Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó, 17th Duke of Alba, 10th Duke of Berwick, GE, LH, GCVO (17 October 1878 – 24 September 1953) was a Spanish peer,

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

art collector A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individual ...

and Olympic medalist. He was one of the most important aristocrats of his time and held, among other titles, the dukedoms of Alba de Tormes and Berwick, the Countship of Lemos, Lerín, Montijo and the Marquessate of Carpio. He was granted the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

of Spain in 1926. A close friend and relative of the

British royal family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

, he was one of the leading guests at the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II in 1947.

Family

The Duke was born on 17 October 1878 in Palace of Liria in Madrid, the first son of

Carlos María Fitz-James Stuart, 16th Duke of Alba 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 ...

and María del Rosario Falcó, 21st Countess of Siruela. Don Jacobo was baptised only a few days after with the name "Santiago", a variant of Jacobo. His godparents were his paternal grandfather, Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 15th Duke of Alba and his maternal grandmother María del Pilar Ossorio y Gutiérrez de los Ríos, 3rd Duchess of Fernán Núñez. On 7 October 1920 he married Maria del Rosario de Silva, 9th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco (Madrid, 4 April 1900 – Madrid, 11 January 1934), lady of the bedchamber to Queen Victoria Eugenie and sole heiress to the enormous fortune and long list of titles of the house of Híjar as the only child of Alfonso de Silva, 16th Duke of Híjar and her mother María del Rosario Gurtubay, at the Spanish Embassy in London. The two had a single daughter, Cayetana, who inherited all of the family's titles and fortune. Meanwhile, the Jacobite supporters rallied behind his nephew Fernando (the son of his late brother Hernando).

Early years

He carried out his first studies under private tutors, but was later sent to England to study at

Beaumont College Beaumont College was between 1861 and 1967 a Public school (UK), public school in Old Windsor, Old Windsor in Berkshire. Founded and run by the Society of Jesus, it offered a Roman Catholic public school education in rural surroundings, while l ...

, followed by Eton. After returning to Spain, he continued with his higher education enrolling in the Universidad Central de Madrid, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in law.

Diplomatic career

He served as Lord of the Bedchamber to the young King

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...

, who had acceded on his birth. In May 1902, royal visitors came to

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 ...

for the festivities to mark the King's birthday and enthronement. The Duke received the Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(GCVO) from the Duke of Connaught, who was present for the festivities. Between 2 February 1930 and 18 February 1931, Alba was Foreign Minister of Spain. During the Spanish Civil War, the Communists occupied his residence, the Palace of Liria, which his daughter later restored, and they murdered his younger brother Hernando Carlos María Teresa Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó (1882-1936). Alba became General Franco's official representative in London and opened the new building at Campion Hall, University of Oxford, in June 1936, alongside Alban Goodier S.J., the former

Archbishop of Bombay The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay is a particular church celebrating the Latin Rite of worship, centred in the Bombay (Mumbai) city of the northern Konkan division of Maharashtra, India. The archdiocese has been a Metropolitan see since i ...

, and the Earl of Oxford. He was still the ambassador there in 1939, when

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

's cabinet formally gave to Franco's Nationalists diplomatic recognition. The master Soviet spy

Kim Philby Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 191211 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963, he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring that had divulged British secr ...

wrote in his memoir ''My Silent War'' that the Spanish diplomatic bag during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

was regularly accessed, "and from it elearnt that Alba periodically sent to Madrid despatches on the British political scene of quite exceptional quality. As we had no doubt that the Spanish Foreign Ministry would make them available to the German allies, these despatches represented a really serious leakage. Yet there was nothing that could be done. There was no evidence that the Duke had obtained his information improperly. He simply moved with people in the know and reported what they said, with shrewd commentaries of his own." In fact,

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

was warned of this possibility in October 1943, as his Private Secretary Sir

Alan Lascelles Sir Alan Frederick "Tommy" Lascelles, ( ; 11 April 1887 – 10 August 1981) was a British courtier and civil servant who held several positions in the first half of the twentieth century, culminating in his position as Private Secretary to both ...

reported in his diary, and advised not to say anything that he did not want to reach the enemy. After the war, Alba's relations with Franco markedly cooled, the result of Alba supporting a prompt monarchist restoration much more than Franco. Alba was a leading guest at the 1947 wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Olympic career

He won a silver medal in

polo at the 1920 Summer Olympics Polo returned to the Olympic program at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, after not being contested at the 1912 Summer Olympics, 1912 Games. Four teams competed. Great Britain repeated as Olympic champions (though they had all three teams co ...

