Spain Society

Sons of the American Revolution

MISSION STATEMENT

Our chapter is dedicated to investigate and promote the historic importance of Spain and Spaniards in the American Revolution and independence from Great Britain, and in the eventual creation of the United States of America. In this endeavor we will work closely with the Spanish chapter of the DAR and participate with them in any activities related to the American War of Independence.

Passing of our president, the Most Excellent Francisco de Borbon y Escasany, Duke of Sevilla

We regret to announce the passing of our president, the Most Excellent Francisco de Borbon y Escasany, Duke of Sevilla, on May 20, 2025, in Madrid, Spain. He is a cousin of King Felipe VI (both being descended from King Carlos IV of Spain).

Francisco de Paula Enrique de Borbon y Escasany was born on November 16, 1943 in Madrid, Spain. In 1968, Don Francisco became the 5th Duke of Sevilla, when his grandmother, Enriqueta de Borbon y Parade, passed away, and his father renounced his rights to the title. He studied economics in Madrid and Barcelona, and studied history at the Sarbonne in Paris. He was a businessman and banker in London, New York, Miami and Madrid. His hobbies included sailing, polo, and art.

In 1973, he married Countess Beatrice Wilhemine Paula von Hardenberg (1947-2020), and they had three children: Olivia Enriqueta Maria Josefa de Borbon y Hardenberg, Cristina Elena de Borbon y Hardenberg (1975-2020), and Francisco de Paula Joaquin de Borbon y Hardenberg (a member of the Spain Society). They were divorced in 1989. From 1991 to 1993, he was married to Isabelle Eugenie Karanitsch. In 2002, he married Maria de los Angeles de Vargas-Zuniga y Juanes.

In 1996, he was elected as the 48th Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem (Malta obedience). He was a commander of the Order of Civil Merit, a knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a senator of the Grand Badge if the Order of Queen Tamara, and president of the Corps of Nobility of the Principality of Asturias

He joined the Wisconsin State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution in 2001 on the service of his patriot ancestor, King Carlos III of Spain (1716-1788). On May 17, 2010, the Spain Society was founded at St. George’s Anglican Church in Madrid, Spain, and Don Francisco was selected as the first president, serving until his passing in 2025. He was buried in the Sacramental de San Justo Cemetery in Madrid, Spain.

Welcome to the Spain Society of the Sons of the American Revolution

WELCOME MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT,

DON FRANCISCO DE BORBON, DUKE OF SEVILLE

Welcome to the official website of the Spanish Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. We are a new group, created in May, 2010, under the patronage of His Majesty Juan Carlos de Borbón, King of Spain, and Felipe de Borbón y Grecia, Prince of Asturias. However, we are also much older, with a distinguished lineage that traces back to and celebrates the significant contribution made by Bórbon Spain and its King, Carlos III, to the cause of the American Independence and the creation of the United States of America.

The Sons of the American Revolution was created at Fraunces Tavern in New York, the location of George Washington’s farewell dinner to his officers, on April 30, 1889 – one hundred years following the date of Washington’s inauguration as the nation’s first president. The organization now claims over 30,000 members throughout the United States as well as chapters here in Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Membership is open to any male “of good repute”, at least l8 years of age, and who can prove lineal bloodline descent from an ancestor who actively supported the American Revolution, including:

Military veterans of the Revolutionary War

Civilians who provided arms or supplies to the American cause
People who served on political bodies supporting the Revolution
Soldiers and sailors from allied nations such as France or Spain who fought in support of American independence.

Notable members of the Sons of the American Revolution include numerous American presidents, Senators, state Governors, Ambassadors, and high-ranking military – not to mention Sir Winston Churchill and members of the Spanish, French, and German aristocracy, militaries, and the business community.

The activities of the Spanish Society focus on Spain’s contribution to the Revolutionary cause through luncheons with historians of the periods, visits to Spanish sites and museums housing artifacts of the period, and participation in activities of our sister organizations in Europe, notably the French. We hope that you will take an interest in our organization and, for further information, please contact our Vice President, Mr. David G. White or our treasurer, Mr. Gonzalo Taboada. For those of you in the United States, our Secretary, Mr. Charles Alcaraz.

Google Sites

Report abuse