Thursday, October 27, 2016

Iberian Aristocrats

Afonso de Bragança (1403-1460)
1st Marques de Valenca
4th Conde de Ourem.

Son of: Alfonso I de Bragança & Beatriz de Pereira.

His lover was:

Daughter ofMartim Afonso de Souza, Senhor de St. Estevao & Violante Lopes de Tavora.

Natural offspring:
Bishop of Evora

1st Count of Noreña
1st Count of Gijon.
Lord of Paredes de Nava.

Son ofEnrique II de Castilla Elvira Íñiguez de Vega (1355-1395).

Husband ofIsabel de Portugal2nd Señora de Viseu (1364-1435), mar 1375, daughter of Fernao I de Portugal & Leonor Telles de Meneses.
Alvaro de Luna, c1430
@Wikipedia
Alvaro de Luna (1390-1453)
Spanish politician & military man.
Constable of Castile. 1423
Duke of Trujillo
1st Count of San Esteban de Gormaz 1423
Grand Master of the Order of Santiago.

a.k.a. born Alvaro de Luna y Jarana.

Son ofAlvaro Martinez de Luna, Senor de Illueca, Copero mayor to Enrique III de Castilla & Maria Fernandez de Jarana.

Husband of:
1. Elvira Fernandez Portocarrero, mar 1420, daughter of Martin Fernandez Potocarrero, 4th Señor de Moguer & Leonor Cabeza de Vaca.
2. Juana Pimentel (1404-1488), Condesa de Montalban, mar 1430, daughter of Rodrigo Alfonso Pimentel, 2nd Conde de Benavente & Leonor Enriquez de Mendoza.

His lover was:
1) Catalina.

Natural offspring:
a. Maria de Luna, married Juan de Luna, her father's nephew.

2) Margarida Manuel de Vilhena
Señora do Mejorada.

a.k.a. Margarita de Villena, daughter of Henrique Manuel, bastardo de Castilla, Conde de Cea, Conde de Montealegre & Beatriz de Soussa.

Natural offspring:
1. Pedro de Luna, Senor de Fuentidueña.

" . . . The case of Alvaro de Luna, a powerful nobleman and the Castilian royal favorite under Juan II, highlights the difficult nature of noble masculinity in a time of tensions between nobles and between the nobility and the crown. Born in 1390, Alvaro de Luna was himself illegitimate. Provided with a nobleman's education, he was sent to court at the age of 18 to serve as a page to the young Juan II. He contracted two marriages with high-ranking noblewomen. His first marriage produced no children, but he had two legitimate children with his second wife, Juana Pimentel, the daughter of the second Count of Benavente, whose status and rank greatly enhanced his own. Luna also had two illegitimate children with Margarita Manuel, the daughter of the Count of Montealegre. He provided handsomely for both of his illegitimate children, founding entails for them and enabling them to make good marriages." (Contested Spaces of Nobility in Early Modern Europe: 79-80)

" . . . Luna was also credited with introducing Juan's son, Enrique IV of Castile, to homosexual activities, an accusation which in this case did not enhance Enrique's virility but instead allowed his enemies to link the king's name with accusations of both sodomy and impotency. . . ." (Contested Spaces of Nobility in Early Modern Europe: 80)

Alavaro Gonsalves Pereira.
Pior of Crato.

a.k.a. Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira.

His lover was:
1) Iria Gonsalves de Carvalhal.

Natural offspring:

"One of the most notable figures of Portuguese history, for instance, Nuno Álvares Pereira, who led the Portuguese army in three consecutive victories over the Castilians and played a decisive part in placing King John I on the throne of Portugal, was one of the thirty-two bastards of prior Alvaro Gonsalves Pereira, master of the Order of the Hospital, his mother being a nursemaid of the court, Iria Gonsalves do Carvalhal." (The Portuguese Columbus: Secret Agent of King John II: 349)
Also known as:
Doña Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda

2nd Princess of Melito
3rd Countess of Melito
Marquesa de Algecilla
2nd Duquesa de Francavilla
3rd Condesa do Alian
Duquesa de Pastrana 1569.

Wife ofDon Gomez Ruiz da Silva (1516-1573)
Portuguese noble Secretary of state to King Philip II, mar 1553

" . . . Heir of an ancient noble house . . ., Gomez de Silva was also Prince of Eboli, married to a princess (Dona Ana de Mendoza, 1540-1592) known for her wit and beauty, despite the loss of one eye. Immortalized in Verdi's opera, the princess was doubtless familiar with courtly intrigue, but historians reject the notion of her affair with the king or her infatuation with the unfortunate Carlos. The princess did take the veil briefly on the death of her husband, but soon returned to court. Many years later, with her then lover Antonio Perez, she became involved in dangerous high-level intrigues. Perez escaped abroad and the princess spent the remainder of her life confined to her estates."  (History Through the Opera Glass: From the Rise of Caesar to the Fall of Napoleon: 168-169)

Physical Traits and Personal Qualities:  "In several documents of the day she is described as a small but beautiful woman of pale complexion that contrasted with her dark hair.  She seems to have possessed a strong personality, making her more willing to find than to surrender.  Her favorite activities included horseback riding and fencing, and she lost her right eye during a fencing match... Many accused her of being arrogant, domineering, and willful...."  (Perez & Ihrie, 2002, p. 203)

Offspring:  Ana bore her husband 10 children, 4 of whom died in infancy. (Perez & Ihrie, 2002, p. 203)
Her lover was:
Antonio Perez (1540-1611)
Secretary of King Felipe II of Spain.

Son of
Gonzalo Perez.

Antonio Perez's personal and family background:  He was legalized as a son of Gonzalo Perez, secretary of the council of state of King Carlos I of Spain.  (Perez & Ihrie, 2002, p. 204).  

"The secretary Antonio Perez was at this period (i.e., 1577) thirty-six years old, the natural son of Gonzalo Perez, and legitimated by diploma from the Emperor Charles the Fifth.    (Perez & Ihrie, 2002, p. 204)

Antonio Perez's physical appearance & personal traits: " . . . Documents of the day describe Perez as brilliant, ambitious, elegant to a fault, and handsome. . . ."  (Perez & Ihrie, 2002, p. 204)

Graceful in manner, endowed with great powers of mind allied to varied attainments, he was the model of an accomplished Castilian gentleman. With equal case he won the hearts of women and acquired the confidence of men. . . ." Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. 40: 564)
Effects on Lovers' Family, Other People and Society: " . . . He became Eboli's lover.  The court, especially the king, refused to tolerate this relationship once it became overt.  Eboli and Perez lost favor with Philip II and the consequences were dramatic for each, but more so for the princes. . . ."  (Perez & Ihrie, 2002, pp. 204-204)
Alfonso de Aragon
Duque de Villahermosa
by Roland do Mois
Spanish aristocrat.

a.k.a. Alfonso VI de Ribagorza.

1st Duke of Villahermosa 1476
1st Count of Ribagorza 1469
1st Count of Cortes 1462
Baron of Arenos
Grand Master of Order of Calatrava
Grandee of Spain.

a.k.a. born Alfonso de Aragon y de Escobar.

Natural offspring ofJuan II de Aragon & Leonor de Escobar.

Husband ofLeonor de Sotomayor y Portugal, daughter of Juan de Sotomayor & Isabel de Portugal mar 1477

His lovers were:
1) Elvira de Maldonado.

Natural offspring:
a. Catalina de Aragon
b. Enrique de Aragon, Bishop of Gallipoli.

2) Maria Junquers.

Natural offspring:
a. Juan de Aragon, 1st Duque de Luna (1457-1528)
b. Leonor de Aragon y Junqueres, Condesa de Albayda (1430-?), mar Jaime de Mila, Marques de Albayda.

3) Maria Sanchez Conejo.

Natural offspring:
a. Alfonso de Aragon, Archbishop of Tarragona
b. Fernando de Aragon
[Gen1]

Alfonso de Leon, Señor de Soria, Molina and Cigales (1202-1272)

a.k.a. Alfonso de Molina.
[Fam1]

Son ofAlfonso IX de Leon & Berenguela de Castilla.

Husband of:
1. Mafalda Gonzalez de Lara, mar 1240
2. Teresa Gonzalez de Lara, mar 1244
3. Mayor Alfonso de Meneses, mar 1269.

His lover was:
Teresa Pires de Bragança.

Grandee of Spain, First Class
7th Viscount of Iznajar
5th Duke of Sessa
3rd Duke of Baena
4th Duke of Soma
6th Cunt of Palamos
5th Count of Trivento
5th Count of Avelino
4th Count of Oliveros
19th Baron of Bellpuig
5th Baron of Calonge
6th Baron of Linola
Ambassador to Rome.

Husband ofJuana de Cordoba-Cardona y Aragon, ma 1578.

