He renounced his title as heir presumptive to the Spanish throne in 1933 when he married the daughter of a wealthy Cuban commoner, Edelmira Sampedro-Ocejo. It was then that he took the title of the Count of Covadonga.
Born on May 10, 1907, the frst son of King Alfonso XIII' and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, the Count's full name was Alfonso Pio Christine Eduardo Francisco Guillermo Carlos Enrique Fernando Antonio Veriancio.
He was not 24 hours old when he was proclaimed Prince of the Asturias and Heir Apparent to the throne of Spain. On the very day of his birth, the 21-year-old King Alfonso presented him to the assembled Cabinet Ministers, members of the Diplomatic Corps and the Grandees of Spain, announcing according to tradition: "My Lords, the continuation of the dynasty is assured."
From his earliest years, his train-ind and education were directed towards preparing him to rule the ra
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.