Madrid’s New Club, one of Spain’s most exclusive private members’ institutions, may soon welcome a surprising applicant: tennis legend Rafael Nadal. The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who retired last year, was recently elevated to the aristocracy with the hereditary title of Marquess of Llevant de Mallorca. His ennoblement, granted by King Felipe VI to mark the monarch’s 10th anniversary on the throne, has reignited debate over the role of nobility in modern Spain.
Nadal was one of six Spaniards honoured, alongside singer Luz Casal and Paralympic swimmer Teresa Perales. The royal palace praised the awardees as “a source of pride for Spain and a permanent reference point for values that should inspire our society.”
A Changing Institution
The king’s decision has stirred both admiration and scepticism, highlighting the tension between centuries-old noble families and newly created titles. Spain’s aristocracy once wielded vast power — collecting taxes, raising armies, and administering justice on behalf of the crown. Over time, liberal reforms stripped away their privileges, leaving titles as symbols rather than sources of authority.
Some families adapted by merging with wealthy bourgeois dynasties, as in the case of the Marquess of Comillas, whose fortune from shipping, banking, and colonial trade helped cement his descendants as one of Spain’s most prominent houses. Today, figures such as Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, a designer and 13th Marchioness of Castelldosrius, show how noble status blends with modern celebrity.
Nobility in Transition
Yet not all nobles embrace their heritage openly. Eballos-Escalera y Gila, Viscount of Ayala and Marquess of la Floresta, laments the decline of aristocratic cohesion since Spain’s transition to democracy in the late 1970s. He argues that traditional values of service have given way to the pursuit of wealth, with noble titles now reduced to little more than administrative designations.
Bureaucracy defines modern aristocracy: the justice ministry oversees noble titles, while disputes are common — Ruiz de la Prada famously spent years in court battling a cousin over succession. The last formal privilege, a diplomatic passport, was abolished in 1984. Today, the nobility is governed by the Council of the Grandees of Spain, which represents more than 2,200 titled nobles.
Adaptation to Modern Life
Despite diminished political influence, many nobles remain active in Spain’s professional and corporate world. José Sáinz y Armada, Duke of Rivas, is CFO of Iberdrola, Europe’s largest electricity utility, while Diego del Alcázar Silvela, Marquess of La Romana, founded the globally respected IE Business School. For others, noble titles provide networks and a sense of continuity rather than power.
Some nobles still view their titles as moral obligations rather than privileges. José María de Areilza Carvajal, Count of Motrico, describes them as “a tribute to those who preceded me, to live exemplarily.” He emphasizes survival and adaptation as the keys to maintaining relevance.
Welcoming New Blood
Many within the aristocracy have warmly received Nadal’s entry into their ranks. Álvaro Fernández-Villaverde y Silva, Marquess of Santa Cruz, compared Nadal’s ennoblement to historic precedents like the Duke of Wellington, noting that his discipline, humility, and integrity embody the values Spain wishes to project.
For King Felipe VI, the move serves both tradition and symbolism: reinforcing the monarchy’s medieval right of ennoblement while linking it to modern ideals of excellence and character. For the aristocracy itself, Nadal’s elevation is less a disruption and more an opportunity — a reminder that survival has always depended on adaptation, and that prestige can now flow both ways.