His lover was:
1) Ana Boyer y Figueroa.

Natural offspring:
a. Fernando Manuel de Cardona y Cardona Cordoba
1st Marquess of Berfuerte
b. Mariana de Cordoba y Cardona, mar  Count of Biraben.

Condesa de La Gomera.

a.k.a. Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ulloa

Daughter ofJuan de Bobadilla & Leonor Alvarez de Vadillo, Lady-in-waiting to Queen Leonor.

Wife of:
1. Hernan Peraza, Governor of the Canary Islands (d.1488)
2. Alonso Fernandez de Lugo, mar 1498.

"Beatriz de Bobadilla y Osorio (1462-1501) was the daughter of Juan Bobadilla, an alderman of Medina del Campo, Governor (corregidor) of Madrid, and Chief Huntsman for the Catholic Monarchs, and Leonor Alvarez de Vadillo, whose aunt Leonor Alvarez de Toro had been a lady-in-waiting to Leonor de Aragon, the wife of Fernando de Antequera (Rumeu de Armas 1985: 16). She was known as La Cazadora because her father was Chief Huntsman, in order to distinguish her from her aunt and namesake, Beatriz de Bobadilla, Marchioness of Moya, the queen's childhood friend. She had many admirers, including King Fernando and Christopher Columbus. The king was so smitten by her beauty that the queen arranged that she should be married as soon as possible to Fernan Peraza, Lord of La Gomera and El Hierro, the second son of Diego Garcia de Herrera (d.1485) and Ines de Peraza (d.1503). In 1482 Fernan Peraza was in prison, charged with the murder of the sea captain Juan Rejon, who in 1481 had been forced by storms to take refuge on the island of La Gomera. Queen Isabel agreed to pardon him if he would marry Beatriz de Bobadilla and assist in the conquest of the Canary Islands. The couple were married in November or December 1482, soon after Rodrigo Giron's death, and she received a dowry of 500,000 mrs. After her husband was killed by the natives of La Gomera in 1488, Beatriz de Bobadilla remained a widow for ten years, governing the Canary Islands in the name of her son Guillen Peraza de Ayala (d.1565), I Count of La Gomera (1520), until the latter came of age. She also had a daughter by Fernan Peraza named Ines de Herrera. She wa generous in supplying Christopher Columbus with provisions when his fleet landed at La Gomera on his first journey across the Atlantic in 1492, and she gave him a similar welcome when he returned there in 1493 and again in 1498. A letter from Michele de Cuneo, an Italian member of the crew, to his friend Girolano Annaro, dated 28 October 1495, in which there is a description of the gun salutes and the fireworks displayed in honour of Beatriz during their second visit, reveals that Columbus had been infatuated by her. In 1498 she married Alonso Fernandez de Lugo, conqueror of La Palma and Tenerife, later Governor of the Canaries (Rumeu de Armas: 1985)." (Secrets of Pinar's Game: 487)
Her lovers were:
1) Alonso Giron.
Senor de Caracena.

2) Cristobal Colon.
the world explorer.

"Christopher Columbus made La Gomera his last port of call before crossing the Atlantic in 1492 with his three ships. He stopped here to replenish his crew's food and water supplies, intending to stay only four days. Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio, the Countess of La Gomera and widow of Hernán Peraza the Younger, offered him vital support in preparations of the fleet and he ended up staying one month.When he finally sailed, she gave him cuttings of sugarcane, which became the first to reach the New World." (Wikipedia)


"It was only natural that the Portuguese, along with the Spanish, should spread sugarcane to the Cape Verde Islands and the Canary Islands in the last decade of the fifteenth century. In August 1492, Christopher Columbus stopped at La Gomera in the Canaray Islands for wine and water, intending to stay only four days. But he became romantically involved with the governor of the island, Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio, and ended up staying a month. When he finally sailed, she gave him cuttings of sugarcane, which he took to Hispaniola and planted, thus expanding sugarcane's cultivation to the New World, or so the story goes." (Precious Cargo: How Foods from the Americas Changed the World: 99)

2) Fernando II de Aragon.

3) Rodrigo Tellez Giron
Maestre de Calatrava.
[Ref1] [Ref2] [Ref3] [Ref4] [Ref5]

Her lover was:
Cristobal Colon
Lover in 1488

Personal & Family Background: "During this time in Spain waiting to get approval for his voyage he met another woman, Beatriz Enriquez de Arana (1465-1520), Although Columbus never married her, in 1488 she bore him a second son, Fernando, out of wedlock. She was a peasant woman, who had been introduced to Columbus by a relative of hers, Diego de Arana, an officer on Columbus’ first voyage".

First Encounter: Diego de Arana introduced his cousin, Beatriz, to Columbus in 1487. [Ref1] [Ref2:Columbus Genealogy]
a.k.a. Bernardino I Fernandez de Velasco y Mendoza.

1st Duque de Frias
3rd Count of Haro
2nd Constable of Castile
11th Lord of Velasco
Captain-General of Granada
Viceroy of Granada.

Husband of:
1. Blanca de Herrera y Niño, Señora de Pedraza, daughter of
Garci Gonzalez de Herrera, Marshal of Castile, 3rd Señor de Pedraza & Maria Niño de Portugal.
2. Juana de Aragon, daughter of Fernando II de Aragon.

His lovers were:
1) Clara de Orense.

Natural offspring:
a. Juan de Velasco
b. Isabel de Velasco

2) Ines Enriquez de Sagrado.

Natural offspring:
a. Bernardino de Velasco, Señor de Castelgeriego.
b. Pedro Fernandez de Velasco y Figueroa.

Reference for Bernardino I Fernandez de Velasco
Duque de Frias.
Spanish aristocrat.
1st Duque de Infantado 1475
2nd Marques de Santillana 1458
1st Marques de Argueso
1st Marques de Campo
2nd Conde del Real de Manzanares
4th Señor de Hita y Buitrago.

Also known as:
Dom Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa
Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Suarez de Figueroa.

Son of:
Íñigo López de Mendoza y Lasso de la Vega1st Marques de Santillana & Catalina Suarez de Figueroa

Husband of:
1) Brianda de Luna y Mendoza, daughter of Juan Hurtado de Mendoza & Maria Martinez de Luna
2) Isabel Henriques de Noronha, daughter of Rui Vaz Pereira & Beatriz de Noronha.

His lover was:
Maria Cabrera.

Diego de Mendoza

His lover was:
Mencia de Ayala.

"...Diego had added insult to injury by naming his mistress and cousin, Mencia de Ayala, as executor of his will.  Mencia could bring powerful support to her side; her father, the royal chronicler Pedro Lopez de Ayala, was still active though retired as the chancellor of Castile.

"...In 1404 Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, admiral of Castile, appointed his wife Leonor as one of the guardians of his children.  He also appointed his uncles, Pedro Lopez de Ayala, canciller mayor of Castile, and Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, military governor of Vizcaya, to share the guardianship with her.  He clearly hoped to protect his still very young children by commending them to the care of his most powerful relatives.  Diego, however, lived apart from his wife and shared his bed with his cousin and mistress, Mencia de Ayala, daughter of the Pedro whom he had appointed as one of the guardians of his children.  Diego also appointed Mencia as one of the executors of his will, leaving his wife at her mercy when Mencia refused to vacate the family palace in Guadalajara.  Furious with the position she had been placed in, Leonor severed all ties with the Ayala family, and the other guardian, Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, devoted his time to the political feuds of the day.  This left Leonor to carry out her guardianship without the family members who had been appointed to help her."  (Coolidge, 2010, pp. 50-51) [Ref1:16]

Diego Hurtado de Mendoza.\, Principe de Melito.

His lover was:
Luisa de la Cerda (d.1596)

"Luisa also had a daughter, who would tangentially connect Luisa with the Mendozas.  Isabel was the illegitimate fruit of Luisa's premarital liaison with Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, the prince of Melito.  This liaison could be interpreted as a sign of the power and freedom of a highborn lady such as Luisa.  Closer examination of the stage of life in which the even occurred, however, reveals a disparity between the powerful position of her lover and her own youth and status as an orphan... In any case, having borne a child out of wedlock did not prevent Luisa from later making an advantageous marriage."  (Nader, 2004, p. 114)

Diego Lopez Pacheco (1503-1556)
3rd Duque de Escalona.

His lover was
Unnamed mistress.

Diego Roque Lopez Pacheco (1599-1653)
7th Duque de Escalona
7th Marques de Villena.

His lover was:
Unnamed mistress.

Also known as: Fernão Peres de Trava.
[Gen1]

His lover was:

Gabriel Antonio de Borbon
Infante de España.

His lover was:
Barbara Kastner (1750-1811)

Daughter of: Joseph Kastner & Ana Maria Schneider.

Husband ofAnton Joseph Mayfren, mar 1782.

