Sofia Fernanda Dolores Cayetana Teresa Angela de la Cruz Micaela del Santísimo Sacramento del Perpetuo Socorro, de la Santísima Trinidad y de Todos los Santos. This is officially the name of the second daughter of the Dukes of Huéscar and second granddaughter of the Duke of Alba, after being baptized in the church of San Román, in Seville.

Fernando Fitz-James Stuart and his wife, Sofía Palazuelo, arrived at the temple with their daughters Rosario -future XXI Duchess of Alba- and Sofia, the latter wearing the same baton of Christian family of the Alba in beige tone that her sister wore on the day of her baptism, in May 2021, celebrated in this same temple, as well as that of his father, the Duke of Huéscar, in October 1990.

The church of San Román was the headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Gypsies, closely linked to the Alba family, and in particular, to Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, who is so missed by the city of Seville. A tradition that the family maintains after the death of who was the XVIII Duchess of Alba.

Next to them, the grandfather of the little girl. Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, Duke of Alba, was happy and even complicit with his granddaughter, whom he approached on several occasions receiving the attentive gaze of the girl, who at all times was with her eyes wide open attentive to everything that happened around her.

The ceremony began around eight o'clock in the afternoon, officiated by the priest Ignacio Jiménez Sánchez-Dalp, a great friend of the Alba family, the same one who married Cayetana with Alfonso Díez, the Dukes of Huéscar and who also baptized Rosario in his day.

Around 150 guests were summoned on this emotional day, although some of them decided to move directly to the Palacio de Las Dueñas where, shortly after, the dinner after the baptism was going to be celebrated.

Sofia Palazuelo chose a design by the Dutchman Jan Taminiau, with trousers, top and vest-cape in gray and pink tones with floral print, accompanied by heeled sandals in silver tone, small earrings and watch, with the hair tied up in a simple tail.

For her part, Matilde de Solís-Beaumont y Martínez Campos, grandmother and godmother of little Sofia, chose an elegant midi dress, loose, printed in mauve tones on a white background, seasoned with jewels with emeralds and brilliants. She was the godmother, while the godfather was Jorge Rojas, a close friend of the Duke of Huéscar since childhood.

Sofia, who was born in Madrid on January 10, 2023, has a long list of names, all of them very well studied: Sofia, after her mother; Dolores, by her aunt Loli; Cayetana, by her great-grandmother; Teresa, by Saint Teresa of Jesus, born in Alba de Tormes; Ángela de la Cruz, for the Sevillian convent of Santa Ángela de la Cruz, so close to the Alba family; Micaela del Santísimo Sacramento, foundress of the Adoratrices, by the Solís; of Perpetual Help, because it is the invocation of the Sánchez-Dalp family, and, Holy Trinity of All Saints because it is the way in which names end.

During the ceremony, there was an organist who played, among other pieces, Holy Week marches such as 'Madre de Los Gitanos Coronada' and 'Coronación de la Macarena'.

On this occasion, after the baptism, the family did not go to visit the temple of Los Gitanos, where the remains of Cayetana de Alba rest and where the holders of the Brotherhood are located, as they did with Rosario, who celebrated his saint on the same day of his sister's baptism; they have preferred to leave it for next Holy Thursday or perhaps make that visit any day in private without anyone being aware of it.

Among the first to arrive was Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, Duke of Arjona, with his girlfriend, Bárbara Mirjan. Cayetano confessed that he had not yet thought about the gift he would make to Sofia. "I am skipping the Spanish championship and as I have so many things to do as work, I have not been able to, but I will think of something for the girl to remember when she grows up that she had a nice uncle called Cayetano who gave her a gift that I hope she likes," he said smiling.

He also spoke of his children Luis and Amina, of whom he said he was "very proud. They are working in London. They finished the race this past year. Luis had already gotten a job at JP Morgan, which is the first bank in the world, and Amina in a hotel chain called Amman, which is one of the top three chains in the world." And as for expanding the family, he responded with a laugh that he is "open to the future."

Of the brothers, along with Carlos and Cayetano, Fernando and Eugenia also attended, she, with her husband, Narcís Rebollo. On the contrary, Alfonso and Jacobo were missing, although the latter's son, Jacobo Martínez de Irujo with his wife, Asela Pérez Becerril, did attend.

The Counts of Osorno arrived at the temple shortly before eight in the afternoon, very happy with the pregnancy of Belén Corsini, who is already expecting her first child, who will be the third grandson of the Duke of Alba.

Among the other guests, Alfonso Díez, widower of Cayetana de Alba, or Enrique Solís Tello, who told LOC that his mother, Carmen Tello, had not been able to attend because at night she does not go out, to stay at home with her husband, Curro Romero. And neither did his father, Miguel Solís Marqués de la Motilla, "because he is with Covid but he is fine".

Fernando Solís Tello was seen with his wife, Eva Morejón; José Antonio Ruiz-Berdejo with his wife, Alessandra Gorla, and their son, little Carlo Leandro; the painter Cristina Ybarra with her husband, the businessman Enrique Moreno de la Cova, and with Fernando Soto; the Counts of Peñaflor; the cattle rancher Rocío de la Cámara, or Miguel Rojas with his wife, Carmen Martínez de Sola, among many others.

After the Baptism ceremony, family and guests moved to the Palacio de Las Dueñas, where a cocktail-dinner was served by Miguel Ángel Catering, based on personalized appetizers related to Seville, Andalusian gastronomy and hams from the House of Alba. The floral decoration was in charge of Chirri Moreno Home Fashion, of Chirri Moreno Santa María. And to liven up the evening, there was a flamenco performance.

  • Duchess of Alba