1. Carmen Polo exerted a major influence in censoring the press.
17 Facts About Carmen Polo
1. 2.
Carmen Polo was endowed the Lordship of Meiras by Juan Carlos I on 26 November 1975.
3.
Carmen Polo was the daughter of Felipe Polo y Florez de Vereterra, a wealthy lawyer in Oviedo, and Ramona Martinez-Valdes y Martinez-Valdes, paternal granddaughter of Claudio Polo-Vereterra y Astudillo and wife Bonifacia Florez and sister of Maria Isabel, Felipe and Ramona.
4.
Carmen Polo's great-grandparents were Telesforo Polo y Briz and Isabel Astudillo.
5.
Carmen Polo first met the then Major Franco, her future husband, following his posting to Oviedo from Morocco in 1917.
6.
Carmen Polo finally established a home, in Melilla and Polo joined him.
7.
Accordingly, Carmen Polo became known as the first lady of Spain.
8.
Carmen Polo was generally referred to simply as "La Senora", and glamorous persona became part of Franco's image.
9.
Carmen Polo embarked on many foreign trips during her time as first lady.
10.
Carmen Polo first traveled to Portugal in 1950 and returned in 1958 and 1967.
11.
Carmen Polo traveled to Rome in May 1950, to witness the canonization of Antonio Maria Claret.
12.
On 8 March 1972, her granddaughter Maria del Carmen Polo married Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cadiz, a member of the House of Bourbon.
13.
Carmen Polo hoped that this "operation" would lead to her granddaughter becoming queen.
14.
Carmen Polo was given the accompanying dignity Grande de Espana.
15.
Carmen Polo's granddaughter separated from her husband and moved to Paris, where she lived with the antiquarian Jean-Marie Rossi.
16.
Carmen Polo explained, "It is necessary to have much Christian resignation, in light of the turmoils of my life".
17.
Carmen Polo died in Madrid on 6 February 1988, at the age of 87, and was buried at Mingorrubio Cemetery in El Pardo.