Carmen Polo
Encyclopedia
María del Carmen Polo y Martínez-Valdés, 1st Lady of Meirás, Grandee of Spain (11 June 1900 – 6 February 1988) was the wife of Francisco Franco
and a member of the Spanish nobility
.
on 6 February 1932 to Ramón Serrano Súñer
). Her aunt Isabel Polo-Vereterra y Florez married her relative Luis Vereterra y Estrada. Her great-grandparents were Telesforo Polo y Briz and wife Isabel Astudillo y ....
She played an important role in her husband's regime, playing an especially major role in the election of Carlos Arias Navarro
(when her husband was already ill) and in censoring the press. She was, undoubtedly, the most influential woman in the regime.
": "... el comandante Franco es un gran militar que aplazó su boda para ir a luchar..." ("...Commander Franco is a great soldier who postponed his wedding to go to war..."). It was two years before Franco returned to Oviedo.
When he returned, ready to marry, the death of Rafael de Valenzuela, successor to José Millán Astray
as commander of the Spanish Legion
, intervened. Franco was offered Valenzuela's command, and promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel. His ambition was too great to resist the opportunity, and he left for Morocco on 18 July 1923, making this promise to his fiancé: "This year we will be married, above all else. If I do not die in combat, I will return to you." Having become Spain's most decorated soldier, Franco was eventually given a leave of forty days, and royal permission to marry. The wedding took place on 16 October/22 October 1923, in the church of San Juan el Real of Oviedo
. Franco's best man was King Alfonso XIII, represented by General Antonio Losada, military governor of Asturias. Serving as maid of honour was Isabel Polo, Carmen's aunt. The witnesses were the Marquis de la Vega de Anzo, and Franco's brothers, Nicolás and Ramón
. Franco did not invite his father, Nicolás Franco, whom he had never forgiven for leaving his mother and living in Madrid with another woman.
lasted only a few days. Franco was needed in North Africa, and he did not wish to be accompanied by his wife. This forced separation lasted fifteen months. At age 32, Franco was promoted to full colonel
and made official commander of the Legion. He finally established a home, in Melilla
, where he moved Polo. Franco soon rose to the rank of general
. This began a new and difficult life for Polo, who would have to accustom herself to her husband's constant and unpredictable reassignments. They moved from Madrid to Zaragoza
, back to Oviedo, to the Canary Islands
, and after the Spanish Civil War
, to Salamanca
and Burgos
. "I felt like an authentic nomad
", she said on one occasion.
In the winter of 1926, Polo moved from Zaragoza to Oviedo, hoping to bear a son. The Francos had been married three years and had produced no children. This delay, abnormal at that time, gave rise to many rumours. In the end, Polo gave birth to a daughter, Carmen Franco y Polo
, known by the nicknames Nenuca, Carmencita, and Morita.
, France
, on the German
steamboat Waldi. They traveled under assumed names, fearing that Nenuca might be kidnapped. They waited in Le Havre for Antonio Barroso, who transported them to Bayonne
, to the house of his former governess Claverie. At the end of September, Franco sent his cousin and confidant, Salgado-Araujo, to find them.
In September 1936 Franco was chosen and appointed "Generalísimo" and head of state
by the National Defense Board (Junta de Defensa Nacional). Accordingly, Carmen Polo became known as the first lady
of Spain. She was generally referred to simply as "La Señora". Her glamorous persona became part of Franco's image. It is rumored that Jose Antonio de Sangróniz, Franco's chief diplomat, was forced to cancel a reception before the Junta de Burgos ("Military Junta of Burgos", named after the town where it was formed) because Polo did not have suitable clothes for the occasion. She would never have this problem again. Beginning in 1936, she began to build up a large collection of hats, dresses, and pearl necklaces, the latter becoming her trademark.
. After the war's end, the question of the head of state's residence presented a problem. Franco was initially inclined to live in the Royal Palace, but was disabused of this notion by Ramón Serrano Súñer
. Franco instead chose the Palacio Real de El Pardo, where he settled in March 1940 following its restoration. The Francos passed their summers at a home in Meirás, and fishing on their yacht
Azor. The home, which had formerly belonged to Emilia Pardo Bazán
, was, according to the official story, bought by "popular subscription" for more than 400,000 peseta
s.
