generalspeaking

Third Time Lucky (Him, not Her)

If you've got the financial wherewithal and the authority gained from presence within society nothing is beyond approachability. And besides, although the age differential between the 85-year-old Duchess of Alba and her newly-wed husband, civil servant Alfonso Diez is 25 years, that still makes him 60 years of age. He's no spring chicken, either. And it's entirely possible she is more sprightly and in better health than he is.

After all, she's the one who broke off into a flamenco at the entrance of her Palacio de las Duenas in Seville, after kicking off her shoes, not him. Her flamboyance as opposed to his staid civil-servant bureaucratise.

She's the head of the House of Alba, an aristocrat with more titles than any other noble, with six children all of whom appear to be rather morose and sour at her romance. Fearing, no doubt, that their inheritance is geared to be watered down. But it appears there's plenty to go around, since the Duchess is worth between $835-million and $4.8-billion. Admittedly, that's a big stretch.

And the Duchess has already gone to the trouble of dividing up most of her estate among her five sons and one daughter, inclusive of palaces, mansions and art treasures; masterpieces from Goya to Velazques, Murillo, Rembrandt and Rubens. While maintaining control of her empire, for the nonce.

This is her third marriage; each of the previous two had her husbands of 25 and 23 years' duration leaving her a widow. Third time around, it's not likely to happen again. She will doubtless pre-decease him. And anyone can be allowed to speculate; with all that wealth, does philanthropy come into the picture at all?

The frizzy-grey-haired Duchess who loves frilly Alice-in-Wonderland gowns has all and more than any human being could want. At 85 she still has life, fabulous wealth, a new love, children in comfortable circumstances - no thought to spreading the happiness in a wider circle to benefit others?

Just wondering.

Labels: Social-Cultural Deviations, That's Life

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, October 06, 2011