Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba, 18th Duchess of Medinaceli explained

Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba
Honorific Prefix:The Most Excellent
Grandee of Spain (more...)
Succession:Duchess of Medinaceli
Reign:13 July 1956 – 18 August 2013
Reign-Type:Reign
Predecessor:Luis Fernández de Córdoba, 17th Duke of Medinaceli
Successor:Prince Marco of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 19th Duke of Medinaceli[1]
Spouse:Rafael Medina y Vilallonga (m. 1938; d. 1992)
Issue:Ana Luisa de Medina, 12th Marquise of Navahermosa
Luis de Medina, 9th Duke of Santisteban del Puerto
Rafael de Medina, 19th Duke of Feria
Ignacio de Medina, 19th Duke of Segorbe
Full Name:María Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba, Fernández de Henestrosa, Salabert y Gayoso de los Cobos
Noble Family:House of Medinaceli
House of Cordoba
House-Type:Noble Family
Father:Luis Fernández de Córdoba, 17th Duke of Medinaceli
Mother:Ana María Fernández de Henestrosa y Gayoso de los Cobos
Birth Date:16 April 1917
Birth Place:Medinaceli Palace, Madrid, Spain
Death Date: (aged 96)
Death Place:Pilatos Palace, Seville, Spain
Place Of Burial:Tavera Hospital, Toledo, Spain

Doña Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba y Fernández de Henestrosa, 18th Duchess of Medinaceli, GE (pronounced as /es/; 16 April 1917 – 18 August 2013) was a Spanish noblewoman and Grandee of Spain. She was the head of the Spanish noble House of Medinaceli and patron of the Ducal House of Medinaceli Foundation. In addition to her most senior title of Duchess of Medinaceli, she held an additional 49 other hereditary noble titles during her lifetime, making her the second-most titled noblewoman in Spain, just after Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba. She died in Seville on 18 August 2013, aged 96.[2]

Background

Doña Victoria was born as the eldest daughter of Don Luis Jesús Fernández de Córdoba y Salabert, 17th Duke of Medinaceli, and Doña Ana María Fernández de Henestrosa y Gayoso de los Cobos. She was baptized in the Royal Chamber of the Royal Palace of Madrid, with Queen Victoria Eugenie and King Alfonso XIII of Spain serving as her godparents. She was named after the Queen.[3] She was known by the nickname Mimí to her family and close friends.[4]

She married Rafael de Medina y Vilallonga in 1938, and she succeeded to the dukedom in 1956, upon her father's death. Before that, she was styled as 16th Duchess of Alcalá de los Gazules, a courtesy title granted by her father. She was the second-most titled noblewoman in Spain, and holder of one of its most ancient dukedoms.[5]

In 1980, the Duchess established the Ducal House of Medinaceli Foundation, which manages the Casa de Pilatos in Seville, her principal residence, as well as the Hospital de San Juan Bautista in Toledo and the Palacio de Oca in Galicia.

Marriage and issue

The Duchess married, on 12 January 1938 in Seville, Rafael de Medina y Vilallonga, Knight of the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla and Mayor of Seville from 1943–47. The Duke was the son of Luis de Medina y Garvey, a son of the 4th Marquis of Esquivel, and Amelia de Vilallonga e Ybarra. They had 4 children:

Titles

Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba held a total of 50 hereditary noble titles during her lifetime, 14 of which accompanied by the dignity of Grandee.

Dukedoms

Marquessates

Countships

Viscountcies

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2014/09/25/pdfs/BOE-A-2014-9725.pdf Boletín Oficial del Estado
  2. http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2013/08/18/andalucia_sevilla/1376856332.html "Fallece la duquesa de Medinaceli"
  3. Web site: 30 August 2013. farodevigo.es. La aristócrata que abrió Oca.
  4. http://hemeroteca.abcdesevilla.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/sevilla/abc.sevilla/1938/10/13/008.html Hemeroteca ABC
  5. http://www.casareal.es/ES/Documents/boda/info/InvitadosCatedral.pdf www.casareal.es