Spanish Duke Gives His Baby Girl a 25-Word Name — But a Law Is Forcing Him to Shorten It!
Introducing Sofía Fernanda Dolores Cayetana Teresa Ángela de la Cruz Micaela del Santísimo Sacramento del Perpetuo Socorro de la Santísima Trinidad y de Todos Los Santos!
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Sofia Palazuelo and Fernando Fitz-James Stuart pose with their new daughter Sofia at the exit of Clinica del Rosario on January 13.The pressure is on when naming a royal baby, and Fernando Fitz-James Stuart of Spain gave his new little girl several.
According to a local report, the 17th Duke of Huéscar and his wife Sofía Palazuelo face a dilemma following the recent baptism of their second daughter in Seville. Earlier this month, Fernando, 33, and Sofia, 31, celebrated the christening of their daughter Sofía Fernanda Dolores Cayetana Teresa Ángela de la Cruz Micaela del Santísimo Sacramento del Perpetuo Socorro de la Santísima Trinidad y de Todos Los Santos, El Pais reported.
The baby was born in January and named in tribute to Fernando’s late grandmother the Duchess of Alba, who had 19 names. The aristocrat died in 2014 as the most-titled person in the world through heritage and marriage with a whopping total of 57 titles, per Guinness World Records. She was five times a duchess, 14 times a Spanish grandee and 18 times a marchioness, among others. Her great-granddaughter’s moniker also honors other family members and religious devotions, El Pais said.
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Sofia Palazuelo and Fernando Fitz-James Stuart pose with their new daughter Sofia at the exit of Clinica del Rosario on January 13.Related: Meet Spain's Royal Family: Your Guide to the Spanish Monarchy's Family Tree
Despite the inclusive intentions, the Spanish newspaper reported that the baby’s name, by law, cannot be accepted by the Civil Registry, as the national record is capped at a shorter allotment.
“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,” states the law on names and surnames in Boletín Oficial del Estado, a.k.a. the Official State Gazette.
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Fernando Fitz-James Stuart Solis and Sofia Palazuelo attend the Annual Grand Gala in November 2021.The Duke and Duchess of Huéscar navigated the same situation following the birth of their first child in 2021. Fernando and Sofía named their first daughter Rosario Matilde Sofía Cayetana Dolores Teresa — which is not quite as long as her little sister’s.
While the couple’s next step regarding baby Sofía’s regal name remains unclear, they seem to be living happily ever after. Fernando and Sofía tied the knot at Liria Palace in Madrid on October 6, 2018, in a wedding attended by Queen Sofía of Spain, who is the mother of the current monarch, King Felipe.
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Fernando Fitz-James Stuart and Sofia Palazuelo on their October 6, 2018 wedding day in Madrid, Spain.Tatler reported that the couple met while studying at the College International Studies and that Fernando will inherit 50 titles from his father when he becomes the Duke of Alba one day. Down the line, 2-year-old Rosario is expected to become the next Duchess of Alba.
Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess of Huéscar participated in a photocall to introduce Sofía to the world on the way home from Clinica del Rosario — not dissimilar from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s tradition! The Prince and Princess of Wales smiled on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London following the births of their three children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, through the years.
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Prince William and Kate Middleton introduce Prince George at St Mary's Hospital on July 23, 2013 in London.Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Shaking up past precedent, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not take photos after Prince Archie, 4, was born at Portland Hospital in 2019. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex opted to introduce their son in a photocall at St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle days later and released a picture to Instagram alongside his maternal grandmother, Doria Ragland, his great-grandmother the late Queen Elizabeth and his great-grandfather the late Prince Philip.
When Princess Lilibet, 2, was born in 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed her birth in California with a simple statement and released her first solo photo for her first birthday one year later — where it was sweetly revealed that she inherited Harry’s red hair.
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