Inside the Wild and Controversial Life of the Eccentric Duchess of Alba, Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart

María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James, 18th Duchess of Alba, was one of Spain's most well-known aristocrats. With 57 titles, she was the world's most titled noble and Spain's wealthiest woman, worth $5 billion! But she was best known for her eccentricity, flamboyant fashion sense, plastic surgeries, and marrying toy boys. So join us as we get to know Cayetana…

María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba, was born on March 28th, 1926, in Madrid’s Liria Palace. Her full name was — you may need to pause to take a deep breath.

Cayetana was the only child of Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, the 17th Duke of Alba, and María del Rosario de Silva y Gurtubay, the 9th Marchioness of San Vicente del Barco. They are one of Spain's oldest aristocratic families, dating back to the 1400s. Cayetana was the eighth great-granddaughter of King James II of England and Arabella Churchill.

In 1935, her mother unexpectedly passed away from tuberculosis, and the eight-year-old girl became The Most Excellent The Duchess of Aliaga. She and her family lived a privileged life in their stunning neoclassical palace in Spain's capital, Madrid. However, behind the scenes, the country was in turmoil.

The Spanish Civil War began in 1936 and lasted until 1939. After General Franco's victory, he declared the country a military dictatorship. Franco effectively abolished the monarchy, and Cayetana's family had to go into hiding. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, the family fled to Paris and then London, where her father had been appointed General Franco's ambassador.