New-York tribune., 1907-05-20
SPANS PREMIER DUKE
Claimant to King AIfonso's Throne
Sails from Here.

- ,,corne so much accustomed 10
fe'S-' - -e~sonaees and other foreigners of
= -,-.sor n these shores that 'he!r presence IN
.a m LONGER eXcites any at'entlon. II Is
..45,- owing TO this that me s'ay III tHe OHiteo
pI7.a''. .rs nuke Of Medina Cceh. who sailed
5tateS y - .-o from New York for France
coaF'I - -, ,,1roticed Yet the duke is not
uassed ertireiN III - rrer,iar yrar5oa of
- r,-eu1!er duke ana premier sr9nuee OF
oI'' --,ously rich and unmarried out Is also
Spain eo' =. ,ba thrcne occupied by Alfonso XIII.
- is a direct descendant Of King Ferd-
Inc -. Queen Isabella, the patrons of Christie
l- + columbus. and for him and his family the
L -. that now holds the Crown OF Spain are
49, L4 more than usurpers-that Is 10 say IN
- For the duke has from his boyhood been
80 r3ost intimate friend Of the King. while Dona
th0 -7ucbess Of Medina Cceli. grandmother of
- duke was for many years grand mistress OF
- C-is+inas household. For the last four hun
80 vears whenever a new King Of Spain took
.sse,on OF his throne and was proclaimed, her
- e-raved in tabards gorgeously embazoned
- ,he ducal coat of arms appeared before the
orgl palace and protested in the name of their
,o-d scainst the usurpation, set forth the claims
:, she Duke of Medina CGli TO the Crown and
.houensed in his name every knight who might
o,+7,-e 20 dispute the legitimacy of the dukes
right 10 defend his opinion in duel TO the death.
.on the mountain the plain, by day or by
night"
No grandee Of Spain has ever seen fit 10 take up
the challenge seriously nor has the royal family
offered any serious objection to this manner OF
formulating the pretensions OF the dukes of Me
dina Cell and the practice has been kept up more
as sort Of tradition and hereditary custom than
ANYTHING else. l may add that each occasion of
g change in the tenure Of the Spanish throne the
Duke Of Medina Coeli for the time being sends
solemn OF protest against the alleged usurPa-
tiou Of the Crown all the foreign courts. which
is cou-teously acknowledged. and there the matter
remains.
The duke is the seventeenth of his line 10 bear
the title Of Medina Cell. granted by the Emperor
Charles Y when he founded the Grandezza by
granting It 10 twelve Of his peers. He possesses
about E dozen almost equally historic oukedoms,
and his chief home is magnificent palace At Ma
drid which dates from the seventeenth century. is
situated just opposite the Royal Museum Of Paint
ings and IS crowded from. cellar 10 saTTet with
treasures and heirlooms which have been accumu-
lated BIZ the family during the course OF centuries
He is a strange mixture Of oldtime chivalry and
ultra raodernity. Some time ago il brought 10
his notice that friend Of his had forged his name
z large amount, in the neighborhood OF So.VO0.
Although the forgery obvious and the young
duke actually held in his hand a confession from
the fellow noble who had perpetrated the fraud. he
insisted on honoring the bill and paying the fun
amount taking. like the present Marquis OF Cam
den in a similar instance few years ago in Eng
land, the high and lofty ground that he could not
permit that the signature OF the historic
which he had inherited should be dishonored even
though Il had been written by a scoundrel. If
ever there of the oldtime adage Of
'-noblesse oblige'' being put into practice II
surely in this instance. and the young dukes
duet. and above ALL his lofty regard for the honor
OF the family name. distinctly refreshing when
compared with the conduct Of many OF the
bles Of the present day Europe who resort 10 all
kinds Of legal technicalities and bubbles to avoid
the payment not merely Of tradesmen's bills, but
even Of debts Of honor, and who sometimes do
hesitate 10 resort to fraud and TO crine. IN
order obtain the resources necessary to satisfy
their extravaganza
The duke, like his friend King Alfonso. is OF post
hurnous birth. having come into the world several
months after the tragic death OF his father, who
accidentally shot himself in the woods of Guada-
rama falling MORALLY wounded at the feet Of his
young wife, to whom he had been married only
few weeks The widowed duchess five years after
her husbands death contracted second marriage
with member OF the ancient house OF Viladarias.
Count Of Estradas, who created Duke OF SantO
Meuro by Queen Cristsra- He is grand chamber
lain and grand master OF the horse TO young Queen
Victoria, while his wife, the duchess, is the gov
erness OF the motherless children OF the Infanta
Mercedes. Princess OF Asturias and sister OF the
King.
EUGENIES GRANDNEPHEW AND HEIR
The Duke Of Medina Con during his travels in
America and his stay IN New York. where he regis
tered at the Wadorf-Astorfa, was accompanied by
The Duke Of Penaranda, who is likewise Count OF
Montijo and younger brother OF the Duke OF
Alba and Of Berwick The late Duke Of Alba, IT
may be remembered, died very suddenly at tnat
self-sa-ue hotel namely, the WadorfAstoria while
over here for the Americas Cup races six years
aEo. The Duke OF Penaranda is granddaughter
Of Empress Eugene. being grandson Of her Sis
ter the late Duchess OF Alba. and he is descended
IN direct male line from King James II Of Eng
land by the latter's unlawful union with Arabella
Churchill wife of Colonel Godfrey and sister Of the
fret Duke Of Marlborough. The Duke OF Alba is
likewise Duke OF Berwick. the latter being an
English dignity conferred by King James II upon
his llegitimate son, which subsequently, at
tainted by Parliament owing 10 the duke having
sided his father after the latters flight from
England to France and deposition from the throne
Df England.
The Duke OF Penaranda like his sisters husband
the Duke Of santona, is enthusiastic polo player
and they form, together with the Duke Of Medina
Coeli, the Duke OF Alba and the Duke OF Friss. a
very strong team, which is 10 play this summer at
birmingham Ali Of them talk English without
accent, and for the part have been brought UP
English fashion at the great Roman Catholic coll
lege Of Beaumont, near Windsor. where the In
fsnts Eulalie has had her boys, and where Don
Jaime, the Carlist pretender received his educa-
ton Let add that II is understood that the
Duke Of Penaranda is destined TO Inherit as Count
Of Montjo. all the very extensive estates in Spain
OF his grandaunt, Empress Eugene. while another
beneficiary under her will will be her goddaugh-
ter, Queen Victoria of Spain
THE sUFFRAGETTE CANDIDATE
The Hon. Bertrand Russell. only brother and next
heir 10 the earldom OF Lord Russell. enjoys the