Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria
| Infanta Margarita | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duchess of Soria and Hernani | |||||
 Margarita with her husband, Carlos, in 2010 | |||||
| Born | 6 March 1939 Rome, Kingdom of Italy | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Alfonso Zurita y Borbón María Zurita y Borbón | ||||
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| House | Bourbon-Anjou | ||||
| Father | Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona | ||||
| Mother | Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies | ||||
| Spanish royal family |
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Extended royal family
Children of the late Duchess of Badajoz:
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Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria, 2nd Duchess of Hernani (Margarita María de la Victoria Esperanza Jacoba Felicidad Perpetua de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón; born 6 March 1939), is the younger sister of King Juan Carlos I and aunt of the reigning King Felipe VI of Spain.
Early life
Infanta Margarita was born at Hotel Firenze Anglo American in Rome as the younger daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, and Princess Mercedes of the Two Sicilies. Margarita has been blind since birth.[1]
Marriage
She married the physician and aristocrat Carlos Zurita y Delgado on 12 October 1972 in Estoril at St. Anthony's Church.[2] They have two children:
- Don Alfonso Juan Carlos Zurita y de Borbón, GE, born on 9 August 1973 at Virgen de La Palomain Hospital in Madrid.
- Doña María Sofía Emilia Carmen Zurita y de Borbón, GE, born on 16 September 1975 in Madrid. Queen Sofía of Spain was her godmother.
Activities
In 1989, alongside her husband, they created The Duke and Duchess of Soria Cultural Foundation (Spanish: Fundación Cultural Duques de Soria), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of Spanish culture, Hispanic studies, science and knowledge, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage.[3]
She's also Honorary President of Madrid's delegation of UNICEF, of the Spanish Heart Foundation, of the ONCE Foundation and of the Spanish Federation of Hemophilia.[4]
Titles, styles and honours
Infanta Margarita renounced her right of succession to the Spanish throne upon marriage because it was not a dynastic wedding.[5][6]
On 6 January 1979, the Infanta's distant cousin Manfredo de Borbón, 1st Duke of Hernani, died and willed his ducal title to be inherited by Margarita. The King granted this request in 1977 and, on 27 May 1981, she became 2nd Duchess of Hernani, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee. The peerage title refers to the town Hernani, Spain. The month after, on 23 June 1981, King Juan Carlos created her Duchess of Soria (referring to the city Soria, Spain); this title is a title of the Royal House and cannot be inherited by her children.
Titles and styles
- 6 March 1939 – 19 May 1981: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Margarita
- 19 May 1981 – 23 June 1981: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Margarita, Duchess of Hernani[7]
- 23 June 1981 – present: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Margarita, Duchess of Soria[8]
Honours
National
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III[9]- Spain: 1,192nd Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Noble Ladies of Queen Maria Luisa
- Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise[10]
Foreign
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Greek Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia
Italy
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Two Sicilian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Two Sicilian Royal Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George[11]
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Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Henry[12]
Ancestors
| Ancestors of Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria |
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References
- ^ Doña Margot. La Infanta más marchosa
- ^ "ABC MADRID 13-10-1972 página 35 - Archivo ABC". abc. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Fundación Duques de Soria de Ciencia y Cultura Hispánica". Fundación Duques de Soria (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "La infanta Margarita cumple 84 años y lo celebra en familia". ¡HOLA! (in Spanish). 6 March 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal; Coutant de Saisseval, Guy (2002). Le Petit Gotha. Paris: Laballery. pp. 419–420. ISBN 2-9507974-3-1.
- ^ Enache, Nicolas (1999). La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg, Reine de Hongrie et de Boheme. Paris: ICC. pp. 532–534. ISBN 2-908003-04-X.
- ^ Ministry of Justice (27 May 1981). "Orden de 20 de abril de 1981 por la que se manda expedir, sin perjuicio de tercero de mejor derecho, Real Carta de Sucesión en el título de Duque de Hernani a favor de S. A. R. doña Margarita de Borbón y Borbón". www.boe.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Ministry of Justice. "Real Decreto 1216/1981, de 23 de junio, por el que se concede, con carácter vitalicio, la facultad de usar el título de Duque de Soria a Su Alteza Real doña Margarita de Borbón y Borbón". www.boe.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ (in Spanish) Universidad de Valladolid, Nota de Prensa 09-01-30 (accessed on 11 December 2009) Archived 24 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Royal Decree 483/2003 The Duchess of Soria and Hernani member of the Spanish Royal Order of Alfonso X. BOE, Spanish Official Journal. (accessed 2 November 2008)
- ^ Membership of the Constantinian Order Archived 5 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Portugal State visit to Spain