The upcoming March 25 will see the release of a new book by Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, following the publication of his controversial memoirs. The Last Duchess, a tribute to Cayetana de Alba, will reach bookstores three days before the centenary of his mother’s birth is commemorated, and this work aims to pay her a well-deserved tribute. The book not only helps to better understand the magnitude of this key 20th-century figure, it also reveals the delicate financial situation that the House of Alba faced a decade ago.
In an interview with the magazine ¡Hola!, the Duke of Arjona reveals that when he took charge of managing the noble house, there was a debt of twelve million euros. To this, an additional one million per year in interest had to be paid. “The lifetime donation of her assets, before the wedding to Alfonso, was a historic act,” says Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, who described his attempts to save the family patrimony as successful.
Cayetano has wanted to promote his new book in the style of Iñaki Urdangarin’s memoirs. For this he also granted an interview to the newspaper El Mundo in which he spoke clearly about his family. “I have paid a very high price for being chosen by my mother,” he said about some differences with his siblings that now seem finally settled, in the midst of organizing the centennial events for the Duchess of Alba.
The aristocrat has also spoken warmly about his children Luis and Amina, offspring of his first marriage to Genoveva Casanova, who have also contributed to the book. That affection that he has given them and that he did not have as a child is the reason they have “grown affectionate, responsible, friendly, and succeeding professionally in London.”
The Titles of Luis and Amina Martínez de Irujo
In his conversation with the magazine ¡Hola!, Cayetano Martínez de Irujo did not forget his two children either. He noted that both have a great memory of Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart. “I am deeply glad that they have been able to enjoy the best version of my mother,” the former Olympic rider said.
Luis and Amina, who were by his side at the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville for the homage to the duchess, will be the heirs to both of his noble titles. And Cayetano Martínez de Irujo already has decided how he will distribute them to avoid disputes. “My son Luis, who is just like me, will be the future Duke of Arjona. And my daughter Amina will be Countess of Salvatierra, which suits her very well,” he confessed with pride.
Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, with his children Luis and Amina.
Although Cayetano longed to inherit the prestigious title of conde duque de Olivares, he has always worn proudly the title of Duke of Arjona, the oldest dukedom in Spain. It should be noted that although the Civil Code does not have explicit regulation on this matter, from the point of view of nobiliary law, his titles cannot be shared or transferred through marriage. Therefore, the aristocrat’s wife, Bárbara Mirjan, will not be Duchess of Arjona nor Countess of Salvatierra.
Luis and Amina: from Las Arroyuelas to London
Luis and Amina Martínez de Irujo Casanova were born on July 25, 2001 in Mexico, a year after their parents met at a horse show. The couple introduced them to society at the Las Arroyuelas estate, where Cayetano and Bárbara currently reside, after making a long journey of 9,000 kilometers. “First of all I want to make it very clear that it was a very thought-out decision and firmly taken by both. And what has arrived, neither sought nor did not seek it, but came about this way,” were the statements of the Duke of Arjona at that happy moment.
The twins grew up in Madrid and experienced their parents’ divorce when they were six years old. Now both lead a discreet life in London, far from the media attention typically surrounding the AlbA family. The two have completed their university studies and according to Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, Luis works at the financial firm JP Morgan Chase and Amina at a major hotel company.
