes of Spain Carlos Maria Carlos Maria Members of the Senate of Spain Knights of the Golden Fleece Marquesses of Carpio Berwick, Carlos María Fitz-James Stuart, 9th Duke of Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Spanish nobility