Her name is Ainhoa Armentia. She is a 43-year-old lawyer, employed by the Imaz&Asociados law firm in Vitoria and she appears to be involved in a romance with 54-year-old Iñaki Urdangarin, the husband of Infanta Cristina of Spain.
The couple was photographed walking on a small beach in Bidart, France which is nearly two hours drive from Vitoria. The photos were taken on January 11.
The story of Iñaki's new romance was broken by Lecturas, a weekly Spanish glossy magazine. It is the cover story.
Iñaki has been working as a consultant at the law firm since the spring of 2020. He lives in Vitoria with his mother Clare Liebaert
Infanta Christina, 56, resides in Switzerland. She knew about her husband's affair as she had told close friends about it. Her son Pablo told Lecturas "these are things that happen." He added: "the subject will be discussed within the family."
Pablo's measured response was very different from his cousin, Victoria Federica, the daughter of Infanta Elena, who lost her temper when approached by a Lecturas reporter.
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Infanta Cristina, the second child of former King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia married Iñaki Urdangarin, a former handball player in 1997. They have four children, Juan, Pablo, Miguel, and Irene.
In 2011, Iñaki was accused of diverting public money for his own profit through the Noos Institute. Shortly before Christmas, the Royal Palace announced that he would no longer participate in official engagements for "the foreseeable future."
Two years later, his profile was removed from the royal family's website.
In 2018, Iñaki was convicted of embezzling 6 million Euros and money laundering through the Noos Institute, a non-profit organization that he and his wife founded. He was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison. Last spring, he was moved to a Grade 3 Prison, where he had to report only once a week. He chose to stay in Vitoria to care for his mother, and he was given a position at Imaz&Asociados.
This is not the first time there have been reports of marital discord. During Iñaki's trial, his partner at Noos leaked emails that alluded to a relationship between Iñaki and another woman.
Cristina has remained supportive of her husband even after her ducal title, Duchess of Palma was removed in 2015, and her husband's behavior was described as "not very exemplary."
The couple and their four children did spend Christmas together at Baqueira Beret.
It is unlikely there will be an official statement from the Spanish royal house as Infanta Cristina ceased to be a member of the Royal Family since the accession of her brother King Felipe VI in June 2014. She and her older sister, Infanta Elena, and their Aunt Infanta Margarita (and their children) are members of the King's family.
1 comment:
This is a very sad coda to their story. After reading about all their troubles and how they had stayed together, I thought that their relationship was so strong it would survive, but I guess it was too much. Like my grandmother used to say, nobody really knows what's in the pot except the cook.
Post a Comment