The children of the recently deceased 21st Duchess of Medina Sedonia have gone to court to get the same-sex spouse of their mother removed as head of a family foundation. The three children claim their mother lacked the legal ability to convey away the entire estate and that Spanish law guarantees a portion, at least 1/3, of parental property to children. The estate includes land holdings and a personal archive dating back to the 13th century and is worth, in total, an estimated £44 million. The dispute arose in the early 90’s when the Duchess transferred the property after a conflict with her children over money in a deliberate move to prevent them from inheriting any part of the family holdings.
See James Badcock, Children of ‘Red Duchess’ who married lesbian lover on deathbed in battle over legacy, The Telegraph, October 12, 2015.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
