Infanta Eulalia of Spain

Infobox Spanish Royalty|infante
name = Infanta Eulalia
full name = Maria Eulalia Francisca de Asis Margarita Roberta Isabel Francisca de Paula Cristina Maria de la Piedad
title = Duchess of Galliera


titles = "HRH" The Duchess of Galliera
"HRH" Infantea Eulalia of Spain
royal house = House of Bourbon
spouse = Antonio de Orleans y Borbón
issue = Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón
Luís Fernando de Orleans y Borbón
father = Francis, Duke of Cádiz
mother = Isabella II
date of birth = birth date|1864|2|12
place of birth = Madrid, Spain
date of death = death date and age|1958|3|8|1864|2|12
place of death = Irun, Spain

Infanta Eulalia of Spain (12 February 1864 - 8 March 1958) was a Spanish infanta known for her controversial books.

Early life

Eulalia was born in the Royal Palace of Madrid, the youngest child of Queen Isabella II of Spain and of her husband, Francis of Spain. She was baptised on 14 February 1864 with the names "Maria Eulalia Francisca de Asis Margarita Roberta Isabel Francisca de Paula Cristina Maria de la Piedad". Her godfather was Duke Robert I of Parma, while her godmother was his sister Princess Margherita of Parma. ["Foreign Intelligence, Spain", "The Times" (February 19, 1864): 5.]

In 1868 Eulalia and her family were forced to leave Spain by the revolution. They lived in Paris where Eulalia was educated. She received her first communion in Rome from Pope Pius IX.

In 1874 Eulalia's brother King Alfonso XII was restored to the throne in place of their mother Queen Isabella II. Three years later Eulalia returned to Spain. She lived at first in El Escorial with her mother, but later moved to the Alcázar of Seville and then to Madrid.

Marriage and children

On 6 March 1886, at Madrid, Eulalia married her first cousin Infante Antonio de Orleans y Borbón, son of Antoine, Duke of Montpensier and of his wife, Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain. ["The Times" (March 8, 1886): 5.] The officiant was Cardinal Zeferino González y Díaz Tuñón, Archbishop of Seville. The wedding had been delayed several months on account of the death of Eulalia's brother King Alfonso XII. Eulalia and Antoine spent their honeymoon at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez.

Eulalia and Antoine had two sons:

* Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón (1886 - 1975)
* Luís Fernando de Orleans y Borbón (1888 - 1945)

After the birth of her younger son, Eulalia lived apart from her husband. She maintained residences in Spain and Paris, but often visited England.

Visit to the United States

In May 1893 Eulalia visited the United States; her controversial visit to the Chicago World's Fair was particularly well-documented. She travelled first to Havana, Cuba, ["Court Circular", "The Times" (May 10, 1893): 5.] before making her way to Washington, D.C., where she was received by President Grover Cleveland at the White House. ["The Times" (May 22, 1893): 7.] She then proceeded to New York City. ["Court Circular", "The Times" (May 30, 1832): 9.] Eulalia was later admitted a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution as a descendant of King Charles III of Spain.

Publications

Eulalia was the author of several works which were controversial within royal circles, although she never ceased to have frequent contact with her relatives both in Spain and elsewhere.

In 1912, under the pseudonym "comtesse de Avila", Eulalia wrote "Au fil de la vie" (Paris: Société française d'Imprimerie et de Librarie, 1911), translated into English as "The Thread of Life" (New York: Duffield, 1912). ["King Alfonso and His Aunt", "The Times" (December 4, 1912): 9; "Princess Eulalia's Book", "The Times" (December 6, 1912): 5; "The Infanta Eulalia", "The Times" (December 8, 1912): 5.] The book expressed Eulalia's thoughts about education, the independence of women, the equality of classes, socialism, religion, marriage, prejudices, and traditions. Her nephew King Alfonso XIII telegraphed her and demanded that she suspend the book's publication until he had seen it and received his permission to publish it. Eulalia refused to comply.

In May 1915 Eulalia wrote an article about the German Emperor William II for the Strand Magazine. The following month she published " [http://www.openlibrary.org/details/courtlifefromwit00eularich Court Life from Within] " (London: Cassell, 1915; reprinted New York: Dodd, Mead, 1915).

In August 1925 Eulalia wrote " [http://www.archive.org/details/courtsandcountri011111mbp Courts and Countries After The War] " (London: Hutchinson, 1925; reprinted New York: Dodd, Mead, 1925). In this work she commented upon the world political situation, and particularly her belief that there could never be peace between France and Germany.

In 1935 Eulalia published her memoirs in French, "Mémoires de S.A.R. l'infante Eulalie, 1868-1931" (Paris: Plon, 1935). In July 1936 they were published in English as "Memoirs of a Spanish Princess, H.R.H. the Infanta Eulalia" (London: Hutchinson, 1936; reprinted New York: W.W. Norton, 1937). [Review in "The Times" (August 28, 1936): 6.]

Death

On 9 February 1958, Eulalia had a heart attack at her home in Irun. ["Infanta Eulalia Gravely Ill", "The Times" (February 11, 1958): 7.] She died there on 8 March ["Infanta Eulalia", "The Times" (March 10, 1958): 12.] and is buried in the Pantheon of the Princes in El Escorial.

Notes

Bibliography

* García Luapre, Pilar. "Eulalia de Borbón, Infanta de España: lo que no dijo en sus memorias". Madrid: Compañía Literaria, 1995. ISBN 8482130218.