José María Osorio de Moscoso y Carvajal (Madrid, 12 April 1828 - Cabra, 4 November 1881) was a Spanish aristocrat and politician who had numerous noble titles such as

Duke of Sessa Duke of Sessa is a Spanish noble title awarded to Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba by Ferdinand II in 1507. It was the fifth ducal title bestowed on Gonzalo, after the ducal titles of Santángelo (1497), Terranova (1502), Andría (1507) and M ...

and

Count of Cabra Count of Cabra is a Spanish noble title created by King Henry IV of Castile on 2 November 1455 for Diego Fernandez de Cordova and Montemayor, 1st Viscount of Iznájar. The titleholder is a Grandee of Spain, the third oldest such title in Spain. T ...

. He was also the husband of the Infanta Luisa Teresa of Spain.

Biography

He was born in the Palace of Altamira (Madrid), as son of Vicente Pío Osorio de Moscoso y Ponce de León, 1st Duke of Sessa, and Luisa de Carjaval y Queralt. Belonging to a noble and ancient family, he received a careful education. After the death of his father in 1864, he inherited most offices, titles and lands, as well as nine

Grandees of Spain Grandees of Spain ( es, Grandes de España) are the highest-ranking members of the Spanish nobility. They comprise nobles who hold the most important historical landed titles in Spain or its former colonies. Many such hereditary titles are held b ...

. Among the various titles obtained were that of XVI

, XX

, XIV

Count of Altamira Count of Altamira ( es, Conde de Altamira) is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1455 by Henry IV to Lope Sánchez de Ulloa, Lord of the Fortress of Altamira. The title makes refer ...

, XVIII Marquis of Astorga, XVIII

Duke of Maqueda Duke of Maqueda ( es, Duque de Maqueda) is a hereditary title in the Spanish nobility, Peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1529 by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles I to Diego de Cárdenas, 2nd Lord of Maqu ...

, V Duke of Montemar, XV Marquis of Ayamonte, XII Marquis of San Román, XX Count of Trastámara, Marquis of Villamanrique, and Lord of Villalobos.
He was also a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a Knight of the

Order of Alcántara The Order of Alcántara ( Leonese: ''Orde de Alcántara'', es, Orden de Alcántara), also called the Knights of St. Julian, was originally a military order of León, founded in 1166 and confirmed by Pope Alexander III in 1177. Alcántara Alcá ...

(1844), of that of San Juan, Master of Zaragoza, of the Grand Cross of the

Order of Carlos III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...

(1845), as well as a Gentleman of the chamber of the monarch Isabella II and Spanish Senator for life. Because his parents had a close relationship with the Regent María Cristina, widow of King

Ferdinand VII , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ...

, he managed to marry the Infanta Luisa Teresa of Spain, sister of King Consort Francisco de Asís and cousin of Queen Isabella.
The marriage was considered a

morganatic marriage Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...

, as the Infanta was of royal blood and the Duke wasn't, and for this reason they needed the permission of Isabel II to marry. This permission was granted by royal decree and two days later, the wedding was celebrated on 10 February 1847 in the Altamira palace, with her brother Francisco de Asís and her cousin Queen Isabella as witnesses. Queen Isabella also awarded José María that year the Order of the Golden Fleece. After the Revolution of 1868, the couple supported the monarchy, sending financial aid to the dethroned Crown, considerably reducing their income and even having to sell some properties, such as the Altamira Palace, as well as the Villamanrique Palace, in the town of the same name, in addition to others. The Duke retired to his castle of Cabra, where he died on 4 November 1881. His wife survived him by nineteen years, and she held the title of Infanta all her life. He left three children who shared his many titles and domains. *Francisco de Asís Osorio de Moscoso y Borbón (1847-1924), had issue *Luis María Osorio de Moscoso y Borbón (1849-1924), no issue *María Cristina Isabel Osorio de Moscoso y Borbón (1850-1904), married Pierre Eugene, VI Prínce-Duke of Beauffremont-Courtenay,

Sources

Real Academia de la Historia
*Salazar y Acha, Jaime de (2012). Los Grandes de España (siglos XV-XVI). Ediciones Hidalguía. ISBN 978-84 939313-9-1 *Soler Salcedo, Juan Miguel (2020). Nobleza Española. Grandezas Inmemoriales (2nd edition). Madrid: Visión Libros. p. 122. ISBN 978-84-17755-62-1. {{DEFAULTSORT:Osorio de Moscoso, José María 1828 births 1881 deaths Spanish nobility Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Grandees of Spain