Moctezuma II - Descendants in Mexico and The Spanish Nobility

Descendants in Mexico and The Spanish Nobility

Moctezuma had many wives and concubines by whom he fathered an enormous family. Though the exact number of his children is unknown and the names of most of his children were lost to history, according to a Spanish chronicler by the time he was taken captive Moctezuma had fathered 100 children (including dozens of sons) and fifty of his wives and concubines were then in some stage of pregnancy, though this estimate may have been exaggerated. As Aztec culture made class distinctions between the children of senior wives, lesser wives, and concubines, not all of his children were considered equal in nobility or inheritance rights.

Several lines of descendants exist in Mexico and Spain through Moctezuma II's son and daughters, notably Tlacahuepan Ihualicahuaca, or Pedro Moctezuma and Tecuichpo Ixcaxochitzin, or Isabel Moctezuma.

The grandson of Moctezuma II, Pedro's son, Ihuitemotzin, baptized as Diego Luis de Moctezuma, was brought to Spain by King Philip II. There he married Francisca de la Cueva de Valenzuela. In 1627, their son Pedro Tesifón de Moctezuma was given the title Count of Moctezuma (later altered to Moctezuma de Tultengo), and thus became part of the Spanish nobility. In 1766, the holder of the title became a Grandee of Spain. In 1865 (coincidentally during the Second Mexican Empire) the title, which was held by Antonio María Moctezuma-Marcilla de Teruel y Navarro, 14th Count of Moctezuma de Tultengo, was elevated to that of a Duke, thus becoming Duke of Moctezuma, with de Tultengo again added in 1992 by Juan Carlos I.

Another of Moctezuma's daughters, Princess Xipaguacin Moctezuma, married Juan de Grau, Baron of Toleriu, one of Cortés's senior officers, who took her back to Spain with an entourage of Mexica where she died in the Mountain village of Toleriu, near Andorra, in 1537. There are many descendants of this House of Grau-Moctezuma de Toleriu in Spain today. Guillermo III de Grau Moctezuma, the head of the Aztec Imperial House died on November 16, 1999 without children or siblings. By his will, he made Don Jose Moscardo Vercher the heir of the Aztec Crown, with the title of His Imperial and Royal Highness Jose I.

Other holders of Spanish noble titles that descend from the Aztec emperor include Dukes of Atrisco. Many Spanish families without noble titles also descend from the numerous branches of the families of the children of Moctezuma II.

Descendants of these families included General Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, 3rd Marquis de las Amarilas, a 9th generation descendant of Moctezuma II, who was commander of the Spanish forces at the Battle of Fort Charlotte, and his grandson, Francisco Javier Girón y Ezpeleta, 2nd duque de Ahumada and 5th marqués de las Amarillas who was the founder of the Guardia Civil in Spain.