Honors

* 1902: Knight Grand Cross

. * 1925: Grand Cordon Order of Leopold. * 1926: Knight

Titles and styles

Titles

Dukedoms

* 17th Duke of Alba, Grandee of Spain * 13th Duke of Huéscar, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to his grandson Don Carlos * 10th Duke of Berwick, Grandee of Spain * 10th Duke of Liria and Jérica, Grandee of Spain * 10th Duke of Montoro, Grandee of Spain -Ceded to his daughter Doña Cayetana * 2nd Duke of Arjona, Grandee of Spain Alba y Churchill

Count-Dukedoms

* 11th Count-Duke Of Olivares, Grandee of Spain

Marquessates

* 17th Marquess of Carpio, Grandee of Spain * 22nd Marquess of Coria * 19th Marquess of Ardales -Ceded to his sister Doña Sol * 19th Marquess of la Mota * 19th Marquess of Moya * 18th Marquess of Sarria * 17th Marquess of Barcarrota * 17th Marquess of Villanueva del Fresno * 16th Marquess of Villanueva del Río * 15th Marquess of la Albaga * 13th Marquess of Eliche * 13th Marquess of San Leonardo * 11th Marquess of Osera * 11th Marquess of Tarazona

Countships

* 21st Count of Lemos, Grandee of Spain * 21st Count of Siruela, Grandee of Spain * 19th Count of Lerín, Grandee of Spain, Constable of Navarre * 11th

Count of Montijo Count of Montijo () is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain accompanied by the dignity of Grandee, granted in 1599 by Philip III to Juan Portocarrero, Lord of Montijo, mayordomo mayor and a knight of the Order of Santiago The Order ...

, Grandee of Spain * 19th Count of Osorno, Grandee of Spain * 15th Count of Monterrey, Grandee of Spain * 13th Count of Baños, Grandee of Spain * 24th Count of San Esteban de Gormaz * 20th Count of Miranda del Castañar * 20th Count of Modica (

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily (; ; ) was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian peninsula, Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in Kingdom of Africa, Northern Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816. It was ...

) * 19th Count of Villalba * 18th Count of Andrade * 17th Count of Gelves * 16th Count of Galve * 15th Count of Casarrubios del Monte * 15th Count of Fuentes de Valdepero * 13th Count of Ayala * 11th Count of Santa Cruz de la Sierra * 10th Count of Fuentidueña * 10th Earl of Tinmouth

Viscountcies

* 11th Viscount of la Calzada

Baronies

* 10th Baron Bosworth

Styles

* ''

The Most Excellent The Most Excellent ( (male) or (female), literally "Most Excellent Lord/Lady") is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in Spain and certain Spanish-speaking countries. Following Spanish tradition, it is an '' ex off ...

'' The Duke of Huéscar (1878–1901) * ''The Most Excellent'' The Duke of Alba de Tormes (1901–1953)

Coat of arms

Coat of Arms of the 17th Duke of Alba (as Knight of the Golden Fleece and Charles III).svg, Coat of arms of Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó as Duke of Alba

References

External links

* , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Stuart, Jacobo Fitz-James, 17th Duke of Alba 1878 births 1953 deaths 20th-century art collectors Jacobo Fitz-James Dukes of Montoro Dukes of Huéscar Marquesses of Spain Counts of Spain Viscounts of Spain Foreign ministers of Spain Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Spanish people of English descent Grandees of Spain Spanish anti-communists Marquesses of Carpio Ambassadors of Spain to the United Kingdom Spanish International Olympic Committee members Berwick, Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 10th Duke of People educated at Eton College People educated at Beaumont College Corresponding fellows of the British Academy Spanish polo players Polo players at the 1920 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in polo Olympic polo players for Spain Olympic silver medalists for Spain Medalists at the 1920 Summer Olympics