Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, RIP

[vinteuil]

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María del Rosario Cayetana Paloma Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Fernanda Teresa Francisca de Paula Lourdes Antonia Josefa Fausta Rita Castor Dorotea Santa Esperanza Fitz-James Stuart, Silva, Falcó y Gurtubay, 18th Duchess of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayetana_Fitz-James_Stuart,_18th_Duchess_of_Alba

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[french frank]

I guessed this might be 'Spain's richest duchess' (how many rich duchesses do they have, I wonder- she appears to have been five of them, anyway ...) about whom I had just read the news. A colourful life ...

[vinteuil]

... I wonder how many times she made use of her apparent right to ride a horse into Seville Cathedral?

Bet she wishes she had done it more often

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/11242607/Duchess-of-Alba-dies-aged-88.html

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/8800139/Excitement-in-Spain-as-eccentric-Duchess-marries-man-24-years-her-junior.html

[salymap]

I read it as Cavatina for a moment. Seemed in character.

[Richard Tarleton]

Glad to see the name being recycled - Goya's Duchess of Alba (5 duchesses ago) was María Cayetana. In Saura's film Goya en Burdeos they are shown as lovers, but as Robert Hughes points out this was highly unlikely.