Polo embarked on many foreign trips during her time as first lady. She first traveled to Portugal
in 1950, and returned in 1958 and 1967. She traveled to Rome
in May 1950, to witness the canonization
of Antonio María Claret. During the visit, she was granted an audience with Pope Pius XII. On none of her trips abroad was she ever accompanied by her husband.
El Pardo was the center of Spanish political life under Franco, and also the venue for many of the Franco family's personal events. Protocol was rigorously enforced, and largely dictated by la Señora, through the authority of the Casa Civil.
One of the most famous events of the Franco family was the marriage of the younger Carmen to Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú
, a son of the counts of Arguillo. In addition to his family's land holdings, he also carried the title of Marquis of Villaverde. This greatly pleased Polo, who had long held aspirations of nobility. The union produced several children, amongst others María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco
, the Francos' first grandchild.
Because of her foundness for wearing big pearl necklace
s she was often referred to as Doña Collares.
, a member of the House of Bourbon
. Polo hoped that this "operation" would lead to her granddaughter becoming queen. In fact, Juan Carlos ultimately succeeded to the throne. By that time, Franco was greatly diminished, both physically and mentally. With Franco's death, the family's fortunes changed dramatically.
On 26 November 1975, hours after her husband's death, King Juan Carlos I
gave Polo the hereditary title Señora de Meirás (English
: Lady of Meirás), named after her and her husband's summer residence. She was also given the accompanying dignity Grande de España (English: Grandee of Spain). The title and dignity were inherited by her grandson Francisco Franco (who also became the 11th Marquis of Villaverde after the death of his father).
In the ensuing years, Polo witnessed the disintegration of her family. On 31 January 1976, she left El Pardo for the last time. In 1978, Carmencita was arrested at Madrid Barajas International Airport
for attempting to smuggle 300 million pesetas
worth of gold, jewellery, and medals which had belonged to her father. María del Carmen separated from her husband and moved to Paris
, where she lived with the antiquarian Jean-Marie Rossi. On 7 February 1984, Polo suffered her greatest loss, when her great-grandson Francisco ("Fran") was killed at age eleven in a car accident.
In her final years, Polo rarely left her house, hearing mass
at home. She isolated herself completely, ignoring (and being ignored by) the press and refusing to read anything about politics or about her husband. She explained "It is necessary to have much Christian resignation, in light of the turmoils of my life."
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
and a member of the Spanish nobility
Spanish nobility
Spanish nobles are persons who possess the legal status of hereditary nobility according to the laws and traditions of the Spanish monarchy. A system of titles and honours of Spain and of the former kingdoms that constitute it comprise the Spanish nobility...
.
Family
She was the daughter of Felipe Polo y Flórez de Vereterra and Ramona Martínez-Valdés y Martínez-Valdés (died 8 February 1914), paternal granddaughter of Claudio Polo-Vereterra y Astudillo and wife Bonifacia Florez y ..., and sister of María Isabel Polo-Vereterra y Martínez-Valdés (married to José María Sanchíz y Sancho), Felipe Polo-Vereterra y Martínez-Valdés and Ramona (Zita) Polo-Vereterra y Martínez-Valdés (married in OviedoOviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
on 6 February 1932 to Ramón Serrano Súñer
Ramón Serrano Súñer
Ramón Serrano Súñer , was a Spanish politician during the first stages of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, the Spanish State, between 1938 and 1942, when he held the posts of President of the Political Junta Política of Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS , and Interior and...
). Her aunt Isabel Polo-Vereterra y Florez married her relative Luis Vereterra y Estrada. Her great-grandparents were Telesforo Polo y Briz and wife Isabel Astudillo y ....
She played an important role in her husband's regime, playing an especially major role in the election of Carlos Arias Navarro
Carlos Arias Navarro
Don Carlos Arias-Navarro, 1st Marquis of Arias-Navarro, Grandee of Spain, born Carlos Arias y Navarro was one of the best known Spanish politicians during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco....
(when her husband was already ill) and in censoring the press. She was, undoubtedly, the most influential woman in the regime.
Marriage
Her constant smile, pearl forocco, the wedding's postponement became the inspiration for a verse of "La MadelónLa Madelon
La Madelon or Quand Madelon is a French popular song of World War I. Although it is mostly known as La Madelon the proper title is Quand Madelon which are the beginning words of the refrain...
": "... el comandante Franco es un gran militar que aplazó su boda para ir a luchar..." ("...Commander Franco is a great soldier who postponed his wedding to go to war..."). It was two years before Franco returned to Oviedo.
