Countess of Barcelona

Embed from Getty Images

The Countess of Barcelona, grandmother of King Felipe, died on this day in 2000. Born Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, she was the daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain and Princess Louise of Orléans and grew up in Spain and France. In 1935, she married Infante Juan of Spain, the fourth son and heir of the exiled King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, who took the title of ‘Count of Barcelona’ after his father’s death in 1941, as a title of pretence. The couple had four children, including the future King Juan Carlos, and resided in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Portugal, eventually returning to Spain in 1976, a year after the Monarchy was restored with their son. The Countess was a fan of bull fighting and Andalusian culture, and was buried with the honours of a Queen at the Royal Crypt of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, after she died on this day in 2000.

Queen Maria Cristina’s Loop Tiara

Spanish Fleur-de-Lys Tiara

The tiara of the fleurs-de-lys, which Alfonso XIll gave to Aunt Ena for the wedding, I only wore once in England for the coronation of the Queen, which was in June 1953. When we were going to leave for Westminster Abbey, I had my small tiara on, and then Queen Victoria said to me: No, you have to wear the one with the fleurs-de-lys. And I obeyed. But as soon as it was all over, I gave it back to her. They had given it to her as a gift and the logical thing is that she would have it as long as she lived. Later, when she died, they gave it to me, but I passed it on to Sofia. Aunt Ena continued to wear it for important events and for some precious photographs”.