85-Year-Old Duchess Weds a Commoner

Spain’s Duchess of Alba walked down the aisle with a commoner groom more than 20 years her junior today, with a crowd of hundreds gathered around to cheer. As she left the ceremony at her 15th-century residence in Seville, the 85-year-old kicked off her shoes and danced a flamenco in celebration, while her groom, 61-year-old Alfonso Diez stood by, hand outstretched as if to catch her if she fell, the AP reports.

The Duchess, whose full name is Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva, has been twice-widowed and is among the richest and most famous women in Spain. Her children reportedly objected to the wedding, even though Diez signed a document denying any claim to her estate, and she gave them much of their inheritance early. One skipped the wedding, reportedly because he was upset with his slice of the fortune. (More Duchess of Alba stories.)