When he returned, ready to marry, the death of Rafael de Valenzuela, successor to José Millán Astray
José Millán Astray
José Millán-Astray y Terreros was a Spanish soldier, the founder and first commander of the Spanish Foreign Legion, and a major early figure of Francisco Franco's Regime in Spain.- Early life :...
as commander of the Spanish Legion
Spanish Legion
The Spanish Legion , formerly Spanish Foreign Legion, is an elite unit of the Spanish Army and Spain's Rapid Reaction Force. Founded as the Tercio de Extranjeros , it was originally intended as a Spanish equivalent of the French Foreign Legion, but in practice it recruited almost exclusively...
, intervened. Franco was offered Valenzuela's command, and promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel. His ambition was too great to resist the opportunity, and he left for Morocco on 18 July 1923, making this promise to his fiancé: "This year we will be married, above all else. If I do not die in combat, I will return to you." Having become Spain's most decorated soldier, Franco was eventually given a leave of forty days, and royal permission to marry. The wedding took place on 16 October/22 October 1923, in the church of San Juan el Real of Oviedo
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
. Franco's best man was King Alfonso XIII, represented by General Antonio Losada, military governor of Asturias. Serving as maid of honour was Isabel Polo, Carmen's aunt. The witnesses were the Marquis de la Vega de Anzo, and Franco's brothers, Nicolás and Ramón
Ramón Franco
Ramón Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade , was a Galician pioneer of aviation, a political figure and brother of later dictator Francisco Franco...
. Franco did not invite his father, Nicolás Franco, whom he had never forgiven for leaving his mother and living in Madrid with another woman.
Birth of only child, "Nenuca"
The honeymoonHoneymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
lasted only a few days. Franco was needed in North Africa, and he did not wish to be accompanied by his wife. This forced separation lasted fifteen months. At age 32, Franco was promoted to full colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and made official commander of the Legion. He finally established a home, in Melilla
Melilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
, where he moved Polo. Franco soon rose to the rank of general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. This began a new and difficult life for Polo, who would have to accustom herself to her husband's constant and unpredictable reassignments. They moved from Madrid to Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, back to Oviedo, to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and after the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, to Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
and Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
. "I felt like an authentic nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
", she said on one occasion.
In the winter of 1926, Polo moved from Zaragoza to Oviedo, hoping to bear a son. The Francos had been married three years and had produced no children. This delay, abnormal at that time, gave rise to many rumours. In the end, Polo gave birth to a daughter, Carmen Franco y Polo
Carmen Franco y Polo
María del Carmen Franco y Polo, 1st Duchess of Franco, Grandee of Spain, Dowager Marquise of Villaverde is the only child of Spain's Caudillo, dictator General Francisco Franco and his wife Carmen Polo y Martínez-Valdès...
, known by the nicknames Nenuca, Carmencita, and Morita.
The Civil War and afterward
In July 1936, Polo and her daughter fled to Le HavreLe Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, on the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
steamboat Waldi. They traveled under assumed names, fearing that Nenuca might be kidnapped. They waited in Le Havre for Antonio Barroso, who transported them to Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
, to the house of his former governess Claverie. At the end of September, Franco sent his cousin and confidant, Salgado-Araujo, to find them.
In September 1936 Franco was chosen and appointed "Generalísimo" and head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
by the National Defense Board (Junta de Defensa Nacional). Accordingly, Carmen Polo became known as the first lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
of Spain. She was generally referred to simply as "La Señora". Her glamorous persona became part of Franco's image. It is rumored that Jose Antonio de Sangróniz, Franco's chief diplomat, was forced to cancel a reception before the Junta de Burgos ("Military Junta of Burgos", named after the town where it was formed) because Polo did not have suitable clothes for the occasion. She would never have this problem again. Beginning in 1936, she began to build up a large collection of hats, dresses, and pearl necklaces, the latter becoming her trademark.
First Lady
Polo almost always appeared with her husband. This caused some problems when traveling outside Madrid, since it required that Franco's ministers and advisers also be accompanied by their wives, creating problems with lodgingHotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
. After the war's end, the question of the head of state's residence presented a problem. Franco was initially inclined to live in the Royal Palace, but was disabused of this notion by Ramón Serrano Súñer
Ramón Serrano Súñer
Ramón Serrano Súñer , was a Spanish politician during the first stages of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, the Spanish State, between 1938 and 1942, when he held the posts of President of the Political Junta Política of Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS , and Interior and...
