Eugénie de Montijo

Eugénie de Montijo
16th Countess of Teba and 15th Marquise of Ardales
Empress Eugénie (by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1853)
Empress consort of the French
Tenure	30 January 1853 – 11 January 1871
Born	(1826-05-05)5 May 1826 Granada, Spain
Died	11 July 1920(1920-07-11) (aged 94) Madrid, Spain
Burial	Saint Michael's Abbey, Farnborough
Spouse	Napoleon III of France
Issue	Napoléon Eugène, Prince Imperial
Full name María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick
House	Bonaparte
Father
Mother	María Manuela Enriqueta Kirkpatrick de Closbourn y de Grevigné
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

Doña María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox y KirkPatrick, 16th Countess of Teba, 15th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo (French: [øʒeni də montiχo]), was the last Empress consort of the French, from 1853 to 1871, as the wife of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French.

The last Empress of the French was born in Granada, Spain, to Don (1785–1839), Grandee, whose titles included 8th Count of Ablitas, 9th Count of Montijo, 15th Count of Teba, 8th Count of Fuentidueña, 14th Marquess of Ardales, 17th Marquess of Moya and 13th Marquess of la Algaba and his half-Scottish, quarter-Belgian, quarter-Spanish wife (whom he married on 15 December 1817), María Manuela Enriqueta Kirkpatrick de Closbourn y de Grevigné (24 February 1794 – 22 November 1879), a daughter of the Scots-born William Kirkpatrick of Closbourn (1764–1837), who became United States consul to Málaga, and later was a wholesale wine merchant, and his wife, Marie Françoise de Grevignée (born 1769), daughter of Liège-born Henri, Baron de Grevignée and wife Doña Francisca Antonia Gallegos (1751–1853).

Eugenia's older sister, , nicknamed "Paca" (24 January 1825 – 16 September 1860), who inherited most of the family honours and was 12th Duchess of Peñaranda Grandee of Spain and 9th Countess of Montijo, title later ceded to her sister, married the Duke of Alba in 1849. Until her own marriage in 1853, Eugénie variously used the titles of Countess of Teba or Countess of Montijo, but some family titles were legally inherited by her elder sister, through which they passed to the House of Alba. After the death of her father, Eugenia became the 9th Countess of Teba, and is named as such in the Almanach de Gotha (1901 edition). After Eugenia's demise all titles of the Montijo family came to the Fitz-Jameses (the Dukes of Alba and Berwick).