Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú

Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú, 10th Marquess of Villaverde (August 1, 1922 on Jaén, Mancha Real, Spain - February 4, 1998 in Madrid, Spain) was Spanish aristocrat and noted surgeon.

Family

He was born Cristóbal Martínez y Bordiú, the son of José María Martínez y Ortega (1890-1970) and María de la O Esperanza Bordiú y Bascarán (1896-1980), 7th Countess of Argillo. He was one of the four children that the Counts of Argillo’s had. Even though they did not have as many titles as the Duchess of Alba, they had enough to give each of their sons a title. Andrés Martínez-Bordiú was made the 15th Count of Morata de Jalón, José María Martínez-Bordiú was made the Baron of Gotor, Tomas Martínez-Bordiú was made the Baron of Illueca and Cristóbal was made the 10th Marquess of Villaverde. When he was 23 he graduated from Medical School.

Marriage and children

He was married on April 10, 1950 with María del Carmen Franco y Polo, the future Duchess of Franco, in the Palacio Real de El Pardo the daughter of the ruler of Spain General Francisco Franco (1939-1975). There were more than 800 attending the wedding. It was performed by the Bishop Leopoldo Eijo y Garay of the Diocese of Madrid (now Archdiocese of Madrid) . This wedding made him acquire a great social relevance in the Spain of General Franco, he was nicknamed the "“Yernísimo”" (son-in-law in clear reference to the title of "Generalissimo" of its father-in-law). In 13 years, he and his wife produced seven children:

* María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco (born February 26, 1951), who married with Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz, son of Infante Jaime of Spain, Duke of Segovia and grandson of King Alfonso XIII of Spain.
* Maria la O Martínez-Bordiú y Franco (born November 19, 1952)
* Francisco Martínez-Bordiú y Franco (born December 9, 1954)
* Maria del Mar Martínez-Bordiú y Franco (born July 6, 1956)
* Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú y Franco (born February 10, 1958)
* Maria Aránzazu Martínez-Bordiú y Franco (born September 16, 1962)
* Jaime Martínez-Bordiú y Franco (born July 8, 1964)

First Heart Transplant

Since he was a heart surgeon and great friend and admirer of Dr. Christiaan Barnard, he became the first Spaniard to perform a heart transplant in September 1968. The patient only survived 24 hours. (On a visit to Spain Dr. Bernard said next to his friend said jokingly “"I am a surgeon who wants to be a playboy and he is a playboy that wishes to be a surgeon"”)

References

* [http://www.elmundo.es/1998/02/05/opinion/05N0017.html El Mundo obituary]
* [http://www.elmundo.es/1998/02/05/espana/05N0035.html El Mundo article]