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Gianni Ferrari/Getty Images
Left: Portrait of Duchess of Alba with her husband Luis Martinez de Irujo y Artacoz and her daugther newborn baby, Eugenia, Liria Palace, Madrid, 1968.
Right: The Duchess Cayetana of Alba with her husband Jesus Aguirre in the 'Palacio de Liria ', 1978, Madrid, Spain.
Why are we so fascinated with royalty and weddings? While I'm sure the sight of an 85-year-old woman dancing at her wedding makes many readers uncomfortable, the Duchess of Alba has a fascinating history. According to Wikipedia, her wedding in 1947 overshadowed that of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) a month later.
As AP reports:
SEVILLE, Spain — A wealthy, 85-year-old Spanish duchess considered the world's most title-laden noble married a civil servant 25 years her junior on Wednesday, shrugging off her children's qualms and celebrating by kicking off her shoes and dancing flamenco.
A crowd of several hundred clapped and roared its approval as the Duchess of Alba waved, smiled and danced on a red carpet after her wedding to Alfonso Diez at Palacio de las Duenas, her 15th-century residence in the cobblestoned old quarter of Seville.
Miguel Angel Morenatti / AP
Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva, Spanish Duchess of Alba, dances flamenco in presence of her husband Alfonso Diez after their wedding at Las Duenas Palace in Seville, Spain Wednesday Oct. 5.
Javier Diaz / Reuters
Spanish bullfighter Cayetano Rivera (L) and his girlfriend Eva Gonzalez arrive at Las Duenas Palace to attend the wedding of Spain's Duchess of Alba Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva and Alfonso Diez in Seville Oct. 5.
Ricardo Garcia - Pool / Getty Images
Alfonso Diez Carabantes and Duchess of Alba, Cayetana Fitz James Stuart during their wedding ceremony at Duenas Palace on October 5th, in Seville, Spain.
José Manuel Vidal, pool / Getty Images
Duchess of Alba, Maria del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James-Stuart dances with son Cayetano Martinez de Irujo during her wedding ceremony to Alfonso Diez Carabantes held at Duenas Palace on Oct. 5 in Seville, Spain.
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I'm not sure why the sight of an 85-year-old woman dancing at her wedding would make people uncomfortable. Surely there's no implied agism or sexism here, so what exactly is the problem? It seems to me that being able to dance or get married at 85 is an accomplishment to celebrate. I can't imagine why happiness would cause discomfort.
The apparent botox makes me uncomfortable.
I agree with Jim. And just how many freakin' names does this woman need anyway?