. Franco instead chose the Palacio Real de El Pardo, where he settled in March 1940 following its restoration. The Francos passed their summers at a home in Meirás, and fishing on their yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
Azor. The home, which had formerly belonged to Emilia Pardo Bazán
Emilia Pardo Bazán
Emilia Pardo Bazán was a Spanish author and scholar from Galicia.-Life:...
, was, according to the official story, bought by "popular subscription" for more than 400,000 peseta
Spanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...
s.
Polo embarked on many foreign trips during her time as first lady. She first traveled to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1950, and returned in 1958 and 1967. She traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in May 1950, to witness the canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
of Antonio María Claret. During the visit, she was granted an audience with Pope Pius XII. On none of her trips abroad was she ever accompanied by her husband.
El Pardo was the center of Spanish political life under Franco, and also the venue for many of the Franco family's personal events. Protocol was rigorously enforced, and largely dictated by la Señora, through the authority of the Casa Civil.
One of the most famous events of the Franco family was the marriage of the younger Carmen to Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú
Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú
Don Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú y Ortega, 10th Marquis of Villaverde was a Spanish aristocrat and noted heart surgeon.-Family:...
, a son of the counts of Arguillo. In addition to his family's land holdings, he also carried the title of Marquis of Villaverde. This greatly pleased Polo, who had long held aspirations of nobility. The union produced several children, amongst others María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco
María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco
María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco is a Spanish aristocrat and social figure. Under Spanish law since 2006 she precedes her younger brother as heir to her mother's dukedom, and is eligible to be succeeded by and/or to cede that grandeza to her descendants.-Birth and youth:She was born in...
, the Francos' first grandchild.
Because of her foundness for wearing big pearl necklace
Pearl necklace
Pearl necklace may refer to:* Pearls in jewelry* Pearl necklace , sexual act* "Pearl Necklace" , song by ZZ Top* "Pearl Necklace", song by MorissonPoe featured on Perfect Dark Zero* Pearl Necklace, American Thoroughbred racehorse...
s she was often referred to as Doña Collares.
Later years
Polo devoted her later years to her grandchildren. On 8 March 1972, her granddaughter María del Carmen married Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and CádizAlfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz
Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Duke of Cádiz, Grandee of Spain was a grandson of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and a Legitimist claimant to the throne of France.-Life:Alfonso was born in the Clinica Santa Anna in Rome, the elder son of Infante...
, a member of the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
. Polo hoped that this "operation" would lead to her granddaughter becoming queen. In fact, Juan Carlos ultimately succeeded to the throne. By that time, Franco was greatly diminished, both physically and mentally. With Franco's death, the family's fortunes changed dramatically.
On 26 November 1975, hours after her husband's death, King Juan Carlos I
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
gave Polo the hereditary title Señora de Meirás (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Lady of Meirás), named after her and her husband's summer residence. She was also given the accompanying dignity Grande de España (English: Grandee of Spain). The title and dignity were inherited by her grandson Francisco Franco (who also became the 11th Marquis of Villaverde after the death of his father).
In the ensuing years, Polo witnessed the disintegration of her family. On 31 January 1976, she left El Pardo for the last time. In 1978, Carmencita was arrested at Madrid Barajas International Airport
Madrid Barajas International Airport
Madrid-Barajas Airport is the main international airport serving Madrid in Spain. In 2010, over 49.8 million passengers used Madrid-Barajas, making it the country's largest and busiest airport, and in 2009 it was the world's 11th busiest airport and Europe's fourth busiest airport. It opened...
for attempting to smuggle 300 million pesetas
Spanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...
worth of gold, jewellery, and medals which had belonged to her father. María del Carmen separated from her husband and moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where she lived with the antiquarian Jean-Marie Rossi. On 7 February 1984, Polo suffered her greatest loss, when her great-grandson Francisco ("Fran") was killed at age eleven in a car accident.
In her final years, Polo rarely left her house, hearing mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
at home. She isolated herself completely, ignoring (and being ignored by) the press and refusing to read anything about politics or about her husband. She explained "It is necessary to have much Christian resignation, in light of the turmoils of my life."
Ancestors
External links
- Ducal House of Franco
- Partial biography
- Spanish Wikipedia