Carlos Emilio Juan Zurita y Delgado, Duke of Soria and Hernani (born 9 October 1943 in
Antequera
Antequera () is a city and municipality in the Comarca de Antequera, province of Málaga, part of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is known as "the heart of Andalusia" (''el corazón de An ...
), is a Spanish physician and the husband of
Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria
Infanta Margarita of Spain, Duchess of Soria, 2nd Duchess of Hernani, Grandee of Spain (Margarita María de la Victoria Esperanza Jacoba Felicidad Perpetua de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón; born 6 March 1939), is the younger sister of ...
. He is a brother-in-law of
King Juan Carlos I
Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until his abdication on 19 June 2014. In Sp ...
and the uncle of the current
Spanish king,
Felipe VI
Felipe VI (; Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. In accordance with the Spanish Constitution, as monarch, he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed For ...
.
He was born to aristocrats Carlos Zurita y González-Vidalte and wife María del Carmen Delgado y Fernández de Santaella in
Antequera
Antequera () is a city and municipality in the Comarca de Antequera, province of Málaga, part of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is known as "the heart of Andalusia" (''el corazón de An ...
,
Málaga
Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
.
The Duke of Soria is a retired
medical doctor
A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...
, as his father, and was a specialist in the
respiratory
The respiratory system (also respiratory apparatus, ventilatory system) is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies gr ...
and
circulatory system
In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart ...
. He studied at the medical faculty of the
University of Seville
The University of Seville (''Universidad de Sevilla'') is a university in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. Founded under the name of ''Colegio Santa María de Jesús'' in 1505, in 2022 it has a student body of 57,214,U-Ranking Universidades español ...
, where he obtained a
licentiate in medicine with accompanying award "Premio Extraordinario de Licenciatura" for extraordinary merit in 1967. He received his
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
with a scholarship at the
Spanish College
The Collegio di Spagna (Royal Spanish College or Royal College of Spain in Bologna) (officially ''Real Colegio Mayor de San Clemente de los Españoles'') is a college for Spanish students at the University of Bologna, Italy, which has been functio ...
in
Bologna, Italy
Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
. In 1971, the duke gained the position of teacher service manager of the Spanish National College of the Thorax Illness.
[ ]
Anales de la Real Academia Nacional de Medicina
, Duke of Soria’s laudatio in his appointment as member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Medicine by Hipólito Durán Sacristán, 235-242. (accessed 2 November 2008)
He married Infanta Margarita, on 12 October 1972 in
Estoril
Estoril () is a town in the civil parish of Cascais e Estoril of the Portuguese Municipality of Cascais, on the Portuguese Riviera. It is a popular tourist destination, with hotels, beaches, and the Casino Estoril. It has been home to numero ...
at St. Anthony's Church. They have two children:
* ''Don'' Alfonso Juan Carlos Zurita y de Borbón (b.
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, 9 August 1973).
* ''Doña'' María Sofía Emilia Carmen Zurita y de Borbón (b.
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, 16 September 1975). She has a son, Carlos, born on 28 April 2018 in Madrid.
In 1989, the Duke and the Duchess of Soria created the Fundación Cultural Duques de Soria (''The Duke and Duchess of Soria Cultural Foundation''), its objective is to stimulate the Spanish language and culture. The Foundation cooperates with universities and Spanish cultural institutions to contribute to the cultural and scientific development in Spain.
The Duke of Soria is President of the Spanish Federation of the Museums Friends Associations and President of the Friends of
Prado Museum
The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on ...
Foundation. He is also a member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Medicine.
In 2003, the Duke and Duchess of Soria were awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Alfonso X the Wise for their work in promoting science and culture.
In 2013, Queen Sofia presided over an act of homage to Carlos, for his 25 years at the head of the Friends of the Prado Museum Foundation. The event was attended by his wife, the Infanta Margarita, and his two children, Alfonso and María.
Honours
In 2003, the Duke and Duchess of Soria were appointed
Grand Cross of the Order of Alfonso X the Wise of Spain.
Royal Decree 484/2003 The Duke of Soria member of the Spanish Royal Order of Alfonso X.
BOE, Spanish Official Journal. (accessed 2 November 2008)
References
External links
Royal Household of HM the King official website (English and Spanish)
The Duke and Duchess of Soria Cultural Foundation website (Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zurita, Carlos
1943 births
Living people
People from Antequera
Spanish physicians
University of Seville alumni
Recipients of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise