Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz

Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz, Dowager Viscountess of La Torre (Spanish: Maria del Pilar Alfonsa Juana Victoria Luisa Ignacia Todos Santos Borbon Bordon-Dos Sicilias; born 30 July 1936), sometimes known more simply as Pilar Borbon is the elder daughter of Infante Juan, Count Barcelona and Princess Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and older sister of King Juan Carlos I. She has also a younger sister, Infanta Margarita of Spain.

Early Life

Infanta Pilar spent her early years at the royal family's home in exile at Estoril on the Portuguese Riviera.

She was a bridesmaid at the 1962 wedding of her brother Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark in Athens.

Marriage and Family

Pilar needed to renounced her rights of succession to the Spanish throne to marry a commoner as stipulated by the Pragmatic Sanction of Charles III on marriages of members of the royal family; later in 1987 she was made Infanta, by her brother King Juan Carlos with the style of Royal Highness.

She married Don Luis Gomez-Acebo Duke of Estrada, Viscount Torre, Grandee of Spain (Madrid, 23 December 1934-Madrid, 9 March 1991) on 5 May 1967 in Libson, Portugal at Jeronimos Monastery. They have five children:

-Her Excellency Dona Maria Fatima Simoneta Luisa Gomez-Acebo Borbon(31 October 1968) she married Jose Miguel Fernandez-Sastron on 12 September 1990 and they were divorce on 16 October 2012. They have three children:

-Luis Juan Fernandez-Sastron Gomez-Acebo (23 September 1991)

-Pablo Fernandez-Sastron Gomez-Acebo (4 May 1995)

-Maria Mercedes Fernandez-Sastron Gomez-Acebo (17 January 2000)

-His Excellency Don Juan Filiberto Nicolas Gomez-Acebo Borbon, Viscount La Torre (6 December 1969) he married Winston Holmes Carney on 2 January 2014. Separation was announced in May 2019.

-Nicolas Gomez-Acebo Carney (2 March 2013).

-His Excellency Don Bruno Alejandro Gomez-Acebo Borbon (15 June 1971) he married Barbara Cano Plaza on 5 October 2002. They have three sons:

-Alejandro Juan Gomez-Acebo Cano (born 5 November 2004)

-Guillermo Gomez-Acebo Cano (born 23 November 2005)

-Alvaro Gomez-Acebo Cano (born 30 May 2011), his godfather is Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou

-His Excellency Don Luis Beltran Ataulfo Alfonso Gomez-Acebo Borbon (20 May 1973) he married Laura Ponte Martinez on 18 September 2004 and they were divorced on 2011. They have two children. He remarried Andrea Vicens on 27 February 2016.

They have one son:

Luis Felipe Gomez-Acebo Ponte (1 July 2005), whose godfather is Felipe VI of Spain

-Laura Gomez-Acebo Ponte (1 July 2006)

-Juan Gomez-Acebo Pascual (17 July 2016)

-His Excellency Don Fernando Humberto Gomez-Acebo Borbon (born 13 September 1974), married Monica Martin Luque in Madrid on 27 November 2004. Separation was announced in July 2011, and they divorced in January 2013. On 31 May 2016 Fernando married journalist Nadia Halamadari in Palaio Faliro, Athens. Later divorced. They have a son:

-Nicolas Gomez-Acebo Halamandari (5 June 2016)

Equestrian Sport

Pilar Borbon has been supporting international equestrian sport. She was President of the International Equestrian Federation from 1994 to 2006, succeeded by HRH Princess Haya bint al Hussein. She wrote the foreword of the official Spanish translation of the national instruction handbook of the German National Equestrian Federation,Tecnicas Avanzadas Equitacion-Manual Official Instruction Federation Ecuestre Alemana.

From 1996 to 2006 she was a member of the International Olympic Committe for Spain, when she became an honorary member, and Member of the Executive Board of the Spanish Olympic Committee.

Financial Holdings

Mossack Fonseca files document that in August 1974, Pilar Borbon became president and director of the Panama-registered company Delantera Financiera SA (registered May 1969) with her husband as secretary-treasurer and director. In 1993, London-based Timothy Lloyd who had represented the undisclosed owner of the company said that Pilar Borbon owned it.

After March 1993, the intermediary representing the company was Madrid-based Gomez-Acebo & Pombo Abogadas, a law firm founded by Pilar Borbon's brother-in-law Ignacio Gomez-Acebo. From July 2006 until its dissolution in June 2014 Pilar Borbon son Bruno Alejandro Gomez-Acebo Borbon was director and treasurer of the company.

Titles, Styles and Honours

30 July 1936-13 April 1967: Her Royal Highness Infanta Pilar of Spain

13 April 1967-5 June 1967: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Badajoz

5 June 1967-9 March 1991: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Badajoz, Viscountess of La Torre

9 March 1991-present: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Badajoz, Dowager Viscountess of La Torre

The Infanta's style and title in full: Her Royal Highness Dona Maria Pilar Alfonsa Juana Victoria Luisa Ignacia Todos Santos Borbon Borbon-Dos Sicilias Gomez-Acebo, Infanta of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz, Grandee of Spain, Dowager Viscountess of La Torre.

National Honours

-Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III

-Spain: 1,191st Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa

-Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit

Foreign Honours

-Greek Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia

-Two Sicilian Royal Family (Hispano-Neapolitan branch): Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George

-Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Henry

House: Bourbon

Religion: Roman Catholic

(https://zims-en.kiwix.campusafrica.gos.orange.com)