Natural Offspring:
a. Emmanuela Maria Felipa Mayfren.
b. Juana Josefa Lorenza Barbara Mayfren.
Francisco de Paula de Portugal
7th Duque de Beja

His lover was:
Mariana da Silveira.
[Bio2:Wikipedia]

Gabriel Antonio de Borbon, Infante de Españ(1752-1788)

Son ofCarlos III de Españ& Maria Amelie von Sachsen.

Husband ofMaria Ana de Braganza, Infanta de Portugal, mar 1785.

His lover was:
Barbara Kastner (1750-?)

Natural offspring:
Emmanuela Maria Felipa Mayfren.

Natural offspring:
1. Pedro Carlos de Borbon, y Braganza, Infante de España
2. Maria Carlota Josefa de Borbon, Infanta de España
3. Carlos de Borbon, Infante de España.
Gaspar de Guzman
Count-Duke of Olivares

a.k.a. Gaspar de Guzman y Pimentel Ribera y Velasco de Tovar

Conde de Olivares
Duque de San Lucar la Mayor.
Prime Minister of Spain (1621).

His lover was:
Isabel de Anversa

"This julianillo, son of Dona Isabel de Anversa, a notorious Court beauty, had in his time played many parts... And now after serving in Flanders and Italy he had again turned up in the capital where he married Leonor de Unzueta, a dama publica de la Corte.  (Justi, 1889, pp. 319-320)


"Julian was the son of Dona Isabel de Anversa, a noted courtesan of Madrid.  In Gil Blas c. xii, her name is given as Isabel Margherita Spinola.  When the youth was about eighteen years of age, Olivares, who was ranked among the numerous admirers of the mother, compelled D. Francisco Valcarcel to acknowledge the boy as his son.  Twelve years later Julian married a woman of the same profession as his mother; but about this time the Count Duke, his only daughter having died [in 1626], resolved to give the scrapegrace the benefit of a doubt, and recognized him as his own son, bestowed upon him the name of Henrique Philippe (sic) de Guzman, made him his heir, created him Duque de San Lucar, induced the Pope to annul his marriage, and forced the Duque de Frias, hereditary Constable of Castile, to give his daughter to the upstart...."  (Curtis, 1883, p. 80) [Fam1:GeneAll]


Joao Afonso de Albuquerque (1304-1354)
Portuguese aristocrat & politician
6th Conde de Albuquerque
Senhor de Azagala
Senhor de Codosera
Senhor de Alconchel
Senhor de Medellin
Senhor de Meneses
 & Senhor de Tiedra.
Alferez of Alfonso XI de Castilla y Leon 1333-1336
Chancellor of Castile 1350-1353
Mayordomo mayor of Infante Pedro,
later Pedro I de Castilla

a.k.a. Joao Afonso o do Ataude.

Son ofAfonso Sanches (son of Dinis I de Portugal & Aldonza Rodrigues Telha) & Teresa Martis de Meneses (daughter of Joao Afonso Teles de Meneses, 1st Conde de Barcelos & Teresa Sanchez, natural daughter of Sancho IV de Castilla).

Husband ofIsabel Tellez de Meneses, 10th Senhora de Meneses, his first cousin, (daughter of Tello Afonso de Meneses & Maria de Portugal), married 1323/24

His lovers were:
1) Maria Gil.

Natural offspring:
a. Pedro Gil de Alburquerque

2) Maria Rodrigues Barba.
daughter of Rui Martins Barba & Iria Martins Alardo.

Natural offspring:
a. Fernando Afonso de Albuquerque, Senhor de Vila Nova de Ancos, Master of the Order of Santiago
b. Beatriz Afonso de Albuquerque
married Joao Afonso Telles de Meneses, 6th conde de Barcelos, Almirante de Portugal
. cMaria Afonso de Albuquerque, married Gonçalo Telles de Meneses, 1st Conde de Neiva, Senhor de Faria.
Marques de Villena
Conde de Xiqune
1st Duque de Escalona
Master of the Order of Santiago
Great Chamberlain to the King.

His lovers were:
1) Catalina Alonso Urueña.

Natural offspring:
a. Juan Pacheco
b. Isabel Pacheco

2) Enrique IV de Castilla.

"...Early in life he fell under the influence of Juan Pacheco, later marquis of Villena, a nobleman...deeply connected to the disturbances and civil conflict of Juan II of Castile's reign. Pacheco, or Villena...played quite a nasty role in Castilian politics until the reforms of Ferdinand and Isabella. In the 1440s and 1450s he used the Infante for his own purposes, weakening Alvaro de Luna and his king, and building an extensive domain in the area of Murcia (the Marquesado of Villena) and a fabulous fortune...." (Ruiz, p. 95)

Natural offspring:
Unknown mistresses:
3. Alonso Pacheco
4. Rodrigo Pacheco
5. Beatriz Pacheco
6. Leonor Pacheco.

Villena, thus granting his advisor untoward wealth. He even named Pacheco's scurrilous brother Pedro Giron to be master of the Order of Calatrava, the second-most powerful military brotherhood in Castile...." (Stuart, 2004, p. 24)[Fam1:Geneall]
Jose Isidro Osorio y de Silva
8th Duque de Sesto
Jose Isidro Osorio y de Silva, 8th Duque de Sesto.
Spanish author, aristocrat & actor.

a.k.a. Jose Luis de Vilallonga y Cabeza de Vaca.

Husband of:
1. Hon. Essylt-Priscilla Scott-Ellis, (married 1945; divorced 1972)
2. Syliane Stella Morell , (married 1974, divorced 1995)
3. Begona Aranguren, (married in 1999).


His lovers were:
1) Madeleine Svoboda.
Hungarian actress.

3) Michele Girardon.
French actress.

Jose Maria Pignatelli de Aragon y Gonzaga (1744-1774).
3rd Duque de Solferino.

Son ofJoaquin Atanacio Pignatelli de Aragon y Moncayo de Heredia, 16th Conde de Fuentes, Spanish ambassador in Paris & Maria Luisa Gonzaga.[Fam1] [Ref1] [Ref2]

His lover was:
Julie de Lespinasse.

"Julie's first great love was for Don Jose y Gonzaga (sic), Marques de Mora (sic), son of the Spanish ambassador.  Proud of carriage and with handsome features, Mora was also a serious-minded young man eager to establish contact with the leading intellectual and philosophical circles in Paris.  Julie de Lespinasse met him toward the end of 1766.  He was twelve years her junior, a Spanish grandee, wealthy and influential, and a passing visitor to Paris.  No wonder, therefore, that his disapproving relatives did everything to separate him from her.  They nevertheless managed to see each other now and then and to exchange inflamed letters, for he fully returned her love.  It turned out, however, the Mora was a consumptive, and repeated cures at various spas did not prevent his premature death in 1744 at the age of thirty...."  (Sartori & Zimmerman, 1994, p. 299)

Juan de Borbon,  Conde de Montizon (1822-1887)

His lover was
Eliza Bonneville.

Governor-General of the Netherlands
Viceroy of Naples & Catalonia.
a.k.a. John of Austria the Younger.

His lover was:
Anna de Ribera.
[Gen1]

Juan Nunez III de Lara.

His lover was:
Mayor de Leguizamon.

"...The last Lara descendant in the main line, Pedro Nunez, was the illegitimate child of Juan Nunez III de Lara and Dona Mayor de Leguizamon (a noblewoman from Vizcaya); he served quietly under Juan I.  He enjoyed the lordship of Castroverde, was made Count of Mayorga in 1381 (as part of a long effort to shore up the Trastamara dynasty), and following year was granted the monastery of Begona, in Bilbao, as a reward for his loyalty in the king's service... He died without succession in 1384, killed by the plague during a siege of Lisbon...."  (Doubleday, 2001, p. 178)

Juan Ponce de Leon, 2nd Conde de Arcos (1400-1474)
2nd Conde de Arcos (1448)
Marques de Cadiz (1471)
6th Señor de Marchena.

a.k.a. Juan II Ponce de Leon
[Fam1[Fam2:Roglo] [Ref1:32]

Son of: Pedro Ponce de Leon, 1st Conde de Arcos & Maria de Ayala.

Husband of:
1. Leonor de Guzman de Silva (d.1441)
2. Leonor Nunez Gudiel de Prado, married in 1448.

His lovers were:
1) Catalina de Perea Carrizosa.
2) Catalina Gonzalez de Oviedo.
3) Leonor Núñez Gudiel de Prado.

