Файл:Portrait of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba (by Studio of Antonis Mor).jpg

English: The original portrait of the Duke of Alba is in the Fundación Casa de Alba, Madrid. Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba (1507 – 1582), known as the Gran Duque de Alba (Grand Duke of Alba) in Spain and IJzeren Hertog (Iron Duke) in the Netherlands, was a Spanish noble, general, and diplomat. He was an adviser of King Charles I of Spain (the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V), and his successor, Philip II of Spain, Mayordomo mayor of both kings, member of their Councils of State and War, governor of the Duchy of Milan (1555–1556), viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples (1556–1558), governor of the Netherlands (1567–1573) and viceroy and constable of the Kingdom of Portugal (1580–1582). He is best known for his actions against the revolt of the Netherlands, where he instituted the Council of Troubles, and repeatedly defeated the troops of William of Orange and Louis of Nassau during the first stages of the Eighty Years' War. He is also known for the brutalities during the capture of Mechelen, Zutphen, Naarden and Haarlem. In spite of these military successes, the Dutch revolt was not broken and Alba was recalled to Spain. His last military successes were in the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580, winning the Battle of Alcantara and conquering that kingdom for Philip II (Spain unified all the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula thanks to Alba and consequently expanded its overseas territories). The Duke was married in 1527 to his cousin María Enríquez de Toledo y Guzmán (died 1583), daughter of Diego Enríquez de Guzmán III, Count of Alba de Liste, with whom he had four children. (Extracted from: Bonhams)