Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Seventy years ago, on the 14th and 15th of October 1954, Infanta Pilar of Spain, granddaughter of King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, celebrated her majority of age and formal debut into society The grand celebration, held in Estoril, Portugal, was organized by her parents, the Count and Countess of Barcelona, as the Spanish Royal family lived in exile. The event drew prominent figures from Spanish and Portuguese high society, alongside other exiled royals.
The festivities began on the afternoon of the 14th with a reception at the Count and Countess of Barcelona’s residence in Estoril. The small coastal town saw a surge of excitement as a large crowd of Spanish well-wishers arrived, loudly cheering “Vivas” for the de jure Spanish monarch and his family. Infanta Pilar graciously accepted congratulations and numerous gifts from her distinguished guests.Doña María de las Mercedes would fondly recall in her memoirs that
“on the 14th, the Duke of Infantado came to Giralda with all the Spaniards so that they could greet us and congratulate Pilar. Everything was simple, exciting and spontaneous. In the end Juan had to speak to them to thank them for being there. There was so much enthusiasm that nobody wanted to leave.”
For this occasion, the Countess of Barcelona wore some of her most important jewellery, namely Infanta Isabel’s Pearl Bracelet, Queen Isabel II’s Emerald Earrings, and Queen Amelie of Portugal’s Emerald Brooch. Infanta Pilar wore a pearl necklace which her parents had given her to mark this occasion.
On the evening of the 15th, a grand gala was held at the now-nonexistent Hotel do Parque. The venue was elaborately decorated, with natural plants and the indoor pool transformed into a social space to accommodate the thousands of attendees.
Infanta Pilar was not the only debutante that night. She was joined by twenty-seven other young women, including her cousin, Princess Teresa of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Archduchess Kinga of Austria, Mafalda Chanler, Rocio Falcó, Luisa Alvarez de Toledo, and Pilar de Carvajal y Urquijo.
In addition to the presentation dances, the evening featured musical performances, including one by the legendary Portuguese Fado singer Amália Rodrigues and another by renowned Flamenco dancer and singer Pastora Imperio. Regarding Pastora, the Countess of Barcelona would later recall that
“she was still unique. She was a true monarchist! At the end of her show, she said loud and clear: «I do not want to die without seeing Don Juan reign». It was a huge success and moved us all. The poor thing died without seeing her dream come true.”
The gala was a white-tie affair, with men in formal attire and women in elegant long gowns, adorned with spectacular jewelry. Doña Pilar wore a white tulle gown with bare shoulders designed by Spanish designer Isaura, who would later create her wedding dress. Her jewellery was understated, featuring a row of small pearls gifted by her parents, diamond floral earrings, two diamond bracelets, and the bow and Cross of the Royal Order of Noble Ladies of Maria Luisa, awarded by the Count of Barcelona on this occasion. She also wore the ladies’ bows of the Royal Maestranzas of Seville and Zaragoza. Pilar later appeared on the cover of Semana magazine as part of their “Spanish Beauties” series.
The two main tables at the dinner were presided over by the hosts, the Count and Countess of Barcelona. Their closest relatives dined alongside them. At Don Juan’s table sat Infanta Alicia, Infanta Isabel Alfonsa, Prince Ataúlfo of Orleáns-Borbón and Infanta Felipa of Portual.
The Countess was joined by King Umberto II of Italy, the Duke of Braganza, Infante José Eugenio, Marisol of Bavaria and Princess Theresa of Orléans-Braganza.
The Countess of Barcelona wore some of her best jewels, namely Queen Maria Cristina’s Loop Tiara and her Diamond Earrings.
Infanta Alicia wore all the parts of her wonderful Chaumet Sapphire Parure.
Infanta Isabel Alfonsa borrowed her sister’s Sapphire Tiara, pairing it with a diamond chain necklace with a large aquamarine pendant, and her Diamond and Pearl Brooch. The Countess of Barcelona would later recall in her memoirs that
“as for my sister Isabel, who was quite modest and never liked to dress elegantly, me, Alfonso and Dolores, my brother and sister, the Bavieras, José Eugenio and Marisol, came up with the idea of making her pretty. In the end she was wonderful, just like La Chata! She spent the whole night with her lips pressed together because she said that the taste of the lipstick disgusted her.”
Marisol of Bavaria, Countess of Odiel, wore Queen Isabella II’s Emerald Flower Tiara while Princess Theresa Orleán-Braganza, younger sister of the Countess of Paris and the Duchess of Braganza, wore a set of jewels that had belonged to her mother, Elisabeth Dobrzensky de Dobrzenicz.
Among the many Spanish Noble ladies attending, the Duchess of Alba stood out wearing some of her valuable emeralds together with her Diamond Kokoshnik Tiara.
To mark the occasion, Infanta Pilar received a variety of gifts, filling an entire room at Villa Giralda. Her presents ranged from silverware, fur coats, fans, and handbags to fine jewelry. Notable among the gifts were the ribbons from the Reales Maestranzas, which Pilar wore at her debutante ball. These were presents from family, friends, nobles, and various organizations.
One of the best and most valuable gifts HRH received was Diamond Suite including a pair of earrings, a ring, a watch and a pair of clip brooches. This set of jewellery was offered to the Infanta by a national subscription set out for the occasion, as can be read on the box “Gift from Madrid, Seville, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Valladolid, Salamanca and Jaen”.
Franco’s regime viewed the event with disfavour, particularly the overwhelming support shown by the Spanish public and nobility. Authorities intercepted many Spaniards travelling to Portugal and forbade them from continuing, with rumours circulating about revoking the diplomatic passports of certain Spanish nobles. Despite this, General Franco sent Infanta Pilar a gift: a gold evening bag with a clasp of diamonds and cabochon sapphires, crafted by Sanz.
This article was written by assistant editor, David Rato, who runs the Spanish Royal Jewels account on Instagram!