Princess Cristina of Spain and Inaki Urdangarin
The youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía married the former Spanish handball player in Barcelona in October 1997. At the time of their wedding, Cristina’s brother, King Felipe VI, bestowed upon them the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. The duo went on to welcome four children, sons Juan, Pablo and Miguel were born in 1999, 2000 and 2002, respectively, and daughter Irene was born in 2005.
The duo, who were stripped of their titles in 2015 amid a fraud case, weathered many storms amid their marriage. In 2018, Urdangarin was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison after being found guilty of tax fraud, embezzlement and influence peddling. Cristina was also charged with tax fraud for her alleged part of the $6 million embezzlement scheme, but was later acquitted.
One week after Urdangarin was spotted holding hands with a mystery woman in January 2022, the royals announced their separation after 24 years of marriage. “By mutual agreement we have decided to break off our marriage,” they said in a statement to The Times. “Our commitment to our children remains intact. Since this is a private decision, we ask the utmost respect of all those around us.”
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