| Dukedom of Huéscar | |
| Creation Date: | 1563 |
| First Holder: | María Josefa Pimentel y Girón, 1st Duchess of Huéscar |
| Present Holder: | Fernando Fitz-James Stuart y de Solís, 17th Duke of Huéscar[1] |
Duke of Huéscar (Spanish; Castilian: Duque de Huéscar) is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1563 by Philip II to María Josefa Pimentel, daughter of the Dukes of Benavente, as a gift for her wedding to Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, future Duke of Alba.[2] [3]
It was granted as a title for the male heirs apparent of the subsequent dukes of Alba, who until then held the Marquessate of Coria before succeeding to the Dukedom of Alba. Since then, the title has been held by the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Alba, almost as a title of courtesy.
Its name refers to the village of Huéscar in Granada, one of the jurisdictions of the House of Alba.
The dukedom was only to be held by the male heirs apparent of the dukes of Alba. María Teresa Álvarez de Toledo, 11th Duchess of Alba (daughter of Francisco Álvarez de Toledo, 10th Duke of Alba) became the 11th Duchess of Alba after her father's death, but she was never the Duchess of Huéscar. It was her son Fernando de Silva, born in his grandfather's lifetime, who received the title at birth. This changed in 1776, when Fernando de Silva died without a male heir and his granddaughter, María Cayetana de Silva, did not have any issue from her marriage to José María Álvarez de Toledo. Cayetana de Silva claimed and received the title 13th Duchess of Alba, becoming the only female holder of the dukedom of Huéscar; her husband became jure uxoris Duke of Alba, his fifth ducal title (including Duke of Medina Sidonia, Montalto, Bivona, Fernandina).
Cayetana de Silva died childless and most of her titles were inherited by her nephew, Carlos Miguel Fitz-James Stuart, 7th Duke of Berwick. However, he did not claim the dukedom of Huéscar, which became dormant. Sixty years later, his son Jacobo asked for the resumption of the dormant dukedom. On 6 September 1871, it was restored with a grandeeship of Spain[4] to his son and heir, Carlos María Fitz-James Stuart.
The title has been held since then by the heirs apparent of the dukes of Alba, following the tradition. The late duchess of Alba, Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, was never Duchess of Huéscar (instead she was Duchess of Montoro), as it was her son Carlos, born in his grandfather's lifetime, who received the title at birth.
no. 23, p. 304, 23 January 1951. Retrieved 2010-04-10