Lydia Starbuck

A century ago, the woman who reigned as Spanish consort had more than her fair share of problems. She was Victoria Eugenie, known as Ena, and her first day as a queen began in a terrifying manner. Ena perhaps realized the turbulence ahead of her just minutes after her wedding. She walked into the Royal Monastery of San Jeronimo in Madrid on May 21st 1906 as a princess and left as a queen having…

She was the ‘May Queen’ whose reign lasted little more than a month but left its mark in royal history. Marie-Jose was always a bit of a maverick who had her own views and no fear of sharing them. Those opinions would become a saving grace for the dynasty she married into when she became its one public dissenting voice against the fascism taking over their country. But…