"Another error I discovered goes back beyond Juan Gonzalez Ponce de Leon to his ancestor, Juan Ponce de Ayala the second count of Arcos and his many marriages and affairs he had with his mistresses who bore him many children. . . ." (Ayes: 32)

"The fifteenth-century counts of Arcos are good examples of the benefits of this unofficial form of polygamy.  Two generations of the family lacked a legitimate heir and turned to illegitimate descendants to keep the title and estate together. The second Count of Arcos, Juan Ponce de Leon, was married to his niece Sancha, but their marriage did not produce any children.  Juan, however, had left nobody in any doubt about his won virility.  He had at least three mistresses and about 26 illegitimate children.  One of his mistresses seems to have been a maid or lady-in-waiting in his household since he commended her in his will 'for the seventeen years she has served me here in my house and been with me and worked with these my children.'. . . ."  

" . . . The second Count of Arcos, Juan Ponce de Leon, was married to his niece, Sancha, but their marriage did not produce any children. Juan, however, had left nobody any doubt about his own virility. He had at least three mistresses and about 26 illegitimate children. One of his mistresses seems to have been a maid or lady-in-waiting in his household since he commended her in his will 'for the seventeen years she has served me here in my house and been with me and worked with these my children.' Another mistress is mentioned by name in his will, but she does not carry any noble title. After his wife's death, Rodrigo married his third mistress, the noblewoman Leonor Nunez. In 1448 hr obtained a royal decree to legitimize their children. This marriage and legitimation provided him with a son, a legal heir, and the ability to transfer his property to another male member of his lineage. His eldest surviving son, Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, inherited the title and became the third Count of Arcos."
(Romaniello & Lipp. Contested Spaces of Nobility in Early Modern Europe: 72)

Leonor de Sotomayor, Duquesa de Villahermosa.

Daughter ofJuan de Sotomayor & Isabel de Portugal-Eca.

Wife ofAlfonso de Aragon, Duque de Villahermosa.

Her lover was:
Diogo de Portugal.
Duque de Beja.

Lino del Prete.

Alice de Borbon.
Infanta de España.

Lope de Luna, 1st Conde de Luna, Señor de Segorbe (d.1360)

Son of: Artal de Luna y Urrea, 8th Señor de Luna & Martina Sanz de Huerta.

Husband of:
1) Violante de Aragon, mar 1339
2) Brianda de Agaut.
[Fam1]

His lover was:
Maria de Altura

Luis de Hijar (d.1554)
Duque de Hijar y Lecera.

Son ofJuan de Hijar (d.1509), Conde de Belchite & Isabel Ramirez de Avellano.

Husband of:
1) Beatriz de Alagon
2) Hipolita Fernandez de Heredia.

His lover was:
Unnamed mistress.

Natural offspring:
a. Francisco
b. Didac

Luis Alfonso de Borbon, 2nd Duque de Ansola (1887-1942)

Son of: Luis de Borbon, 1st Duque de Ansola & Maria Ana Germana , Bernaldo de Quiros y Munoz, 1st Marquesa de Atarfe.

Husband ofBeatrice Maria Harrington, mar 1914.
[Fam1] [Fam2]

His lovers were:
1) Georgette Pages.

Natural Offspring:
Luis Jorge de Bourbon (1922-2005)

2) Marcelle-Fernande-Marthe Doyhamboure.

Natural Offspring:
Philippe-Serge de Borbon (1935-?).
13th Conde de Chinchon.

His lovers were:
1) Antonia Maria Rodriguez.
A maid in his household
Lover in 1773.

2) Maria Perez.
[Ref1:Alexander Palace]
File:Luís Augusto Pinto de Soveral, Vanity Fair, 1907-10-02.jpg
Marques de Soveral
@ Vanity Fair
Portuguese aristocrat & diplomat.
Minister of Foreign Affairs 1895

Son ofEduardo Pinto de Soveral, Visconde de Sao Luis & Maria da Piedade Paes de Sande e Castro.
Duchess of Huescar by Mengs.jpg
Mariana de Silva-Bazán & Sarmiento
@Wikipedia

Also known as:
Maria del Pilar Ana de Silva-Bazán and Sarmiento
Mariana de Silva-Bazán and Sarmiento.

Daughter of Pedro Artal, 8th Marques de Santa Cruz & del Viso and Maria Cayetana, Condesa de Pie de Concha & Marquesa de Arcicollar.

Wife of

1. Francisco de Paula de Silva and Alvarez de Toledo, 10th Duque de Huescar.
2.  Joaquin Anastasio Pignatelli of Aragon and Moncayo , 16th Conde de Fuentes.
3. Antonio Ponce de Leon y Spinola de la Cerda , 11th Duque de Arcos, mar 1778.

Her lover was:
1) Marques de Mora.

"Don Fernando Francisco de Paula de Silva y Alvarez de Toledo died suddenly on Thursday, April 26, 1770, on the seventh day after being attacked by a 'stabbing pain in his side in the house or palace of Barquillo, which his father had just purchased,' according ti the death certificate. Maria Teresa was only right years old at the time, and people were already talking about her beauty and daring wit. Her mother, Dona Maria Ana, consoled her widowhood by having an affair with the marquis de Mora, lover as well of Mademoiselle de Lespinasse, and the actress Mariquita Ladvenant, with whom he had four children. In spite of his lubricious youth, the young marquis had been recommended to Voltaire himself by D'Alambert, and three or four times a year he would make his pilgrimage to Chateau Ferney to kiss the hands of the maestro. He died of consumption, spitting blood, in Bordeaux in the autumn of 1773. . . ." (The Valley of the Fallen: 88)
Maria Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duquesa de Alba de Tormes (1762-1802)
[Bio1]

Her lover was:
Francisco Goya
Lover in 1794

"She was Maria del Pilar Teresa Cayetana de Silva Alvarez de Toledo, the thirteenth duchess of Alba.  She was, without question, one of the most beautiful women in Spain---a fact noted by nearly every man who met and wrote of about her.  She was tall, slender, with flashing dark eyes and a fine-boned face---perhaps a little too long for modern tastes---surmounted by a mop of think, dark curls.  Her movements were graceful, and she was as superb dancer, with a particular liking for the seguidillas and fandangos that were all the rage in Madrid.  She loved maja styles of dress, which contrasted piquantly with her aristocratic bearing.  If the word had existed in the eighteenth century, she would have been formidably him--what else could an aristocratic maja wish to be?

"...Two years later, in 1794, Francisco began a love affair with Maria del Pilar Teresa Cayetana de Silva y Alvarez de Toledo de Alba (1762-1802), wife of the Duke of Alba.  The Duchess of Alba was one of the most controversial and influential figures in Goya's life.  Their intense, passionate, stormy, and neurotic relationship reflected the characters of both, particularly of Cayetana. In 1706, after the death of the Duke of Alba, Goya moved in with the widowed Cayetana on her country estate, where they loved together for 11 months."  (Falk: 4)

Maria del Pilar de Mujeguiro y Beruete, Duquesa de Villafranca (1869-1926)

Wife ofFrancisco Maria de Borbon, Duque de Marchena

Her lover was:
Basil Zaharoff (1849-1936)

Also known as: Zacharias Basileios Zacharoff

" . . . In 1889, while he was ranging Europe---particularly Russia---for orders, he met Maria del Pilar Antonia Angela Patiocinio (sic?) Simona de Muguiro y Berute, the Duchess of Villafranca. She was the wife of a young man closely connected with the royal family of Spain. She proved useful to Zaharoff in arranging connections in Spain that enabled him to sell many millions of dollars of arms to the war department. But Zaharoff fell in love with her and urged her to divorce her husband, who was ill and on the verge of dementia, The Duchess, a good Catholic, would not consider divorce, but she became Zaharoff's mistress, confident that her husband was destined for a speedy death. His mind failed completely, he was put into an insane asylum, and proceeded to disappoint the Duchess and her lover by continuing to live for another thirty-five years. She continued as Zaharoff's mistress; he remained attached to her with singular devotion and in 1924, when her husband died, the two lovers---then aged and near the end of their lives, he seventy-five and she over sixty---were married in a little town outside Paris. They had had two daughters. The Duchess, however, survived this marriage by only eighteen months and her death left the aged bridegroom inconsolable." (Flynn, 1941, pp. 349-350)

Personal & Family Background: He was the only son of Basilius Zacharoff of Constantinople.

Physical Traits & Personal Character: "About the time he met the Duchess, Zaharoff established a home in Paris. He was rich and a man of striking, distinguished appearance; a small mustache and imperial and drooping eyelids added an expression of inscrutability to his grave countenance. He cultivated the habit of silence. He avoided displays, public appearances. He took up his place in that foggy, ill-lighted world so fascinating to the readers of newspapers — the world of Behind the Scenes. He had acquaintances, if not friends, among the most important people in Europe. He was now a part owner, sales delegate, guiding spirit of a growing British armament firm, but with his home in France. He spoke Turkish, Greek, French, Italian, German, and probably various Balkan dialects. And the world was unfolding auspiciously if not beautifully before him in the grim business in which he flourished." (Flynn: 377) [Bio2] [Bio3] [Bio4]


a.k.a. Maria Manuela Enriqueta Kirkpatrick de Closbourn y de Grevigne, Condesa de Montijo.

