José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo, 18th Duke of Medina Sidonia
Encyclopedia
Don
José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo y Silva, 18th Duke of Medina Sidonia, 14th Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo, 14th Marquis of los Vélez, 12th Duke of Fernandina, 13th Marquis of Molina and 22nd Count of Niebla, Grandee of Spain, Knight of the Reales Maestranzas de Caballería de Valencia
and Seville
, and of the Order of Alcántara
(Madrid
, Spain
; 14 August 1826 - 15 February 1900) was a Spanish aristocrat
and politician
who served as Superior Chief of the Palace from 1885 until his death.
, in Austro-Hungary, where his father was exiled for being a carlist
sympathiser.
lifted the seizure of the properties of the Medina Sidonias in Spain, and the family was able to return. The young Pepe, by then Marquis of los Vélez, started his political career, taking a seat in 1852 at the Parliament of the Two Sicilies
, as Prince of Paternò. He succeeded in the dukedom in 1862, and following the Restoration of the monarchy
in 1874, became senator
in his own right in 1875 and for the province of Cádiz
in 1876.
From 1885, he served as Superior Chief of Palace with King Alfonso XIII, and was part of the extraordinary embassy, headed by the Duke of Montpensier, sent to Russia
in 1883 to represent Spain at the coronation of Tsar Alexander III
. He received numerous honours and decorations, including the Golden Fleece
, the Collar of the Order of Charles III and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
.
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo y Silva, 18th Duke of Medina Sidonia, 14th Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo, 14th Marquis of los Vélez, 12th Duke of Fernandina, 13th Marquis of Molina and 22nd Count of Niebla, Grandee of Spain, Knight of the Reales Maestranzas de Caballería de Valencia
Real Maestranza de Caballería de Valencia
The Real Maestranza de Caballería de Valencia is a Spanish maestranza de caballería created in 1697. The first set of bylaws were approved seven years later, and currently the organization is governed by the latest draft of 1999. It has as its patron saint the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate...
and Seville
Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla
The Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla is a noble guild created in 1670 from the remnants of the preceding Cofradía de San Hermenegildo...
, and of the Order of Alcántara
Order of Alcántara
The Order of Alcántara , also called the Knights of St. Julian, was originally a military order of León, founded in 1166 and confirmed by Pope Alexander III in 1177.-Alcántara:...
(Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
; 14 August 1826 - 15 February 1900) was a Spanish aristocrat
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as Superior Chief of the Palace from 1885 until his death.
Background
The Duke was the elder son of Pedro de Alcántara Álvarez de Toledo, 17th Duke of Medina Sidonia and María del Pilar Joaquina de Silva, fifth daughter of José Gabriel de Silva, 12th Marquis of Santa Cruz and Joaquina Téllez-Girón y Pimentel, daughter of Pedro Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna and María Josefa Pimentel, 14th Countess Duchess of Benavente. He was educated at the Theresian Military AcademyTheresian Military Academy
The Theresian Military Academy is an academy, where the Austrian Armed Forces train their officers. The Academy is located in the castle of Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria.- History :...
, in Austro-Hungary, where his father was exiled for being a carlist
Carlism
Carlism is a traditionalist and legitimist political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of a separate line of the Bourbon family on the Spanish throne. This line descended from Infante Carlos, Count of Molina , and was founded due to dispute over the succession laws and widespread...
sympathiser.
Politics
In 1847, Queen Isabella IIIsabella II of Spain
Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
lifted the seizure of the properties of the Medina Sidonias in Spain, and the family was able to return. The young Pepe, by then Marquis of los Vélez, started his political career, taking a seat in 1852 at the Parliament of the Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
, as Prince of Paternò. He succeeded in the dukedom in 1862, and following the Restoration of the monarchy
Spain under the Restoration
The Restoration was the name given to the period that began on December 29, 1874 after the First Spanish Republic ended with the restoration of Alfonso XII to the throne after a coup d'état by Martinez Campos, and ended on April 14, 1931 with the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic.After...
in 1874, became senator
Spanish Senate
The Senate of Spain is the upper house of Spain's parliament, the . It is made up of 264 members: 208 elected by popular vote, and 56 appointed by the regional legislatures. All senators serve four-year terms, though regional legislatures may recall their appointees at any time.The last election...
in his own right in 1875 and for the province of Cádiz
Cádiz (province)
Cádiz is a province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, the southernmost part of continental Western Europe....
in 1876.
From 1885, he served as Superior Chief of Palace with King Alfonso XIII, and was part of the extraordinary embassy, headed by the Duke of Montpensier, sent to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 1883 to represent Spain at the coronation of Tsar Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
. He received numerous honours and decorations, including the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
, the Collar of the Order of Charles III and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
The Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa is an dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the former Portuguese Royal Family...
.
Family
Medina Sidonia married his first cousin Rosalía Caro y Álvarez de Toledo, daughter of Pedro Caro, 4th Marquis of la Romana and granddaughter of Pedro Caro, 3rd Marquis of la Romana, in Erpel, Austro-Hungary, the 26 September 1846. They had four children:- Doña María del Socorro Álvarez de Toledo (1847–1929), married Don José Maria Ortuño de Ezpeleta, 4th Duke of Castroterreño and had issue.
- Don Alonso Álvarez de Toledo, 15th Marquis of los Vélez (1850–1897), married Doña María Trinidad Caballero, daughter of Andrés Caballero, 1st Marquis of Somosancho. Died before succeeding his father and without issue.
- Doña Inés Álvarez de Toledo, 16th Marquise of Cazaza en África (1857–1937), married Don Fernando Ramírez de Haro, 13th Count of Bornos, and had issue.
- Don José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo, 19th Duke of Medina SidoniaJosé Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo, 19th Duke of Medina SidoniaJosé Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo y Caro, 19th Duke of Medina Sidonia was Duke of Medina Sidonia from 1905.In Madrid in 1893 he married his cousin Rosalía Caro y Caro....
, who succeeded in the titles of his father.