Royal Profile: Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz, Grandee of Spain, Dowager Viscountess de la Torre

Infanta María del Pilar Alfonsa Juana Victoria Luisa Ignacia y Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz, Grandee of Spain, Dowager Viscountess de la Torre was born 30 July 1936 is the eldest daughter of Infante Juan Carlos, Count of Barcelona and Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies {Source}. She also has three younger siblings, two siblings-in-law, several nieces and nephews and their families{Source}:

1. King Juan Carlos of Spain (1938)
1. Queen Sofia of Spain (1938, m. 1962)
1. Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (1963)
1. Don Jaime de Marichalar (1963, m. 1995-2009)
1. Don Felipe Juan Froilán de Todos los Santos de Marichalar y de Borbón (1998)
2. Doña Victoria Federica de Todos los Santos de Marichalar y de Borbón (2000)
2. The Infanta Cristina of Spain (1965)
1. Iñaki Urdangarín
1. Don Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón(1999)
2. Don Pablo Urdangarín y de Borbón (2000)
3. Don Miguel Urdangarín y de Bórbon (2002)
4. Doña Irene Urdangarín y Bórbon (2005)
3. King Felipe VI of Spain (1968)
1. Queen Letizia of Spain (m. 2004)
1. Leonor, Princess of Asturias (2005)
2. The Infanta Sofia of Spain (2007)
2. Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria, 2nd Duchess of Hernani (1939)
1. Carlos Zurita y Delgado (m. 1972)
1. Don Alfonso Juan Carlos Zurita y de Bourbon (1973)
2. Doña Maria Sofia Emilia Carmen Zurita y de Bourbon (1975)
3. Infante Alfonso of Spain( 1941-1956)

The majority of her early years was spent in exile in Portugal. Infanta Pilar renouced her rights to the Spanish throne upon her marriage, but due to it being before the Constitution it is debated whether or not it holds today. It is long debated whether or not she and her family have Spanish succession rights or not as the Spanish Constitution section 57 states{Source}:


The Crown of Spain shall be inherited by the successors of H. M. Juan Carlos I de Borbón, the legitimate heir of the historic dynasty. Succession to the throne shall follow the regular order of primogeniture and representation, the first line always having preference over subsequent lines; within the same line,the closer grade over the more remote; within the same grade, the male over the female, and in the same sex, the elder over the younger.



To date, the Spanish government has not seen fit to clarify whether this provision includes anyone beyond the descendants of King Juan Carlos, such as his sisters and their families: "Successors" may not be presumed to be synonymous with "descendants".

From 1994-2005, she served as president of the International Equestrian Federation, until Princess Haya of Jordan succeed her. She was a member of the International Olympic Committee for Spain from 1996-2006, and now acts as an honorary member of the IOC {Source}. She is also a member of the Executive Board, Spanish Olympic Committee {Source} and President of Europa Nostra from 2007-2009 {Source}. The Infanta speaks several languages fluently, including: English, French, Italian, Portuguese and of course, Spanish.

When her younger brother married Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962, Infanta Pilar was a bridesmaid {Source}. She married a few years later on 5 May 1967 in Portugal to Don Luis Gómez-Acebo y Duque de Estrada, ?th Viscount de la Torre, Grandee of Spain. Together, they have five children and 11 grandchildren:

1. Doña María de Fátima Simoneta Luisa Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón (1968)
1. Don José Miguel Fernández-Sastrón (1959, m. 1990-2012, div)
1. Luis Juan Fernández-Sastrón y Gómez-Acebo (1991)
2. Pablo Fernández-Sastrón y Gómez-Acebo (1995)
3. María de las Mercedes Fernández-Sastrón y Gómez-Acebo (2000)
2. Don Juan Filiberto Nicolás Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón, The Viscount de la Torre (1969)
1. Winston Holmes Carney (m. 2014)
1. Nicolás Gómez-Acebo y Carney (2013)
3. Don Bruno Alejandro Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón (1971)
1. Bárbara Cano y de la Plaza (m. 2002)
1. Alejandro Juan Gómez-Acebo y Cano (2004)
2. Guillermo Gómez-Acebo y Cano (2005)
3. Álvaro Gómez-Acebo y Cano (2011)
4. Don Luis Beltrán Ataúlfo Alfonso Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón (1973)
1. Laura Ponte y Martinez (m. 2004, div. 2011)
1. Luis Felipe Gómez-Acebo y Ponte (2005)
2. Laura Gómez-Acebo y Ponte (2006)
2. Andrea Pascua Vicens (m. 2016)
1. Juan Gómez-Acebo y Pascua (2016) {Source}
5. Don Fernando Humberto Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón (1974)
1. Mónica Martín Luque (m. 2004, div. 2013)
2. Nadia Halamandari (m. 2016)
1. Nicolás Gómez-Acebo y Halamandari (2016)