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Infanta Cristina of Spain facts for kids

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Borbón and the second or maternal family name is Grecia.
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Cristina
Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca.jpg
Cristina in 2011
Born (1965-06-13) 13 June 1965 (age 60)
Our Lady of Loreto Sanatorium, Madrid, Spain
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2023)​
Issue Juan Urdangarin y Borbón
Pablo Urdangarin y Borbón
Miguel Urdangarin y Borbón
Irene Urdangarin y Borbón
Full name
Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia
House Bourbon-Anjou
Father Juan Carlos I of Spain
Mother Sophia of Greece and Denmark
Signature Cristina's signature

Infanta Cristina (Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia, born 13 June 1965) is the younger daughter of King Juan Carlos I and his wife, Queen Sofía. She is a princess of Spain. She is currently sixth in line to the line of succession to the Spanish throne. This means she is after her brother King Felipe VI's children, her sister Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, and Elena's children Felipe and Victoria.

On 26 September 1997, she married handball player Iñaki Urdangarin. Her father, King Juan Carlos, gave her the title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca on this special day. Later, from 2013 to 2017, there were questions about a company she owned with her husband. In 2015, her brother, King Felipe VI, removed her royal dukedom. However, in 2017, she was found not guilty of any wrongdoing.

Cristina used to represent the Spanish Crown when her father was king. Since October 2011, she has not been involved in official royal family events. By 2014, she was no longer a member of the official royal family.

Early Life and Education

Prinses Christina en Prins Felipe, Bestanddeelnr 922-6783
Infanta Cristina with her younger brother, Felipe, in 1969.

Cristina de Borbón was born on 13 June 1965 in Madrid, Spain. She was baptized into the Church at the Palacio de La Zarzuela. Her godparents were Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz and Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain.

She is a skilled sailor. She even competed in the Tornado sailing event at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Cristina went to Santa María del Camino School for her high school education. She then studied at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, graduating in 1989 with a degree in political science. She continued her studies at New York University, earning a master's degree in international relations in 1990. In 1991, she worked at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris to gain experience. In 2001, she became a United Nations goodwill ambassador for a special meeting on aging.

She is very good with languages. She speaks Spanish, Catalan, English, French, and Greek.

Marriage and Family Life

Cristina married team handball player Iñaki Urdangarin on 4 October 1997. Their wedding took place at Barcelona Cathedral. When they married, she was given the title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca for her lifetime.

The couple has four children, all born in Barcelona:

  • Juan Valentín Urdangarin y Borbón (born 29 September 1999)
  • Pablo Nicolás Sebastián Urdangarin y de Borbón (born 6 December 2000)
  • Miguel Urdangarin y Borbón (born 30 April 2002)
  • Irene Urdangarin y Borbón (born 5 June 2005)

From 2009 to 2012, the family lived in Washington, D.C., because her husband worked there. In August 2013, Cristina moved with her four children to Geneva, Switzerland. She took a job with the Caixa Foundation there. Her husband stayed in Barcelona at that time.

On 24 January 2022, Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin announced that they were separating. They officially divorced in December 2023.

Royal Duties and Personal Work

Cristina began attending official events when she was very young. One of her first important appearances was at her father's proclamation as king in November 1975. After finishing her basic schooling in 1983, Cristina and her sister Elena helped their parents. They represented the Crown at many official events. These included the National Day, a royal wedding in Belgium, and state visits.

After some financial questions involving her husband, the Duchess and her husband became more distant from the royal family. Their last official event as members of the royal family was on 12 October 2011. When her brother became king in June 2014, she formally left the royal family.

For her personal work, Cristina has been working for La Caixa Foundation since October 1993. She also works for the Aga Khan Foundation. She often visits Barcelona for her work. However, she has lived in Geneva, Switzerland, since 2013.

Since 2024, she still lives in Geneva but spends a lot of time at the Royal Palace of Zarzuela. Her younger children live there with their grandmother.

Financial Investigation

In early 2012, her husband was investigated regarding how he obtained public funds. In April 2013, Infanta Cristina was also named as a person of interest in the case. The royal family stated they would not comment on legal decisions. However, they later expressed agreement with the legal authorities. Because of the upcoming trial, she and her children moved to Geneva, Switzerland, in the summer of 2013.

On 7 January 2014, a Spanish judge asked her to appear in court. The Infanta appeared in the Majorca Court on 8 February 2014. She stated she did not know about her husband's business dealings.

On 25 June 2014, a Spanish judge formally brought charges against Infanta Cristina. In November 2014, the High Court of Palma de Mallorca decided that she would face trial for some financial matters. Her lawyers always said they were sure she was innocent. On 22 December 2014, it was announced that Infanta Cristina, her husband, and others would go to trial.

On 12 June 2015, King Felipe VI officially removed his sister's title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. Cristina's lawyer said she had asked for this herself, but the royal family said the king had informed her of his decision first. Her right to be in line for the throne and her title of infanta were not changed.

Cristina's trial started on 11 January 2016. Her lawyers asked for the charges against her to be dropped. The prosecutor also said there was not enough evidence. However, on 29 January, the Court decided to continue with the charges. She spoke in court in March 2016. She said she was not involved in any financial wrongdoing. She also said she did not know about her husband's activities. She explained that her husband managed their money. She said she was very busy with her young children and did not discuss these matters.

On 17 February 2017, she was found not guilty of the charges. Her husband received a prison sentence.

Titles and Honours

Titles and Styles

As a child of the Spanish monarch, Cristina is known as an infanta (princess). She is also styled as Royal Highness. When she married in 1997, she was given the title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. She no longer holds this dukedom since 2015.

  • 13 June 1965 – 4 October 1997: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Cristina
  • 4 October 1997 – 11 June 2015: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca
  • 11 June 2015 – present: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Cristina

Honours

National Honours

Foreign Honours

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Cristina de Borbón para niños

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