Lady of Spain

The 18th Duchess of Alba, the most titled woman in Europe (if not the world), opens her masterpiece-filled Madrid palace for a rare visit.

Photographs by Simon Watson

January 2006

1 of 7

Visitors to the Palacio de Liria ascend a monumental domed stairway, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens during an early 20th-century restoration. The royal residence is actually just one of six palaces the Duchess, 79, owns throughout Spain.

Photographs by Simon Watson

January 2006

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Lady of Spain