Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria

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Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria bigraphy, stories - Dynasty

Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria : biography

6 March 1939 –

Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria (Margarita María de la Victoria Esperanza Jacoba Felicidad Perpetua y Todos los Santos (et omnes Sancti) de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; born 6 March 1939), is the younger sister of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Infanta Margarita was born in Rome as the younger daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, and Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Margarita has been blind since birth.

She married the physician Carlos Zurita y Delgado on 12 October 1972 in Estoril. They have two children:

  • HE Alfonso Juan Carlos Zurita y de Borbón (b. Madrid, 9 August 1973)
  • HE María Sofía Emilia Carmen Zurita y de Borbón (b. Madrid, 16 September 1975)

Margarita renounced her right of succession upon marriage, but her renunciation took place before the adoption of the Spanish Constitution and was not ratified by the Cortes.

On 6 January 1979, the Infanta’s cousin, Manfredo de Borbón, 1st Duke of Hernani, died and willed his ducal title to be inherited by Margarita. The King granted this request, and on 27 May 1981, she became 2nd Duchess of Hernani with accompanying dignity Grandee of Spain. The peerage title referres to the town Hernani, Spain. The next month, on 23 June 1981, she was also granted a higher dukedom for life by the king, and became Duchess of Soria (referring to the city Soria in Spain).

In 1989, alongside her husband, they created the Fundación Cultural Duques de Soria (The Duke and Duchess of Soria Cultural Foundation). She’s also Honorary President of Madrid’s delegation of UNICEF and of the Spanish Heart Foundation.

Ancestry

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles

  • 6 March 193927 May 1981: Her Royal Highness Infanta Margarita of Spain
  • 27 May23 June 1981: Her Royal Highness Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Hernani
  • 23 June 1981present: Her Royal Highness Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria and Hernani

The Infanta’s style and title in full: Her Royal Highness Margarita María de la Victoria Esperanza Jacoba Felicidad Perpetua de Todos los Santos, Infanta of Spain, Duchess of Soria, Duchess of Hernani.

Honours

See also List of honours of the Spanish Royal Family by country

National Orders
  • The 1,192nd Dame of the Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa (06/03/1957).
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (14/10/1988). Universidad de Valladolid, Nota de Prensa 09-01-30 (accessed on 11 December 2009)
  • Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X (25/04/2003). BOE, Spanish Official Journal. (accessed 2 November 2008)
Foreign Orders
  • : Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (13/10/1988).

Arms

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