by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
Infanta Cristina of Spain (Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y Grecia) was born on June 13, 1965, at the Our Lady of Loreto Clinic in Madrid, Spain. She is the second of the three children of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark.
Cristina was christened on June 20, 1965, at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain. Her godparents were:
- Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz, her first cousin once removed
- Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain, her paternal great-aunt
Cristina had two siblings:
- Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (born 1963), married and divorced Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada, and had one son and one daughter
- King Felipe VI (born in 1968), married Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, had two daughters
After completing her secondary education at the Santa María del Camino School, she studied political science at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, graduating in 1989. She was the first woman in the Spanish royal family to receive a university degree. The following year, she earned a Masters degree in International Relations from New York University.
Following an internship with UNESCO in Paris, France, she moved to Barcelona, Spain and began working for La Caixa Foundation in 1993, coordinating exhibitions. In 1997, she was appointed the coordinator of the Program for International Cooperations, and in 2005, became the Director of the Social Area of the foundation. In 2009, when she and her family moved to Washington DC, she was made Director of the International Department, fostering collaborations with various international organizations. The family returned to Spain in 2012, and in mid-2013, she and her children moved to Geneva, where she coordinates programs with agencies of the United Nations.
Like her father and brother, Infanta Cristina is an avid sailor. She was a member of the Spanish Sailing Team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where she was also the Spanish flag-bearer in the opening ceremonies, a role her younger brother would take four years later in Barcelona. She has served as President of the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing.
Cristina married Iñaki Urdangarín Liebaert, a former professional and Olympic handball player, on October 4, 1997, at St. Eulalia Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. At the time, her father gave her the personal title Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. However, in June 2015, King Felipe VI of Spain formally stripped his sister Infanta Cristina of her title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. Neither the Infanta nor Urdangarín is permitted to use the title any further because of their legal issues. (See below.)
On January 24, 2022, it was announced that Infanta Cristina and Urdangarín were separating. The announcement came days after a link between Urdangarín and another woman became known. They couple’s divorce was finalized in early 2024.
Cristina and Urdangarín had four children:
- Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón (born 1999)
- Pablo Urdangarín y de Borbón (born 2000)
- Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón (born 2002)
- Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón (born 2005)
Christina with her husband and children, June 2014. photo: ABC.es
In late 2011, Urdangarín was accused of diverting public funds for his own benefit, through a non-profit organization. After it was discovered that large sums of money were being sent to several foreign accounts, it was announced that Iñaki would no longer be participating in any functions of the Royal Family. Iñaki was charged with embezzlement, fraud, breach of trust, forgery, and money laundering. While Cristina moved to Geneva in mid-2013 with her children, her husband remained in Barcelona to address the charges against him. In January 2014, initial charges were placed against Infanta Cristina, accusing her of money laundering and tax fraud. She was called to testify in February 2014, and in June 2014, formal charges were filed.
The trial began in January 2016 and on February 17, 2017, Infanta Cristina was acquitted of tax fraud and money laundering. Her husband Iñaki Urdangarín was found guilty of embezzling about 6 million euros in public funds for sporting events through his nonprofit foundation and of political corruption by using his former title of Duke of Palma de Mallorca as the husband of the Infanta Cristina. Urdangarín was sentenced to six years and three months in prison. In 2018, the Supreme Court in appeal reduced Urdangarín’s sentence to a term of five years and ten months. After spending a period of time in prison, Urdangarín was upgraded to the Grade 3 regime, meaning he regained his freedom of movement and only has to report in once a week.
This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.