Daughter ofWilliam Kirkpatrick & Marie-Francoise de Grivegnee.
La condesa de Montijo y sus hijas Paca y Eugenia. Mas tarde Paca casó con el duque de Alba y Eugenia con el emperador de Francia:
The Countess of Montijo and her daughters
Paca & Eugenia
File:CiprianoPalafoxPortocarrero.jpg
Cipriano de Palafox y Portocarrero
Conde de Teba, c1820
(1784-1839)
Spanish aristocrat, military officer & politician

8th Count of Montijo
12th Count of Baños
9th Count of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
18th Count of Miranda del Castañar
7th Count of Fuentidueña
19th Count of San Esteban de Gormaz
8th Count of Ablitas
Marquis of Algava
14th Marquis de La Bañeza
14th Marquis de Mirallo
13th Marquis de Valdunquillo
9th Marquis de Valderrabano
8th Marquis de Osera
16th Marquis de Villanueva del Fresno
Marquis de Barcarrota
17th Marquis de Moya
Duke of Granada
13th Duke of Peñaranda del Duero
Grandee of Spain 1834
25th Lord of Moguer
Lord of Procer del Reino 1834-1835
Senator for Badajoz Province 1837-1838.

Son of Felipe Antonio de Palafox & Maria Francisca Portocarrero.

Her lovers were:
1) Cipriano de Guzman y Palafox y Portocarrero
Conde de Teba.

"Born on 5 May 1826 in Granada, Eugenie Ignacia Augustina was the daughter of Dona (sic) Maria Manuela Kirkpatrick, whose father, William Kirkpatrick of Dumfries in Scotland, had fled Scotland after the 1745 Stuart rebellion and settled in Andalusia. Her father was almost certainly the Spanish Count of Teba, Don Cipriano de Guzman y Palafox y Portocarrero, the younger brother of Don Eugenio, Count of Montijo. Gossip, however, murmured that Eugenie's father was either Lord Palmerston or Lord Clarendon until her mother wryly pointed out to Louis Napoleon, 'But, Sire, the dates don't correspond.'...." (Mostyn: 10)
George Villiers
4th Earl of Clarendon
English aristocrat, statesman & diplomat.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Son ofHon. George Villiers & Theresa Parker.

"Their daughters were María Francisca de Sales (1825–1860), generally known as 'Paca', who inherited most of the family honours, and María Eugenia, born one year later. In the 1830s Manuela and the girls moved to Paris for their education. There she renewed her association with George William Frederick Villiers, later Earl of Clarendon, who is rumoured to have been her lover. Manuela also continued her friendship with Prosper Mérimée, whom she had met in Spain and who took great interest in the education of the girls. Manuela was Mérimée's source for the story of Carmen." (Wikipedia)
Pedro Afan de Ribera
1st Duque de Alcala de los Gazules
Pedro Afan de Ribera (1509-1571)
Spanish aristocrat
1st Duque de Alcalá de los Gazules 1558
2nd Marques de Tarifa
6th Conde de Los Molares
Adelantado of Andalusia
Viceroy & Captain-General of Catalonia 1554-1558
Viceroy & Captain-General of Naples 1559-1571.

Also known as:
Pedro Enriquez Afan de Ribera
Per Afan de Ribera y Portocarrero
Perafan de Ribera y Portocarrero.

Son ofFernando Enriquez de Ribera & Ines Portocarrero.

Husband ofLeonor Ponce de Leon, daughter of Marques de Zahara.

His lovers were:
1) Teresa Pinelo.

Natural offspring:
a. Saint Juan de Ribera, Archbishop of Valencia, Patriarch of Antioch

2) Luisa Mosquera y Esquivel.

Natural offspring:
1. Catalina de Rivera y Mosquera, married Pedro Barroso, Marques de Malpica.

"Fadrique's brother having died before, his titles devolved upon his nephew, Per Afan Ribera III (1509-71), 2nd Marquis of Tarifa, 6th Count of Los Molares, and-- subsequently --1st Duke of Alcala de los Gazules.  None of these titles, however, would be passed on to Per Afan's only son, Juan de Ribera, the illegitimate offspring of Per Afan and a local noblewoman, knew that despite his father's open recognition of paternity he would never inherit the Casa de Pilaton.  Upon the premature death of his mother, his sister Catalina took over the responsibility of caring for him; years later he would reward her for this act of kindness with a regular stipend for the rest of her life. . . ." (Between Christians and Moriscos: Juan de Ribera and Religious Reform in Valencia, 1568-1614: 2) [Somos Primos]

Pedro Lopez de Ayala.
Señor de Unza
Señor de Mena
Señor de Albudeite
Adelantado mayor of Murcia.

His lover was:
Ines de Azagra.

Pedro Tellez Giron (1423-1466)
Master of the Order of Calatrava
Camarero mayor de Enrique IV de Castilla, 1457-1465

His lover was:
Isabel de las Casas.

Natural offspring:
a. Alonso Tellez Giron
Legitimated 1453
Conde de Urena 1464
b. Juan Tellez Giron (1457-1528)
Legitimated 1459
Conde de Urena
married 1480 Leonor de la Vega Velasco (daughter of
Pedro Fernandez de Velasco, Conde de Haro & Mencia Mendoza.
Ramon de Pignatelli
Ramon de Pignatelli (1734-1793)

a.k.a. Ramon Pignatelli de Aragon y Moncayo.

"El Conde de Fuentes had a brother, Ramon, who became chief of the Saragossa Inquisition and canon of the Saragossa cathedral---the same Father Ramon Pignatelli who blessed the marriage of Maria Cayetana.  Most interesting about this eminent churchman is that every night he slept with a different girl. Casanova tells us that he would get up in the morning exhausted by pleasure; the young lady would be driven away, the procuress jailed.  'He then dressed, confessed, said mass and, after an excellent breakfast with plenty of good wine, he would send out for another girl....'  The people of Saragossa held him in great respect.  After all, he wa a canon of the Church, a monk, an Inquisitor." (Connell, 2004, p. 85) [Ref1:Wikipedia] [Bio2:Gran Enciclopedia Aragonesa] [Ref1:8]
Rodrigo Ponce de Leon
3rd Conde de Arcos
Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, 1st Duque de Cadiz (1443-1492)
Castillian noble and soldier.
2nd Marquess
1st Duque de Cadiz
1st Marquess de Zahara
3rd Conde de Arcos
7th Señor de Marchena
Señor de Rota.
[Ref1]

Son ofJuan II Ponce de Leon, & mistress Leonor Nuñez Gudiel.

Husband of:
1) Beatriz Fernandez de Marmolejo, Señora de Torrijos
married in 1457; dissolved later.
2) Beatriz Pacheco y Portocarrero, married in 1471.

His lover was:
Ines Bezerril y de la Fuente

a.k.a. Ximenez de la Fuente

"...After his wife's death, Rodrigo married his third mistress, the noblewoman Leonor Nunez.  In 1448 he obtained a royal decree to legitimize his children. This marriage and legitimation provided him a son, a legal heir, and the ability to transfer his property to another male member of his lineage.  His eldest surviving son, Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, inherited the title and became the third Count of Arcos."  (Romaniello & Lipp, 2011, p. 72)

"The third Count of Arcos (1443-92) again depended on a mistress with some social status to save a troubled dynasty and allow him to fulfill his masculine responsibilities by passing on the estate and title to his own descendants.  The count, Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, had no legitimate children from either of his two marriages, but he did have three illegitimate daughters with his mistress Ines de la Fuente (thereby establishing his sexual potency).  Like Juan de Velasco's lover Ana, Ines is described as 'the daughter of a hidalgo from Marchena.'  Rodrigo used the presence of Ines and her offspring to repair his masculine image and create a legitimate male heir.  He legitimated his eldest daughter, Francisca, and stipulated in his will that his title should pass to her son.  He then arranged for her to marry a distant cousin, Luis Ponce de Leon, the lord of Villagracia.  Their son, Rodrigo, inherited the title at a very young age and became the first Duke of Arcos.  A list of the titled males in the house of Arcos shows the title passing from Rodrigo, the third Count of Arcos, directly to Rodrigo, the first Duke of Arcos, with no public mention of either Ines or Francisca."  (Ramaniello & Lipp, 2011, p. 73)

"Some men turned to their wives as guardians of their children even if their wives were not the children's mothers.  A striking example of this comes from the family of Rodrigo Ponce de Leon (1443-92), the count of Arcos and the marquis of Cadiz.  Rodrigo was a war hero who married twice without producing any children.  He had three daughters, however, with his mistress, Ines de la Fuenta.  Rodrigo solved his succession problems by legitimating his eldest daughter, Francisca, marrying her to her cousin Luis, and leaving the title and estates to their son Rodrigo.  When the elder Rodrigo died, however, the younger Rodrigo was still a minor and needed a guardian.  In his will, the elder Rodrigo declared that neither his daughter Francisca nor his son-in-law Luis should have the use of, the administration of, or the fruits of his estates. Instead, he named his second wife, Beatrix Pacheco, guardian of his grandson, appointed Cristobal de Eslava, a councilman of Ecija, to help her, and gave his daughter and son-in-law an annual allowance...."  (Coolidge, 2010, p. 45)

Stefano Maresca, Barone d'Ascea.

