This Woman Is the Most Titled in the World — Her Kids Were Horrified When She Married Again at 85

• The famous royal in the cover image is the most titled aristocrat in the world.
• When she got married again to a man 24 years younger than her at age 85, her kids were horrified.
• This Duchess, who left behind an incredible legacy, even reportedly overshadowed Queen Elizabeth II at one point.

The woman in the cover picture was a famous royal and one of the most senior aristocrats in Spain. Though she is no longer alive, the impact of her incredible legacy lives on.

Born in 1926 in Madrid and christened as the head of the House of Alba, the icon made history as one of three women to hold a dukedom title in this regard. She was also incredibly well-traveled and multilingual: she could speak a total of five languages.

The aristocrat and billionaire also established a reputation as a woman who broke the status quo when it came to not allowing herself to be constrained by dictated rules.

As a child, she experienced some challenging times, like when her mother passed away from tuberculosis, leaving her to inherit an array of royal titles at a young age.

At some point when she was still a young girl, her father moved them to England, where he worked as the Spanish government's ambassador. During this period, the young royal became friends with Princess Margaret.

Drawing back to the array of titles she inherited, most of which occurred when her mom passed away, the legendary royal is considered the world's most titled person. Throughout her life, the 18th Duchess of Alba became a Spanish grandee 14 times, was deemed a duchess five times over, a countess-duchess, a marchioness and countess 18 times, and a viscountess.

The Most Titled Royal Married a Man 24 Years Younger Than Her When She Was 85

The iconic Spanish grandee who still holds the crown of the most titled in the world, even after her death, is none other than Maria del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba. Known for her eccentric ways and being defiant when it came to royal rules and protocols, when she was 85, the Duchess of Alba married a civil servant, Alfonso Diez, who was 24 years younger than her.

Once her family, especially her six children, caught wind of her plans to marry Diez, they grew concerned and objected to the union. Her children were horrified. part of their objection was because they had worries about their inheritance, which stemmed from the fact that they thought Diez was a gold digger.

The Duchess of Alba's father, the King of Spain, also had reservations surrounding Diez's suitability to join their royal family. However, the strong-willed aristocrat did not allow her family's doubts and concerns to deter her:

"I'm a very determined person. I've got my own ideas about things, and I try to make them reality."

Diez and the late Spanish Duchess had been friends for over three decades. Although his job was that of a civil servant working at Spain's Ministry of Employment, he had an appreciation for the finer things in life, like art and cultural heritage, which he and his late wife bonded over.

Despite their genuine love for each other and shared interests, the Duchess' kids were relentless in their disapproval of Diez. However, since inheritance seemed to be the biggest issue they had with the union, their mom decided to divide all her wealth and assets— estimated to be worth around $650 million and $3.7 billion — among her children.

In addition to divvying her assets between her kids, Diez signed a document that gave up his right to inherit any fortune from her. Their wedding took place in Seville in 2011, where the Duchess of Alba adorned a Victorio y Lucchino pale pink dress while her beau rocked a dark silver suit.

Thirty-eight guests were in attendance, barring the presence of two of her children. One was said to have been in the hospital with chicken pox, while the other, who, according to reports, was said to be unhappy with his share of the inheritance, was traveling.

Unfortunately, Spain's beloved Duchess passed away at 88 in 2014 at her 15th-century palace in Seville.

The Late Duchess of Alba Was Married Twice before Diez

Before tying the know with Diez, the Duchess of Alba was married twice before. In January 1947, reports announced her engagement to Luis Martinez de Irujo y Artazcoz, whose father was the Duke of Sotomayor and whose mother was a lady-in-waiting for Queen Ena.

Newspapers dubbed the Duchess' first wedding as the world's most expensive wedding. Her elegant gown, rumored to have cost $50,000, was fashioned out of ivory satin, tulle, and lace and was designed by a seamstress, Flora Villareal, who went on to become one of the most desired designers in Spain.

When it came to the day of the nuptials, the Duchess' father spared no expense and pulled out all the stops. Of the wedding, a news source reported:

"Gossip from Madrid said the wedding will cost the Duke [of Alba] $500,000."

What made the wedding even more iconic was its triumphant victory in the comparison game with Queen Elizabeth II's wedding, which was set to take place in November 1947, a month after the Duchess of Alba's. Apparently, the same outlet that put forth the estimated cost of the wedding claimed that a source from Buckingham Palace reacted ruefully once told the cost of the Duchess of Alba's dress.

Aside from overshadowing Queen Elizabeth II at one point, the Duchess of Alba, who had previously hosted famous icons like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy in Spain, was once invited to pose for the legendary late artist Picasso. Though she declined to be painted by him, she had showcased some of his paintings in a private showroom in Seville.

When the Duchess' first husband passed away, she got remarried to Jesús Aguirre y Ortiz de Zarate six years later. He was a former Catholic priest and intellectual, and 11 years younger than her, much to the disappointment of her royal family and friends.

Unfortunately, Spain's beloved Duchess passed away at 88 in 2014 at her 15th-century palace in Seville. When she died, the city's mayor, Juan Ignacio Zoido, announced:

"Cayetana always had Seville in her heart, and for this reason, she will always remain in Seville's heart. May she rest in peace."

The twice-widowed Spanish aristocrat left behind an incredible legacy, which included countless properties in Spain that spanned 34,000 hectares of land, sprawling palaces, and invaluable and expensive paintings by iconic artists like Rembrandt and Goya. With the amount of land she owned from the Northern to the Southern regions of the country, the Duchess of Alba was deemed the biggest landowner in Spain.

As part of her will, all her wealth and her entire estate were left to her six children, who also scored a palace each, and her eight grandchildren.

Given the fact that he signed the document waiving his right to inherit any of her assets, the Duchess of Alba's husband, Diez, who was said to have been at her side when she passed, was left with nothing.