In Seville’s high society, the names of sisters Isabel and Carmen Cobo Romero were always spoken with particular respect. Close friends of the Duchess of Alba, they embodied Andalusian aristocracy and restraint. The sisters were regulars at the city’s landmark events, yet skillfully avoided tabloid attention, remaining in the background except on a few special occasions. Isabel’s life ended in 2021 due to aggressive leukemia, which had been diagnosed only a few months before she passed away at the age of 68. All of Seville’s social elite gathered to pay their respects. In 2024, her sister Carmen married off her youngest son, businessman Moisés Sánchez-Barbudo, to Carol Handal de Zummar. The ceremony at the Basílica de la Macarena welcomed guests such as Plácido Domingo and Carmen Tello, and Carmen herself, dressed in an elegant fuchsia gown, served as the godmother.
The Cobo family legacy
The family’s story began with their father, Moisés Cobo Abascal, an entrepreneur from Santander who moved to Seville in 1940 and founded one of the city’s most iconic companies—Café Moka. Their mother was Carmen Romero de Lara, a Sevillian woman known for her strong character and progressive views for her time. She became one of the first women to attend university, where she studied pharmacy, and worked as a nurse during the Civil War, for which she was awarded the Red Cross Gold Medal. The couple shared a passion for art and music, which they passed on to their three children—Isabel, Carmen, and their brother Pepe, who became a renowned gallerist. Isabel recalled how their mother used to take them to museums from an early age, instilling in them a love of beauty. She was a woman with a modern outlook, who preferred listening to speaking and loved being surrounded by young people. The main lesson she taught her children was the value of family and the importance of always sticking together.
Queens of Seville’s salons
The sisters Carmen and Isabel not only managed the coffee business founded by their father, but also built a successful real estate enterprise. In Seville, they were also known as generous philanthropists. Their homes in the city center, adorned with pieces of Sevillian Baroque art, became gathering places for businesspeople, aristocrats, and politicians. They were unrivaled hostesses, and their receptions were famous throughout Andalusia. They had a special friendship with Duchess Cayetana Alba. All three shared a passion for flamenco and often danced together during the April Fair to the rhythms of sevillanas. The Cobo sisters were regular guests at the duchess’s luncheons in her residences—the Dueñas and Liria palaces.
The wedding the whole city was talking about
However, there was a moment when Isabel found herself in the spotlight. On May 25, 2006, she married Manuel de la Lastra Marcos, the 14th Marquess of Benamejí, a Grandee of Spain and representative of one of Seville’s most distinguished families. For the 61-year-old marquess, it was a second marriage, while for 54-year-old Isabel, it was her first. The event caused a huge stir. Among the guests were the Duchess of Alba, Carmen Martínez-Bordiú, journalist José María García, and designers Victorio & Lucchino, who created the wedding gown. The ceremony was held in the chapel of the Maestranza bullring. The groom wore the dress uniform of the cavalry corps. The aperitif was served directly on the bullring, a first in its history. One of Isabel’s friends later shared that it was an incredibly beautiful wedding, where Plácido Domingo himself performed an aria from “La Traviata.” There was even a humorous moment: the bride was an hour late because she had fallen asleep after a relaxing massage. “I’m very nervous, as if I were eighteen. I’m getting married happy and very much in love,” she confessed before the ceremony began.
A quiet end to a noisy romance
The couple led an active social and cultural life, often hosting gatherings in their renovated palace in the center of Seville. However, their union was not meant to last. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, they decided to end their marriage. The divorce was finalized on September 30. Isabel, true to her habit of discretion, offered no comments to the press. It became known that the separation was amicable and by mutual agreement. The pair had no children together and no financial disputes, so all formalities were settled quickly. According to a close friend, the reason was the wear and tear of the relationship and a mutual decision to part ways. There was no drama, and the former spouses maintained a warm relationship.