His lover was:
Margherita Pozzo.
Italian singer

"...The Neapolitan singer Margherita Pozzi was the source of much trouble to Don Erasmo.  In 1737 he had to intervene to cut short her affair with the Baron d'Ascea Stefano Maresca, threatening him with a fine of four thousand ducats; in the following years the Marchese di Santo Mauro fell to her charms, even to the extent of wishing to marry her.  It was necessary to put a guard on his house to prevent him from committing such a folly.  Further reports reached the King in 1739... A few months later his house was struck by bullets and the windows broken, but Margherita, having been interrogated, declared that she had no idea who fired the shots.  Finally, in 1741, she married the famous buffo Antonio Catalano, and thereafter restricted her public entertainments to the theatre...."  (Gunn, 1961, pp. 143-144)

Vigilia d'Empuries (c895-957)

Daughter ofSuniario II, Conde d'Empuries & Ermengarde.

Her lover was:
Miro II de Cerdanya.

"Vigilia – (c895 – 957), Spanish concubine.  Vigilia was the daughter of Suniario II, Count of Ampurias and Rousillon, and his wife Ermengarde. Vigilia never married but became the mistress of her kinsman Miron el Joven (c885 – 927), Count of Cerdagne. Vigilia bore Miron a son and four daughters. With the count’s death, Vigilia left the court and retired to a convent, probably that of San Juan de Ripoll, where her brother Ramon was abbot."  (Women of History - V)

Violante de Aragon (1390-1428)

Daughter ofMarti I de Sicilia & Agata de Pece.

Wife ofMartin de Guzman y Ponce de Leon, Senor de Orgaz
[Fam1:Geneall]

Violante Martelli

His lover was:
Ferdinando

"...Violante Martelli,the niece of Camilla, afterwards became the mistress of Ferdinando; but, when he married, the then Grand Duke wedded Violante to Giulio Ricci of Montepulciano...."  (, p. 572)

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Dandies, Socialites & Politicians

DANDIES.
Alfred, Comte d'Orsay

Alfred d'Orsay
(1801-1852)
French amateur artist, dandy, 
man of fashion, sculptor, painter & writer. 

The ideal of manly dignity and grace.
"'Count D'Orsay,' says Charles James Matthews, the famous comedian, who knew him well, 'was the beau-ideal of manly dignity and grace.  He was the model of all that could be conceived of noble demeanour and youthful candour; handsome beyond all question; accomplished to the last degree; highly educated, and of great literary acquirements; with a gaiety of heart and cheerfulness of mind that spread happiness on all around him.  His conversation was brilliant and engaging, as well as instructive.  He was, moreover, the best fencer, dancer, swimmer, runner, dresser, the best shot, the best horseman, the best draughtsman, of his age.'"  (Marguerite Power: The Gorgeous Lady Blessington)

D'Orsay's magnetic appeal:  " . . . D'Orsay combined physical beauty, sparkling wit, the magnetic amour-propre of the dandy as well as a dangerous whiff of Napoleonic adventure and a pre-Revolutionary title, both bequeathed by his general father.  It was a heady brew and society fell at his exquisitely-shod feet."  (D'Orsay the Artist)

A dandy's 'few needs':  " . . . My wants are few; a fine house, fine carriages, fine horses, a complete wardrobe, the best opera-box, the first cook, and pocket money -- that is all I require. . . ."  (D'Orsay the Artist)


Nineteenth century's first modern man:  "Count Alfred D'Orsay (1801-1852) was not only one of the early 19th century's most popular men, he was its first modern man - in attitude, behaviours and sexuality.  French, but coming from a very mixed European aristocratic background, the result could easily have been aesthetic mishmash, but in fact contemporary accounts of his appearance and style highlight the opposite. . . ." (Mr. Porter)

Physical appearance and personal character.
" . . . At over 6' tall -  in a period when even aristocratic men were short - Count D'Orsay cut an impressive figure, and his face was frequently described as that of a Greek god.  Not surprisingly, he was obsessed by his own appearance.  After all, his looks and impressive figure were his calling card, the things that made him stand out memorably as a gift to the newly enlarged and emboldened popular press. . . Even the curmudgeonly philosopher Mr. Thomas Carlyle was not immune to Count D'Orsay's looks.  He described him as 'a tall fellow of six feet three, built like a tower, with floods of dark auburn hair, with a beauty, with an adornment, unsurpassable on this planet.' . . . ."  (Mr. Porter)

" . . . In his general intercourse with society Count D'Orsay was distinguished not merely by true politeness, but by great amiability.  His was kind and charitable to his distressed countrymen, and one of the most assiduous supporters of Societe de Bienfaisance."  (The Gentleman's Magazine: 309)


"At his first visit to England, he was pre-eminently handsome; and, as he dressed fashionably, was thoroughly accomplished, and gifted with superior intelligence, he became a favourite with both sexes.  He had the reputation of being a lady-killer, which, however, every good-looking fellow acquires if his bonnes fortunes became known --- and his pure classic features, his accomplishments, and irreproachable get-up, were sure to make him the centre of attraction, whether in the Park or dining-room.  He used to ride pretty well to hounds, and joined the hunting men at Melton; but his style was rather that of the riding-school than of the hunting-field.  I do not know of anything remarkable achieved by him in his time."  (Alfred D'Orsay, remembered by George C. Berkeley)

" . . . The count's charming manner, brilliant wit, and artistic faculty were accompanied by benevolent moral qualities, which endeared him to all his associates. His skill as a painter and sculptor was shown in numerous portraits and statuettes representing his friends, which were marked by great vigour and truthfulness, if wanting in the finish that can only be reached by persistent discipline." (Wikipedia)

" . . . From his earliest infancy, Alfred D'Orsay gave token of the remarkable physical and mental superiority which distinguished his manhood.  As a child and boy, his remarkable comeliness, strength, and adroitness in all exercises, ready wit and intelligence, facility of acquiring knowledge, high spirit, the frankness of his nature, the chivalrous generosity of his disposition, made him a general favourite with young and old."  (The Literary Life and Correspondence of the Countess of Blessington, Vol 1: 319)

His lovers were:
Charles John Gardiner
Earl of Blessington
" . . . (T)he touchstone of Blessington's sexuality is the extraordinary relationship which developed between him and Count Alfred d'Orsay (1798-1852), a penniless French adventurer whose birth was less noble than it sounded.  They first met in London in August 1821, when d'Orsay was twenty-three.  He was handsome, dandified, narcissistic and supremely self-confident, the very embodiment to ton and taste, and just the person to captivate the aimless and impressionable Blessington.  D'Orsay's own sexuality remains an enigma. . . ." (The Pursuit of the Heiress: Aristocratic Marriage in Ireland 1740-1840:179)

" . . . It would seem that his friendship with the very rich Earl and Countess of Blessington, which made him an outstanding social figure who was to be taken seriously by London society, even though he was not English, was engineered by Lord Blessington - a man known for his attraction to good-looking young men.  Both he and Lady Blessington scandalised and delighted London society by parading the young French aristocrat either together, not just in Britain but on a protracted grand tour of the continent.  He was almost like a son - on the surface - but rumour says that Count D'Orsay's family had been very well rewarded financially for the privilege of having him in a Blessington menage a trois.


"A few months before his introduction to Lord Byron Alfred D'Orsay had made the acquaintance of the Blessingtons.  He had previously entered the army of France, and was quartered at Valence on the Rhone.  The reader of Lady Blessington's Idler in Italy will look in vain for any notice of her first casual rencontre with fascinating Lieutenant D'Orsay at Valence . . .  The regimental mess happened to be established in the hotel where Lord Blessington alighted on his way to Italy, on the 15th Nov. 1822. and a chance acquaintanceship having ripened into intimacy, at his Lordship's invitation the Count joined them in their trip southwards. . . ."  (The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol 38: 308)
Elizabeth Ann Haryett
by Henriette Cappelaere
@Musee du Second Empire
Chateau de Compiegne

Also known as:
Harriet Howard
Miss Howard.


