Jorge de Cárdenas y Manrique de Lara

Who is Jorge de Cárdenas y Manrique de Lara?

Jorge de Cárdenas y Manrique de Lara, 4th Duke of Maqueda and 6th Duke of Nájera, was a Spanish noble, military and statesman, born in Elche.

He was the son of Bernardino de Cárdenas y Portugal, 3rd Duke of Maqueda, 2nd Marquis of Elche, and of Luisa Manrique de Lara, 5th Duchess of Nájera.

He inherited the titles of his father in 1601, and also the title of Duke of Nájera, which was held by his mother. He was a Grandee of Spain.

In that year 1601 he was also interim Viceroy of Sicily.

Between 1616 and 1625, he was Governor of Oran and Mazalquivir.

Then he was made Captain General of the Armada and member of the State Council by King Philip IV of Spain.

In Augustus 1641, Cardenas received the command of a Spanish fleet to lift the blockade of Tarragona and with which he won the Battle of Tarragona against the French.

In November 1641, he was chosen to lead a squadron from Cadiz to intercept a Dutch fleet, but his command was disputed by the Governor of that city Juan Alonso Idiáquez, 2nd Duke of Ciudad Real. It apparently came to a duel between the two men, in which Cardenas was wounded. Idiaquez took command of the fleet and won the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.