House of FitzJames


The House of FitzJames is a noble house founded by James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick. He was the illegitimate son of James II & VII, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, a monarch from the House of Stuart. After the Revolution of 1688, the Duke of Berwick followed his father into exile and much of the family's history since then has been in Spain and France, with several members of the house serving in a military capacity.

Branches

The house has two main branches. The senior line, carrying the title of Duke of Berwick and residing in Spain, is the result of the 1st Duke's marriage to Honora Burke, Countess of Lucan. This line has collected many titles throughout its history, including a few grandeeships of Spain, with some activity as ambassadors and military generals.
The junior line was associated with France and derived from the 1st Duke's second marriage to an Englishwoman, Anne Bulkeley. Perhaps the best known member of the French line was Édouard de Fitz-James, 6th Duke of Fitz-James, an ultraroyalist who escaped to Italy after the French Revolution and returned to France around the time of the Bourbon Restoration, after which he became a prominent politician.

Dukes of Berwick and Liria

They became dukes of Alba by the marriage between the 2nd duke and María Teresa de Silva and Alvarez de Toledo until the 11th duke