"Lord Byron was so struck by Count D'Orsay that there are suggestions that the two might have had a brief affair when they met in Europe. . . ."  (Mr. Porter)
Marguerite Power
Countess of Blessington
Lover in 1822.

Also known as nee Marguerite Gardiner.

"Alfred Guillaume Gabriel, Comte d'Orsay (1801-1852): French-born aristocrat, known as 'the last of the Dandies.'  In 1822 d'Orsay associated himself with Marguerite, Countess of Blessington (1789-1849).  In 1827 he married the fifteen-year-old Harriet Gardiner, Lady Blessington's daughter by a previous marriage; by the time her husband died in 1829, he had separated and moved next door to the widow, staying with her for twenty years.  The Countess ran a salon at Gore House, at which Liszt played." (Liszt & Short: 19)

Unconventional romantic encounters.
" . . . His unconventional romantic -- including a long affair with society maven Lady Blessington, and possibly her husband Lord Blessington who became his father-in-law when he married the Earl's teenage daughter from a previous marriage -- may have shocked (and confused) the city's more sensitive souls. . . ."  (D'Orsay the Artist)
Albert Gaspard Grimod (1772-1843)
Comte d'Orsay et general d'Empire
by J.M.N. Fremy (gravuer), 1815
Comte d'Orsay's personal & family background:  Alfred was the second son of Albert-Gaspard Grimaud, a Bonapartist general, and Eleonore de Franquemont, an illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Wurttemberg and Anne Franchi."

"His father was known as Beau D'Orsay, being one of the finest men in the Court of the First Napoleon --- and his mother, a very beautiful woman, was a natural daughter of the King of Wurttemberg.  He inherited, therefore, extraordinary natural advanteages, and these he had improved by education until he had become apparently, a French Admiral Crichton."  (Dandy's Me)


"Count d'Orsay was born in Paris in the year 1798, and was the son of General D'Orsay, who was considered one of the most handsome men in the armies of the empire. . . ."  (The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 38: 308)


"D'Orsay's ancestors were as much adventurers as aristocrats.  He was the son of Albert comte d'Orsay, Napoleon's handsomest general, and Eleonore de Franquemont, the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Wurttemberg and an Italian dancer.  The d'Orsay title itself was scarcely ancient.  It had come with the chateau bought some 40 years before by Alfred's great-grandfather, who had made a fortune as a tax-farmer.  The loss of this money in the Revolution meant d'Orsay never had any of his own but he proved adept at living off that of others with incomparable grace."  (The Dandy Peacock or Enigma?: n.p.)


Spouse & Children:  He married, in 1827 (separated 1838), Lady Harriet Gardiner, 15 years old, and daughter of Lord Blessington by his previous wife.
D'Orsay the Artist:  "Alfred Guillaume Gabriel, Count D'Orsay was a French amateur artist, dandy, and man of fashion in the early- to mid-nineteenth century.  In 1830, D'Orsay moved to London, where he worked as a sculptor and a painter, specialising in portraiture.  In 1845, he painted a portrait of Wellington.  His statuettes of Napoleon and Wellington were very popular, as were engravings of many of his portraits, including those of Queen Victoria, Lord Lyndhurst and Dwarkanath Tagore.  More than 125 profile sketches of his contemporaries were published by Mitchell of Bond Street, including among them nearly all the artistic, literary and fashionable celebrities of the time" (National Portrait Gallery)

"Few men in his position have shown greater accomplishments.  His literary compositions were lively and imaginative.  His profile portraits of his friends (of which many have been published in lithography) are felicitous and characteristic, and his statuettes are not only graceful but possess greater originality of conception than is evinced by the majority of professional artists. . . ." (The Gentleman's Magazine: 309)

D'Orsay's Paintings
The D'Orsay Pumps:  "Many shoes are described as d'orsay pumps, but what does that expression mean and where did the name come from?  It generally refers to a pump style shoe in which the vamp is cut away on the sides, showing the arch and the side of the foot.  The heels can be high or low, but usually it has a closed heel-back and toe.  Some shoe manufacturers will even include a hidden elastic inside the heel back which will help the shoe stay on the foot, especially for women with narrow heels.  It is widely thought that this shoe style is named after the French noble artist, painter and sculptor Count D'orsay (sic) in the 19th century.  He was know for his charm and style in both fashion and art.  At this time both men and women wore pump style shoes that often didn't fit and gaped on the sides.  Being a style-setter and all around fashion dandy, he had the idea to cut out the sides of the shoes so that they would fit better." (What is a D'orsay Shoe?)

References.
Richard Nash
(1674-1761).
British dandy & fashion leader

Physical appearance & tersonal qualities.
"In person Nash was large and awkward, with harsh, strong, regular features.  Nevertheless, he was popular with women, and not unsuccessful as a gallant;  for he dressed showily, had some wit, abundance of small talk, and was by no means encumbered with modesty.  He used to say of himself, that he was, 'like Nestor, a man of three generations.'  The Beau of his youth, he would observe, was stiff, solemn, and formal to a degree. . .  The Beau of his manhood was just the reverse; being a pert, grinning, lively chatterbox. . . ready for any absurd, outre display of sentiment; and deeming it an exalted proof of gallantry to eat 'a pair of his idol's shoes tossed up in a fricassee.'  The Beau of his old age was a still more extraordinary character of his whole secret in intrigue consisted in perfect indifference. . . ." (Dickens: 423)

His lovers were:
Fanny Murray
1) Fanny Murray (1729-1778)
English courtesan, celebrity & fashion leader.
Lover in 1743-1744.

" . . . According to her memoir, she had become a mistress to Beau Nash by 1743, at the age of just fourteen, and soon moved to London, where she became a 'dress-lodger --- an indentured prostitute who had to work to pay for the expensive clothes that she wore to solicit customers.  Once she had paid off her indenture, Fanny continued as a prostitute under her own employ, but remained in poverty."  (Wikipedia)

" . . . As a newly debauched girl Fanny could have easily descended into street-walking, one of the lowest forms of prostitution but fortunately for her Richard "Beau" Nash took her to live with him in St John's Court. The year Fanny spent as Nash's mistress was transformative. In no time, Fanny oozed an intoxicating mix of sex and sophistication. She was not only a fitting companion for Nash but also for the legion of elite men who, very soon, would pay handsomely to enjoy her company in their leisured, unbuttoned hours." (Express)

2) Juliana Popjoy (1717-1777)

" . . . Most colourful and mythical of all these women was Juliana Popjoy (variously spelled Papjoy and Pobjoy).  She was a dressmaker, and earned the nickname 'Lady Betty Bosom' for her habit of riding out in public carrying a whip with so many thongs it resembled a fly-whisk.  Her eccentricities probably contributed to Nash's ending their relationship, and her decision (if her obituary is to be believed) to live in a hollow tress for the next thirty to forty years of her life does not argue for the most stable condition of mental health. She died in 1777 and is purported (by, among others, the owners of a restaurant bearing her name) to haunt Saw Close.  Writers as various as Robert Peach and David Gadd claim that Juliana Popjoy returned to Nash to nurse him in his dotage, which he might have thought fortunate for Nash, did we not know from George Scott that for the last twenty years of his life he lived with one Mrs. Hill. . . ." (The Imaginary Autocrat: Beau Nash and the Invention of Bath: 99)

"Juliana Popjoy was baptised in Bishopstrow, near Warminster, Wiltshire, in 1714. Her father Walter appears to have been an innkeeper and Juliana a dressmaker. She caught the attention of Beau Nash, Master of Ceremonies in the increasingly fashionable spa of Bath, perhaps as he came by coach from London, and became his mistress. The contemporary caricature left portrays 'Lady Betty Besom', as she was known, leaping over 'The sacred Boundary of Discretion' on her dapple-grey horse. Juliana helped the Beau receive Princess Mary and Princess Caroline at his magnificent house in St John's Court (now the Garrick's Head) in 1740. But when Nash's finances took a turn for the worse, he had to move to a house in Saw Close, now Popjoy's Restaurant. He and Juliana parted, but she later returned to nurse him in the last years of his life. Nash died in 1761, and in 1777 a notice appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine announcing Juliana's death. She had supposedly taken up residence "in a large hollow tree" near Warminster "on a lock of straw, resolving never more to lie in a bed; and she was as good as her wordä unless when she made her short peregrinations to Bath, Bristol and the gentleman's houses adjacent; and she then lay in some barn or outhouse." (Famous Popjoys)

"Beau Nash never married as he enjoyed the freedom of bachelor life, but when Nash's finances collapsed in 1740, the second of his mistresses, Juliana Popjoy, who had helped him receive Princess Mary and Princess Caroline at his magnificent house in St John's Court (now the Garrick's Head) helped him move to a house in Saw Close, now Popjoy's Restaurant. He and Juliana separated, but she later returned to nurse him in the last years of his life." (BBC)


3) Mrs. Hill.

