CARMEN RUIZ MORAGAS : SECOND ACKNOWLEDGED MISTRESS OF KING ALFONSO XII : EIGHT YEARS AS LOVERS - LUXURY and VOLATILITY

 

CARMEN RUIS MORGAS

1898 - 1936

 

Image from Wikipedia

Carmen Ruis Morgas was an actress who became more famous as Mistress to the King of Spain than she did her successful acting career. Born in Madrid in an upper middle class family, she began acting at about the age of 20 and was successful on the Spanish stage as well as appearing in Silent Films. She was married in 1919 at about the age of 21 to a bullfighter named Rodolfo Gaona, but the marriage didn't last long - about a year..

This Spanish language article from SPANISH edition of VANITY FAIR magazine, published in 2018, suggests that Carmen was a liberated woman, a feminist, and one who dared break rules large and small. (Therefor not at all like her more private Mistress predecessor, Melanie.) But then what threat could Melanie De Gaufridy De Dortan have been to the Queen since her relationship with the King, Alfonso XII, as evidenced by the birth of their son, Roger, was before his marriage. It depends on if you believe that the relationship continued for some time during his marriage.

REVISTA VANITY FAIR SPAIN; CARMEN MORAGES ALFONSO XII's LOVER - ACTRESS FEMINIST (I've hit the Google Translate option to put it into English and note that the translation isn't perfect.)  I enjoy that Carmen is called a Lover rather than a Mistress. 

The author of this article Pilar Eyre is also the author of a book on Carmen in Spanish Language: It's called CARMEN THE REBEL and no I didn't read it. She says eight years went by before the Queen came face to face with Carmen, and then at the theatre.

Carmen sounds like a spitfire. EXCERPT: She is one of the most distorted figures of her time, a beautiful creature, a charismatic actress who rebelled against her condition as a woman, against her role as submissive wife, illegitimate daughter and lover, with episodes in her life as dark as her marriage to a famous bullfighter, whose most intimate details could be followed punctually in the uncensored newspapers, devoured by a public eager for strong emotions.

"As long as you can't really be, I want to have you to live like a queen," he said, and he, with a lot of money and authority, made it possible.

EXCERPT : They were eight years of romanticism, luxury and splendor, dream trips, a magnificent mansion adorned with the barbarian pageantry of the czar's furniture, a cook on loan from the Duke of Alba, a jeweler full of Cartier jewels... But they were also eight years of anguish due to the social and political vicissitudes of the time they had to live, also full of the jealousy and arguments of two exalted and stormy temperaments. .... Carmen became republican *** …. she died screaming Aflonso!  Alfonso! 

***

Carmen died a painful death of uterine cancer at only thirty-nine years old and her funeral was apparently only attended by her friends from the theatre.  Therefore, she became infamous.

*** for the people

ALPHONSO III's FATHERING.

1905 : Roger - with Melanie De Gaufridy De Dortan married to her husband.

1906 : Alfonso Pio Cristino Eduardo, Prince o Asturias  - with wife Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg

1908 : Jaime Luitpold Isabelino Enrique - with wife Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg

1909 : Beatriz Isabel Federica Alfonsa Eugenia - with wife Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg

1910 : Fernando (stillborn) - with wife Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg

1911 : Maria Christina Teresa Alejanra - with wife Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg

1913 : Juan Carlos Teresa Silvestre Alfonso - with wife Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg

           (the Father of Juan Carlos who became King and abdicated in recent years)

1914 : Gonzolo Manuel Maria Bernardo - with wife Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg

BIG GAP HERE

1929 : Leanodro Alfonso Ruiz Moragus - with Mistress Carmen Ruiz Moragas

____ : Ana Maria Teresa Ruiz Moragas - with Mistress Carmen Ruiz Moragas

NOTE that he abdicated in 1931

NOTE that she died in 1936, leaving two children

NOTE that Alfonso died in 1941

According to Spanish language Wikipedia, Carmen moved on from the King and had another man in her life Juan Chabas, from 1929 to 1936. Once again I see that there is potentially some misinformation about this woman.  While she did not have more children, this would suggest that she was seeing Chabas, who she did not marry, during the time that Leanodro was born. Her last words as reported by author Pllar Eyre would indicate that the King was her true love. Chabas was a republican poet, novelist, journalist - an all around writer - and also a theater critic.

C 2021

Research for this post included numerous genealogy sites and encyclopedia. Again, there is some speculations.