Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 2nd Duke of Alba

Who was Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 2nd Duke of Alba?

Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Enríquez, 2nd Duke of Alba was a Spanish nobleman, military leader and politician.

He was the son of García Álvarez de Toledo, 1st Duke of Alba, and his wife María Enríquez de Quiñones y Cossines.

Fadrique was very close to the Catholic Monarchs. His father had fought in the War of the Castilian Succession on the side of the future Queen Isabella I of Castille against her niece Juana la Beltraneja, and his mother was related to Juana Enríquez y Fernandez de Cordoba, mother of Ferdinand II of Aragon.

He participated in the conquest of Granada, and already as Duke, he led the Spanish army against the French in Roussillon in 1503. When Ferdinand II as regent of Castilla, decided to invade and conquer the Kingdom of Navarre, supported by a Papal bull, he put the Duke of Alba at the head of his army. Fadrique conquered Navarre in only two weeks time.

As a reward, he was promoted to capitan general of Andalucía and Duke of Huescar in 1513.