References[Ref1:BBC] [Ref2:Vestuario] [Ref3:Jane Austen Centre] [Ref4:Good Gambling Guide] [Ref5:Goldsmith] [Ref6:The History Girls]


The Belle Epoque Dandies.
Algernon Charles Swinburne.

James McNeill Whistler.

Joris-Karl Juysmans.

Max Beerbohm.

Oscar Wilde.

Salvador Dali.

Walter Pater.

SOCIALITES.
POLITICIANS.
British politician.

Son ofCharles George Beauclerk & Emily Charlotte Ogilvie.

Husband of:
1) Rose Matilda Robinson
2) Ida Goring, mar 1834

His lover was:
Catherine Walters.
Sir Edward Walpole
Edward Walpole.
(1706-1784)
British politician.
Inventor of the Pentachord

Son of:
Sir Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford
1st Prime Minister of Great Britain
& Catherine Shorter.

His lover was:
Dorothy Clements.

Natural Offspring:

1) Laura Walpole
2) Maria Walpole
3) Charlotte Walpole.
"...Upon his return to England in 1731, Edward lodged at a house in Pall Mall, the lower part of which was occupied by a dealer in children's clothes.  This man employed an extraordinarily handsome seamstress, named Dorothy Clements, of very humble origin.  A letter quoted in Thomas' edition of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's works state, 'She was the most remarkable beauty I ever heard of. Being taken notice of one day by Mrs. Seeker, the Bishop of Oxford's daughter, when she was sitting in a dustcart before the Bishop's door, that lady had the curiosity to call her in merely to see her nearer, and assured me that in all her rags and dirt, she never saw a more lovely creature.'" (Royal Berkshire History)

"As a young man, Edward lodged at a house in Pall Mall, the lower part of which was occupied by a dealer in children's clothes.  This man employed an extraordinarily handsome seamstress, named Dorothy Clements, of very humble origin.  A letter quoted in Thomas' edition of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's works states, 'She was the most remarkable beauty I ever heard of.  Being taken notice of one day by Mrs. Seeker, the Bishop of Oxford's daughter, when she was sitting on a dustcart before the Bishop's door, that lady had the curiosity to call her in merely to see her nearer, and assured me that in all her rags and dirt, she never saw a more lovely creature.'  Walpole became obviously infatuated with the girl and she, exasperated by the sarcastic remarks of her relatives and friends, finally ran off to the house he had taken near by, and asked for his protection.  Edward, who was at dinner at the time, ordered his servant to put a chair for her at the foot of the table, made her the mistress of his heart and home, and doted on her for the few years they had together...." (Clan MacFarlane Genealogy)


Natural Children:  "...However, his dependence on his father prevented the marriage he so much desired; but she bore him four children, before dying almost immediately after the birth of the youngest in 1738."  (Clan MacFarlane Genealogy)
British politician.
His lovers were:

Susanna Strangways
Lover in 1733.
Harry Cust
by Leslie Ward, Vanity fair, 15 Feb 1897
Henry Cockayne-Cust (1861-1917)
English politician, editor & journalist.
a.k.a. Henry John Cokayne-Cust; Harry Cust; Henry Cust

Son ofHenry Francis Cockayne Cust & Sarah Jane.
Harry Cust
Harry Cust
by Diana Manners
His lovers were:


1) Emmeline Mary Elizabeth Welby-Gregory (1867-1955)
a.k.a. Emmeline Welby-Gregory; Nina Welby-Gregory; Mrs. Henry John Cockayne-Cust


3) Pamela Wyndham
Violet Manners
Duchess of Portland
British aristocrat & artist
a.k.a. Marion Margaret Violet Lindsay.
Daughter ofHon. Charles Hugh Lindsay & Emilia Anne Browne.
Henry, 8th Duke of Rutland
Wife ofHenry Manners8th Duke of Rutlandmar 1882.

Natural Offspring:
Lady Diana Manners.
[Ref1[Ref2:New York Social Diary]

James Stuart Mackenzie (1719-1800).
Scottish aristocrat, politician & astronomer.

Son ofJames Stuart2nd Earl of Bute & Lady Anne Campbell, daughter of Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll.

Husband ofLady Elizabeth Campbell, mar 1749.

His lover was:
Barbara Campanini
Barbara Campanini (1721-1799).
ILover in 1740 or 1744.
Italian ballet dancer.
Grafin von Barschau 1787; Contessa Campanini 1787.
a.k.a. Barbarina; La Barberina.
Wife of:
1) Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von Cocceji, mar 1748, sep 1759, div 1788
2) a German baron.
"...After a brilliant success in the Paris theatre, she had made an arrangement to go to Berlin and dance for Frederick II; but falling in love with a young Scotchman named Mackenzie, she eloped with him to Venice instead... La Barbarina wished to break her engagement with the Prussians in order to marry her Scotchman... The unfortunate dancer remained under arrest for several weeks... A week later Montaigu was able to report that La Barbarina had left Venice for Berlin... Her fiance followed her to Prussia, only to be promptly expelled from the country, where La Barbarina herself settled for a handsome pension from Frederick II and eventually married an immensely rich Prussian count." (Cranston, 1991, p. 180

". . . An impetuous young man, he became infatuated with the dancer Barberoni (sic) and was summoned home from Europe. His family had him safely married to his first cousin, Lady Elizabeth Campbell (1721-1799), fourth daughter of John, second duke of Argyll, on 16 Februaryy 1749. Their two children died in infancy." (ODNB

". . . The young James Stuart Mackenzie fell for the famous opera-singer Barberini and arranged to marry her in Venice. This was prevented by Archibald, 3rd Duke of Argyll, who used his friend John, 3rd Earl of Hyndford, envoy in Berlin, to have Barberini brought to Berlin and Mackenzie banned from Prussia. She had earlier engaged the attention of Samuel Dashwood." (Unnationalized Englishmen in Mary Shelley's Fiction)

Husband of Barbara Campanini

Karl Ludwig von Cocceji (1724-1808)

His lover was:

"She broke her contract suddenly by accepting a proposal by Carl Ludwig von Cocceji, son of the Prussian chancellor Samuel von Cocceji, onstage in 1749, causing a veritable scandal. Her fiancé went to prison, Campanini herself once again eloped to London, but returned to Berlin and secretly married Cocceji. Her spouse was finally pardoned by the king and appointed district governor at Glogau in Silesia, where the couple lived until they were divorced in 1788."  (Wikipedia)
Joseph Caillaux
French politician
(1863-1944)
French politician.

His lovers were:

1) Henriette Raynouard.
2) Paulette Couyba.
"Paulette's first conquest was Joseph Caillaux, a French politician associated with scandals that made an impression, even in Paris.  A flamboyant lady's man, he strutted during debates on silk tariffs because he knew so much about ladies' undergarments.  He flaunted his many mistresses, and even married some of them.  Some fifteen years before he met Paulette in the late 1920s, his first two wives created one of the first great scandals of the mass media.  After a newspaper published a love letter from Caillaux to the mistress who had become his first wife, the mistress who had in the meantime become his second wife took her revenge---not on him, but on the newspaper.  Caillaux's second wife, Henriette, murdered the editor of Le Figaro with six shots from a Browning automatic."  (Snyder, 2010, p. 158)
(1911-1995)
British politician.

His lovers were:


British politician.
His lover was:
"Duvernay's unexpected early retirement in 1837 at the height of her career caused a sensation.  It followed her involvement with the extremely wealthy Stephen Lyne-Stephens, owner of the prestigious Grove House at Rochampton and a further large estate at Lynford Hall in Norfolk.  At the time he was reckoned to be the wealthiest commoner in England, having inherited a huge fortune which his father Charles had accumulated in trading between Portugal and England.  The couple did not marry until 14 July 1845 and she suffered some ostracism, her notoriety doing little to endear her to conventional Victorian society.  There were no children of the marriage and in the years following her husband's premature death in 1860 Mrs. Lyne-Stephens devoted much of the fortune she had been left to charitable causes."  (Rogers, ed., 2003, pp. 107-108)


(1892-1941)
British politician.
a.k.a. David Eulan Wallace.
"She (Idina) fell in love with her first husband. . . Euan Wallace, a captain in the Life Guards, when she was still a teenager.  He was. . . 'incredibly good-looking and about the wealthiest single man in England.  They married in 1813 when Idina was 20.  Like many men of his generation, he was wounded in the war and sent home with shrapnel in his leg in November 1914.  Once he had recovered, he was besieged by attractive women unable to resist throwing themselves at a handsome war hero who happened to be unbelievably rich. . . " (Daily Mail)

Spouses & Children:  He married 1) Idina Sackville (wife, in 1913, divorced 1919); 2) Barbara Lutyens (in 1920).  [Ref1:Family]

References: