Spain's richest woman, the Duchess of Alba, dies at 88

Spain's richest woman, the Duchess of Alba, dies at 88
(Image credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Duchess of Alba, the richest women in Spain and a longstanding fixture on the gossip pages, died Thursday in Seville following a short illness. She was 88.

Maria del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuary was a member of one of Spain's oldest noble families, with an estimated wealth of at least $753 million. Known as the "rebel noble," she owned masterpieces, loved flamenco, let Yves Saint Laurent use her home for a Dior fashion show, and turned down Picasso's request to be his muse.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.