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 Hospital, 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 (born December 20, 1963), is the first child and oldest daughter of former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía. She is the older sister of the current King Felipe VI. Elena is 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 Duchess of Lugo. This happened when she married Jaime de Marichalar. The title is for her lifetime only. Her children will not be able to inherit it.
Since her younger brother became King, Elena is not officially part of the royal family. However, she still represents the Crown when the King asks her to. She has also traveled to many countries for her family. These countries include Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Japan, Peru, and the Philippines.
Contents
Early Life and Education
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Infanta Elena was born on December 20, 1963, in Madrid. She was the first member of King Juan Carlos I's family to be born in a hospital. Her parents are King Juan Carlos I, the former 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 secondary school, specializing in English studies. Later, she moved to Paris to study French literature. While in Paris, 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 got this passion from her grandmother, Princess María de las Mercedes. As a teenager, she became known in the world of show jumping. She first competed officially in 1982.
In the late 1980s, King Juan Carlos built stables and a riding arena at the Royal Palace of Zarzuela. This allowed his daughter to practice her hobby at the palace. Even today, Elena still uses these facilities and pays for them.
Fellow rider Luis Jaime Carvajal y Salas said Elena was a "very good rider." However, he noted that horse riding "requires time and she doesn't have it" because of her royal duties.
Among her most famous horses are Qant, her favorite since 2011, and Jordano EB, who took Qant's place. Jordano EB is a horse she raised herself. Elena owns at least eight different horses. She shares her love for horse riding with her daughter, Victoria. They also enjoy watching bullfighting.
Marriage and Family Life
Elena met Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada in Paris in 1987. Elena was studying French literature, and Jaime worked for a Swiss bank. They started a relationship soon after. In 1993, the press first showed photos of them together. Wedding rumors grew in 1994. On November 23, 1994, the Royal Household officially announced their engagement.
The formal marriage proposal happened on November 26, 1994, at the Royal Palace of Zarzuela. The engagement ring was a diamond ring from Jaime's mother's tiara.
Their wedding took place on March 18, 1995, in the Seville Cathedral. This was the first royal wedding in Spain since 1906. About 1,500 guests attended, including people from 39 royal families. Around 150,000 citizens filled the streets around the Cathedral. To celebrate, King Juan Carlos made Infanta Elena the Duchess of Lugo.
Elena and Jaime have two children: Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón (born July 17, 1998) and Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón (born September 9, 2000). Both were born in Madrid. In 2003, Elena had a miscarriage. As children of an Infanta of Spain, Elena's children are Grandees of Spain.
On November 13, 2007, it was announced that Elena and Jaime had separated. They divorced in December 2009. The divorce was officially announced on February 9, 2010. After the divorce, Jaime de Marichalar was no longer allowed to use the ducal title. He was also no longer an official member of the Spanish Royal Family.
Public Duties and Work
Elena began attending official events at a very young age. One of her first official events was 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.
Since her brother became King in June 2014, Elena has reduced her public appearances. However, she still represents the Crown at some events. For example, she attended the funeral of the Duchess of Alba in 2014. She also presented the National Sports Awards that year. Now, Elena mostly presides over the awards ceremony for the Patrimonio Nacional's Children's and Youth 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 helps the foundation promote projects. She also helps bring attention to various cooperation programs in Latin America through international tours. Most of her public appearances are related to the social activities of this foundation.
Titles and Honours
Elena has received many special titles and honours throughout her life.
Titles
- From December 20, 1963, to March 3, 1995: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Elena
- From March 3, 1995, to present: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Elena, Duchess of Lugo
Honours
Elena has received many honours from Spain and other countries.
From Spain
- Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III
- Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
- Dame of the Royal Cavalry Armory of Seville
- Dame of the Royal Cavalry Armory of Zaragoza
From Other Countries
- 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
- Guatemala: Grand Cross of the Order of the Quetzal
- Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
- Italy: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Japan: Grand Cordon (Paulownia) of the Order of the Precious Crown
- Jordan: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan
- Luxembourg: Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau
- Nepal: Member 1st Class of the Order of the Three Divine Powers
- 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
