I have always loved to learn about fascinating people who have lived extraordinary lives. Few can say that the Duchess of Alba isn’t one such person. Over the years, I’ve seen her pictures in magazines and on the internet, and her striking looks have always left me curious. Who is she? Why is she famous?
It turns out there’s a dearth of knowledge, and I had no idea how famous – or immensely wealthy – this mysterious lady actually was.
And behind all the plastic surgery, billions of dollars, marriages, and toyboys, there is an incredible life story that left me stunned
A luxurious lifestyle, plastic surgeries, marriages to much younger men, and never afraid to say her opinion: there are many things people associate with Cayetana Fitz-James, also known as the Duchess of Alba.
But to understand the European aristocrat who became known as one of the most fascinating royals of all, we must start with her difficult childhood.
To begin with, Spanish-born Cayetana inherited most of her titles when her mother tragically died from tuberculosis in 1934, aged only 33.
Cayetana was just eight years old when her beloved mother was killed by the infectious disease that had become an epidemic in Europe. The memories she had of her mom were vague – of her always in bed or lying in the garden to get some fresh air.