Infanta Beatriz of Spain
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| Infranta Beatriz of SPain | |
| Born | June 22, 1909 Segovia, Spain |
|---|---|
| Died | November 22, 2002 (aged 93) Rome, Italy |
| Spouse | Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince di Civitella-Cesi |
| Children | Doña Sandra (b.1936) Don Marco (b.1937) Don Marino (1939-1995) Doña Olimpia (b.1943) |
| Parents | Alfonso XIII of Spain Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg |
The Infanta Beatriz of Spain (Doña Beatriz Isabel Federica Alfonsa Eugenia Cristina Maria Teresa Bienvenida Ladislàa de Borbón y Battenberg) (22 June 1909 - 22 November 2002) was a daughter of HM Alfonso XIII of Spain and Queen Ena of Spain and paternal aunt of the current King Juan Carlos I.
Infanta Beatriz was born at La Granja, San Idefonso near Segovia, Spain. The Spanish Royal Family left the country in 1931, in the face of Republican demonstrations, settling in Paris, before moving to Fontainebleau.
By 1933 King Alfonso and his daughters (Beatriz and Maria Cristina) had moved to Rome. Their father cautiously warned would-be suitors of the inherent dangers of haemophilia, that had infected two of the king's sons (Alfonso and Gonzalo). For this reason, Beatriz's engagement of 1931 to Prince Álvaro of Borbón-Orleans, the eldest son of Infante Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón, was broken off.
On 14 January 1935, she married a member of Italian nobility, Don Alessandro Torlonia, Prince of Civitella-Cesi. Torlonia was the son of Don Marino Torlonia, 4th prince of Civitella-Cessi and the American Mary Elsie Moore. By an unusual genealogical twist, Don Alessandro was to be the great-uncle of the actress Brooke Shields (granddaughter of Donna Marina Torlonia, Don Alessandro's sister).
They were married in Rome, with Beatriz wearing a 20 ft train, a coronet of orange blossom holding her veil in place, in the presence of King Alfonso, the King and Queen of Italy and some 52 princes of the royal blood. After the ceremony, the young couple were received by Pope Pius XI. They had four children:
- Her Excellency Doña Sandra Vittoria Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi (b. 14 February 1936-) married Count Clemente Lequio di Assaba (9 December 1925-28 June 1971), had issue
- His Excellency Don Marco Alfonso Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi (b. 2 July 1937-), later 6th Prince of Civitella-Cesi, married (1) Orsetta Caracciolo di Castegneto (17 May 1940-10 March 1968), one son; (2) Philippa McDonald (b. 3 June 1942), one daughter; (3) Blazena Svitakova (b. 16 October 1940), one daughter, born before marriage
- His Excellency Don Marino Riccardo Francesco Giuseppe Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi (b. 13 December 1939-28 December 1995) died unmarried and without issue
- Her Excellency Doña Olimpia Emmanuela Enrichetta Maria Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi (b. 27 December 1943-) married Paul-Annik Weiller (28 July 1933-2 November 1998), has six children (including Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg)
Beatriz lived in Rome for the rest of her life, and when her daughter Olimpia married the late Paul-Annik Weiller, his father secured the Palazzo Torlonia for the family.
It was said that the Infanta had charm, a sense of humour, and little of the austerity of her mother, but never lost her regal bearing, and took royal protocol seriously.
This caused her daughters some agony when they met the Duchess of Windsor. The Infanta forbade them to curtsey, and they were forced to make a subtle gesture somewhere between a curtsey and a nervous wriggle, in order to pass the gimlet scrutiny of both their mother and the Duke of Windsor.
She died at her home in Palazzo Torlonia, Rome on 22 November 2002 at 93 years 5 months.
