Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Infanta Elena |
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| Duchess of Lugo | |||||
Elena in 2011
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| Born | 20 December 1963 Our Lady of Loreto Sanatorium, Madrid, Spain |
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| Spouse |
Jaime de Marichalar, Lord of Tejada
(m. 1995; div. 2010) |
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| Issue | Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón |
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| House | Bourbon-Anjou | ||||
| Father | Juan Carlos I of Spain | ||||
| Mother | Sophia of Greece and Denmark | ||||
| Signature |  |
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Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (full name: Elena María Isabel Dominica de Silos de Borbón y de Grecia) was born on December 20, 1963. She is the first child and oldest daughter of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía. Elena is the older sister of King Felipe VI. She is currently third in the line of succession to the Spanish throne. She also has a younger sister, Infanta Cristina.
On March 3, 1995, her father, King Juan Carlos, gave her the title of Duchess of Lugo. This happened when she married Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada. The title is hers for life, but her children cannot inherit it.
Since her younger brother became King Felipe VI, Elena is no longer officially part of the royal family. However, she still represents the Crown when the King asks her to. She has also traveled to other countries to represent her family, including Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
Contents
Early Life and Education
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Infanta Elena was born on December 20, 1963, in Madrid, Spain. She was the first member of King Juan Carlos I's family to be born in a hospital. She is the oldest child of King Juan Carlos I, who used to be the King of Spain, and Queen Sofía. Queen Sofía was born a princess of Greece and Denmark. Elena has one sister and one brother.
Elena went to Santa María del Camino School in Madrid. In 1986, she earned a diploma to teach in secondary schools, specializing in English. Later, she moved to Paris to study French literature. It was during this time that she met her future husband. After working as an English teacher at her old school, she earned a degree in Education Sciences in 1993.
Horse Riding Passion
Since she was a child, Elena has loved horse riding. She inherited this passion from her grandmother, Princess María de las Mercedes, Countess of Barcelona. As a teenager, she became well-known in the world of show jumping. She first competed officially in 1982.
In the late 1980s, King Juan Carlos had stables and a riding arena built at the Royal Palace of Zarzuela. This was so his daughter could practice her hobby at the palace. Even though she no longer lives at Zarzuela and is not part of the royal family, she still uses these facilities. She also pays for their upkeep.
People who ride horses with her say she is a "very good rider." However, they also noted that horse riding takes a lot of time, which she did not always have as a royal family member. Among her most famous horses are Qant, her favorite since 2011, and Jordano EB. Jordano EB is a horse she bred herself. As of 2016, Elena owned at least eight horses.
Marriage and Family
Elena first met Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada in Paris in 1987. Elena was studying French literature, and Jaime was working for a bank. They started a relationship soon after. In 1993, the media began to publish photos of them together. By 1994, rumors of their wedding grew stronger. On November 23, 1994, the Royal Household officially announced their engagement.
Their wedding took place on March 18, 1995, at the Seville Cathedral. This was the first royal wedding in Spain since 1906. About 1,500 guests attended, including members of 39 royal families. Around 150,000 people filled the streets around the Cathedral to celebrate. To mark the occasion, King Juan Carlos made Infanta Elena the Duchess of Lugo.
Elena and Jaime have two children. Their son, Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón, was born on July 17, 1998. Their daughter, Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón, was born on September 9, 2000. Both children were born in Madrid. In 2003, Elena had a miscarriage. As children of an Infanta of Spain, Elena's children are considered important nobles in Spain.
On November 13, 2007, it was announced that Elena and her husband had separated. Their divorce papers were signed on November 25, 2009. The divorce was officially registered on January 21, 2010. After the divorce, Jaime de Marichalar was no longer allowed to use the ducal title. He was also no longer considered an official member of the Spanish Royal Family.
Work and Activities
Elena began attending official events at a very young age. One of her first official appearances was at her father's proclamation as King in November 1975. After finishing her basic education in 1983, Elena and her sister Cristina supported their parents. They represented the Crown at many official events. These included Spain's National Day and other important ceremonies.
Since her brother became King in June 2014, Elena has made fewer public appearances. However, she still represented the Crown at some events that year. For example, she attended a funeral in November 2014 and an awards ceremony in December 2014. Since then, Elena mainly presides over the awards ceremony for a children's painting contest each year.
Besides her royal duties, Elena has a personal job. She has worked at the Mapfre Foundation since 2008. She is currently the director of social and cultural projects there. In this role, Infanta Elena has helped the foundation promote projects. She has also brought attention to various cooperation programs in Latin America through international trips. Most of her public appearances are now related to the social activities of this foundation.
Titles and Honours
Titles
- December 20, 1963 – March 3, 1995: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Elena
- March 3, 1995 – present: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Elena, Duchess of Lugo
Honours
Infanta Elena has received many awards and honours from Spain and other countries.
Spanish Honours
- Dame Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III
- Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic
Foreign Honours
Austria: Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
Chile: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of Honour
Japan: Grand Cordon (Paulownia) of the Order of the Precious Crown
Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau
Norway: Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olav
Peru: Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Christ- Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry
Sweden: Recipient of the 50th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf
See also
In Spanish: Elena de Borbón para niños
