José Manuel de Zuleta y Alejandro, 14th duke of Abrantes, GE, is a Spanish aristocrat and senior Spanish Army officer who currently serves as Private Secretary to Queen Letizia since 2014.
Biography
He was born on 8 December 1960, in Melilla, Spain. The son of José Manuel de Zuleta de Reales y Carvajal, 13th duke of Abrantes and Virginia Alejandro y García, he joined the General Military Academy in 1979 and graduated with the rank of lieutenant in 1984.
In the mid-1990s, he started to work in the Royal Household,[1] serving in relevant positions in the Royal Guard, in the King's Military Household and in the Protocol Department.[2]
In 2007, he joined the Household of the Prince of Asturias (Prince' Secretariat), where he assisted the Princess of Asturias, Letizia.[1] In 2014, after the accession to the throne of King Felipe VI, he was appointed head of Queen Letizia's Secretariat.[3]
In 2019, he was promoted to the rank of divisional general (OF-7).[1]
On early April 2024, the Royal Household made public that the duke would step down as private secretary to the Queen after 17 years of service. On April 30, he was replaced by State lawyer María Dolores Ocaña Madrid.[4]
Personal life
In 1986, he married Ana Pérez de Guzmán y Lizasoain,[3] daughter of Joaquín Pérez de Guzmán y Escrivá de Romani, 6th count of La Marquina. They have four daughters: Ana Luisa, María, Blanca and Loreto.[5] In 2009, the duke granted his eldest daughter, Ana Luisa, the title of marchioness of Sardoal.[6]
His brother, Felipe de Zuleta y Alejandro, was the riding instructor of the Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo.[3]
Titles
In June 1978, shortly after coming of age, his father gave him the title of 14th marquess of Sardoal,[7] a title he held until 2009, when he did the same with his eldest daughter, Ana Luisa.[6]
He currently holds the following titles:
- 14th duke of Abrantes, grandee of Spain.
- 6th marquess of the Duero, grandee of Spain.
- 15th marquess of Valdefuentes.
- 23rd count of Balalcázar.
- 18th count of Casares.
- 15th count of Lences.
- 5th count of Cancelada.
Other honors
- Grand Cross of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild (2016).
- Grand Cross of Military Merit, with White Decoration (2017).
References
- ^ a b c "Un general, a las órdenes de doña Letizia". El País (in Spanish). 2019-03-14. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "HomeÁrea de Prensa - D. José Manuel". casareal.es. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ a b c Higuera, Raoul (2014-06-27). "José Manuel Zuleta, la nueva mano derecha de la Reina doña Letizia". vanitatis.elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "María Dolores Ocaña es ya la nueva mano derecha de la Reina". La Razón (in Spanish). 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ Tiburcio, Núria (2019-03-13). "José Manuel Zuleta, la 'mano' de la Reina, consigue un ascenso". vanitatis.elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ a b Ministry of Justice (30 May 2009). "Orden JUS/1383/2009, de 8 de mayo, por la que se manda expedir, sin perjuicio de tercero de mejor derecho, Real Carta de Sucesión en el título de Marqués de Sardoal, a favor de doña Ana Luisa Zuleta Pérez de Guzmán". www.boe.es. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Ministry of Justice (31 July 1978). "Orden de 8 de junio de 1978 por la que se manda expedir, sin perjuicio de tercero de mejor derecho, Real Carta de Sucesión en el título de Marqués de Sardoal a favor de don José Manuel de Zuleta y Alejandro". www.boe.es. Retrieved 2023-08-22.