Spanish Duke and wife

A Spanish Duke has been told he cannot name his daughter what he wants because her name is too long.

Fernando Fitz-James Stuart will need to significantly short­en his daughter’s name if he wants her legally registered.

The 17th Duke of Huescar, and his wife Sofia Palazuelo, recently baptised their second child Sofia Fernanda Dolores Cayetana Teresa Angela de la Cruz Micaela del Santisimo Sacramento del Perpetuo So­corro de la Santisima Trinidad y de Todos Los Santos.

The aristocrat, a direct descendent of King James II of England, has been told the register rules state that the name given to a child must not exceed more than “one com­pound name” and “two simple ones”.

“In the registration, the name given to the child will be expressed, although no more than one compound name may be recorded, nor more than two simple ones,” according to the second article of the law on names and surnames and their order, collected in the Of­ficial State Gazette.

The name is reportedly a tribute to the deceased Duchess of Alba, other mem­bers of the family and religious devotions.

“The first name, Sofia, for example, was chosen in honour of her mother and grand­mother, Sofia Barroso, and the second, Fernanda, as a tribute to her father, Duke of Huescar, as well as her great-uncle, Fernando Martínez of Irujo, Marquis of San Vicente del Barco,” El Pais reports.

The baptism was held in San Román in the historic centre of Seville on 7 October, followed by a dinner in the gardens of the Duenas palace.

This was where the Duke’s first daughter was also bap­tised in 2021. —Sky News