Career
A lawyer and historian, King Juan Carlos I appointed the Marquess de la Floresta as Spain"s King of Arms. He also succeeded to the title of Duke of Ostuni (in the Two Sicilies). The Marquess is author of many books on jurisprudence, royalty, nobility, heraldry and genealogy.
He is a retired Lieutenant-Commander (Teniente de Navío OF-2) of the Spanish Navy and holds the rank of Captain in the Merchant Marine Fleet.
He has also been awarded an honorary doctorate in law, as well as receiving many other orders of knighthood. The heraldic office of Spanish King of Arms dates back to the 16th century.
Historically heralds were accorded titles of office after Iberian provinces or major cities, whilst the Reyes de armas represented Spanish kingdoms. Accordingly chroniclers of arms were variously named for España, Castilla, León, Frechas, Sevilla, Córdoba, Murcia, Granada (created in 1496 to honor the reunification of Spain), Bethune, Estella, Viana, Libertat, Blanc Lévrier, Bonne Foy, Las, Gounzcuant, Lamas, Navarra, Cataluña, Sicilia, Aragón, Nápoles, Toledo (depicting Azure an Imperial Crown Or), Valencia and Mallorca.
Such appointments were for life (ad vitam) and at least fifteen Spanish families produced more than one herald over the past five hundred years.
His role as King of Arms combines that of formally registering pedigrees and the granting of new armorial bearings. Cronistas Reyes de Armas are, by custom, appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Casa real, and have authority to grant armorial bearings to subjects of the Spanish Crown as well as being tasked with approving the genealogies of claimants to noble titles. As Cronista de armas de Castilla y León, the marquess continues this tradition being mandated to grant arms and verify family pedigrees.
Don Alfonso Ceballos-Escallera was married to Ana Moyano y Vital.