Profile Text
Birth Name: María del Carmen Polo y Martínez-Valdés
Date of Birth: 11 June, 1900
Place of Birth: Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
Date of Death: 6 February, 1988
Place of Death: Madrid, Spain
Ethnicity: Spanish [Asturian, Castilian, Leonese], remote French and English
Carmen Polo, 1st Lady of Meirás, Grandee of Spain, was the wife of General and caudillo Francisco Franco . She had an important role in Francoist Spain, including in the election of Prime Minister of Spain, Carlos Arias Navarro, when her husband was already ill, and in censoring the press. She was nicknamed “la Collares,” “the one with the necklaces.”
Carmen was born in Oviedo, Asturias, the daughter of Felipe Polo y Flórez de Vereterra, a wealthy lawyer from Palencia, Castile and León, and Ramona Martínez-Valdés y Martínez-Valdés, from San Cucao, Asturias. She was married to Francisco, until his death. The couple had a daughter, Carmen Franco, 1st Duchess of Franco. Among her grandchildren is María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco , 2nd Duchess of Franco, Grandee of Spain.
Carmen’s paternal grandfather was Claudio Polo y Astudillo (the son of Telésforo Polo Briz and Isabel Astudillo).
Carmen’s paternal grandmother was named Bonifacia Flórez de Vereterra. Bonifacia was born in Oviedo.
Carmen’s maternal grandfather was named Rafael Martínez-Valdés.
Carmen’s maternal grandmother was named María de la Caridad Martínez-Valdés.
The surname Polo comes from France and England.
Source: Genealogy of Carmen Polo – https://www.geni.com