Infanta Eulalia of Spain

Infanta Eulalia
Duchess of Galliera
Born (1864-02-12)12 February 1864
Madrid, Spain
Died 8 March 1958(1958-03-08) (aged 94)
Irun, Spain
Burial El Escorial
Spouse Infante Antonio, Duke of Galliera
Issue Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón
Luis Fernando de Orleans y Borbón
Full name
María Eulalia Francisca de Asís Margarita Roberta Isabel Francisca de Paula Cristina María de la Piedad
House House of Bourbon (by birth)
House of Orléans (by marriage)
Father Francis of Assisi de Bourbon
Mother Isabella II of Spain

Infanta Eulalia, Duchess of Galliera (María Eulalia Francisca de Asís Margarita Roberta Isabel Francisca de Paula Cristina María de la Piedad) (12 February 1864 8 March 1958) was the youngest and last surviving daughter and child of Queen Isabella II of Spain and Francis, Duke of Cadiz; She was also sister of King Alfonso XII and aunt of his son King Alfonso XIII. She was most known for her controversial books which mostly criticised foreign leaders and also Spanish and foreign governments.

Early life

Eulalia was born on the 12th of February 1864 in the Royal Palace of Madrid, the third daughter and youngest of the four children of Queen Isabella II of Spain and her consort Francis, Duke of Cadiz. She was baptised on 14 February 1864 with the names María Eulalia Francisca de Asís Margarita Roberta Isabel Francisca de Paula Cristina María de la Piedad. Her godparents were the Duke of Parma and his sister Princess Margherita.[1]

In 1868 Eulalia and her family were forced to leave Spain by the revolution. They lived in Paris where Eulalia was educated. She received her first communion in Rome from Pope Pius IX.

In 1874 Eulalia's brother Alfonso was restored to the throne in place of their mother Queen Isabella II. Three years later Eulalia returned to Spain. She lived at first in El Escorial with her mother, but later moved to the Alcázar of Seville and then to Madrid.

Marriage and children

On 6 March 1886, at Madrid, Eulalia married her first cousin, the Duke of Galliera, son of Antoine, Duke of Montpensier and of his wife, Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain.[2] The officiant was Cardinal Zeferino González y Díaz Tuñón, Archbishop of Seville. The wedding had been delayed several months on account of the death of Eulalia's brother King Alfonso XII. Eulalia and Antonio spent their honeymoon at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez.

Eulalia and Antonio had two sons:

After the birth of her younger son, Eulalia lived apart from her husband. She maintained residences in Spain and Paris, but often visited England.

Visit to the United States

In May 1893 Eulalia visited the United States; her controversial visit to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago was particularly well-documented. She traveled first to Puerto Rico,[3] then to Havana, Cuba,[4] before making her way to Washington, D.C., where she was received by President Grover Cleveland at the White House.[5] She then proceeded to New York City.[6] Eulalia was later admitted a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution as a descendant of King Charles III of Spain.

Publications

Eulalia was the author of several works which were controversial within royal circles, although she never ceased to have frequent contact with her relatives both in Spain and elsewhere.

In 1912, under the pseudonym comtesse de Avila, Eulalia wrote Au fil de la vie (Paris: Société française d'Imprimerie et de Librarie, 1911), translated into English as The Thread of Life (New York: Duffield, 1912).[7] The book expressed Eulalia's thoughts about education, the independence of women, the equality of classes, socialism, religion, marriage, prejudices, and traditions. Her nephew the King telegraphed her and demanded that she suspend the book's publication until he had seen it and received his permission to publish it. Eulalia refused to comply.

In May 1915 Eulalia wrote an article about the German Emperor for The Strand Magazine. The following month she published Court Life from Within (London: Cassell, 1915; reprinted New York: Dodd, Mead, 1915).

In August 1925 Eulalia wrote Courts and Countries After The War (London: Hutchinson, 1925; reprinted New York: Dodd, Mead, 1925). In this work she commented upon the world political situation, and particularly her belief that there could never be peace between France and Germany. She also made a celebrated observation about Benito Mussolini's Italy that, crossing the Italian frontier, one hears "Il treno arriva all'orario" [the train is arriving on time], reflecting a boast often cited in connection with the fascist regime at the time.[8]

In 1935 Eulalia published her memoirs in French, Mémoires de S.A.R. l'infante Eulalie, 1868-1931 (Paris: Plon, 1935). In July 1936 they were published in English as Memoirs of a Spanish Princess, H.R.H. the Infanta Eulalia (London: Hutchinson, 1936; reprinted New York: W.W. Norton, 1937).[9]

Death

On 9 February 1958, Eulalia had a heart attack at her home in Irun.[10] She died there on 8 March[11] and is buried in the Pantheon of the Princes in El Escorial. She was the last surviving grandchild of Ferdinand VII of Spain.

Titles, styles and honours

Royal styles of
Infanta Eulalia of Spain,
Duchess of Galleria
Reference style Her Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Royal Highness
Alternative style Doña

Titles

Honours

National honours
Foreign honours

Ancestry

Notes

  1. "Foreign Intelligence, Spain", The Times ( 19 February 1864): 5.
  2. The Times ( 8 March 1886): 5.
  3. "Cartas a Isabel II, 1893: Mi viaje a Cuba y Estados Unidos" by Eulalia de Borbón, Infanta de España, pgs. 30-33.
  4. "Court Circular", The Times ( 10 May 1893): 5.
  5. The Times ( 22 May 1893): 7.
  6. "Court Circular", The Times ( 30 May 1832): 9.
  7. "King Alfonso and His Aunt", The Times ( 4 December 1912): 9; "Princess Eulalia's Book", The Times ( 6 December 1912): 5; "The Infanta Eulalia", The Times ( 8 December 1912): 5.
  8. See also Oxford Dictionary of 20th Century Quotations (1998).
  9. Review in The Times ( 28 August 1936): 6.
  10. "Infanta Eulalia Gravely Ill", The Times ( 11 February 1958): 7.
  11. "Infanta Eulalia", The Times ( 10 March 1958): 12.
  12. Boletin Oficial Del Estado
  13. http://www.gogmsite.net/iberian-style-in-the-bustle/subalbum-infantas-maria-isa/albumette-infanta-eulalia/eulalia-wearing-court-dress.html
  14. http://www.gogmsite.net/iberian-style-in-the-bustle/subalbum-infantas-maria-isa/albumette-infanta-eulalia/maria-eulalia-de-borbon-fot.html
  15. http://geneall.net/en/title/25500/dames-of-the-royal-order-of-queen-maria-luisa-of-spain/
  16. http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o458/manuesevilla3/CasaRealEspana/Eulalia/Eu98_zpsbf592854.jpg
  17. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/6e/38/35/6e3835ba54950dd91ef36a3232218a56.jpg
  18. http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm243/Gallaeciafulget/Eulaliacontiara.jpg

Bibliography

Infanta Eulalia of Spain
Born: 12 February 1864 Died: 8 March 1958
Italian royalty
Preceded by
Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain
Duchess of Galliera
4 February 1890 – 24 December 1930
Succeeded by
Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
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