The dinner of the Duke of Alba in Liria with Javier Solana and Alicia Koplowitz (and other illustrious visits to the palace)

Liria’s palace It has always welcomed great figures from politics, cinema, the arts and intellectuals. Upon the death of her father, the Duchess of Alba received the big stars who were filming international films in Spain on Princess Street, Charlton Heston a Sofia Loren, protagonists of “El Cid”, directed by Anthony Mann, who was the first husband of Sara Montiel.

He also wanted to personally congratulate Vicente Parra and Paquita Rico, stars of Where are you going Alfonso XII? (Luis César Amadori, 1958), the love film about the sad romance of the monarch and his first wife María de las Mercedes.

Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva, During her marriage to Jesús Aguirre (1978-2001), the former Jesuit with liberal ideas, the politicians of the Transition passed through Liria, Felipe González He did it in the Sevillian palace of Las Dueñas, and writers and columnists such as Paco Threshold o Javier Pradera.

Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, current Duke of Alba, receives much less than his mother and almost always with more conservative profiles. Every two or three months it convenes a lunch attended by current political or social names. This same week, the guest of honor, of the 10 attendees, has been Javier Solana, 82 years old, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Minister Spokesperson, and much later elected Secretary General of NATO. There was no lack either, Alicia Koplowitz, a very close friend of the Duke of Alba and a regular at his celebrations.

The Albas’ relationship with Felipe González’s former minister is old and dates back to the times when Solana’s box at the Zarzuela theater was adjacent to the Duchess’s. Although as host, Carlos Alba is much less active than his mother, the Madrid president has already visited the main dining room of the palace twice. Isabel Díaz Ayuso, José Manuel García Margallo, former foreign minister and Miquel Iceta, former Minister of Culture, the only member of Pedro Sánchez’s government, who we know was invited to Liria, in addition to Meritxell Batet, who, in addition to being the holder of the Territorial Policy and Public Function portfolio, was president of Las Cortes.

On one occasion, Carlos Alba gathered about 20 supporters of the mayor at a dinner. Manuela Carmena, almost all of them left-wing people related to the progressive councilor, among them Ana Belén and Víctor Manuel, Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, Joaquín Sabina or the composer Pedro Halfter.

At dinner, Carmena revealed that the wedding with Eduardo Leire, her husband, also seated at the table, had been officiated by the priest Jesus Aguirre, many years before becoming Duke of Alba consort. Pedro Almodovar has been invited to the Alba mansion, but was summoned by Eugenia Martínez de Irujo, in the absence of his older brother. Eugenia is the silent and discreet host, who has recently revealed the visit they made years ago Richard Gere y Alejandra Silva when they started their relationship and no one knew about their romance. “She is a charming and very normal person,” says the Duchess of Montoro. “He was fascinated by the works of art he was looking at and was very grateful to see them. Then we went to eat.”