Wedding Bells Ring for the Urdangarin Family

Photographs of Iñaki Urdangarin and Ainhoa Armentia strolling along the beach in a close manner three years ago caused a media storm, as the former Duke of Palma was still married to Infanta Cristina, although they had been living in different countries for years. "Things that happen," remarked his son Pablo when approached by reporters. Over time, the relationship between the former handball player and his colleague has solidified to the point where, three years later, wedding bells are ringing. This was revealed by journalist Marisa Martín Blázquez on the show 'Fiesta'.

The past Christmas holidays were chosen for the couple's first major family gathering with Iñaki's four children. It seems Pablo acted as a mediator in this meeting between the Urdangarin siblings and their father's partner. Thanks to the magazine 'Lecturas', we saw them all on a countryside excursion and dining at a local restaurant. At the end of the day, the Urdangarin siblings, who were staying at their paternal grandmother Claire Françoise Liebaert's house, returned in one car, while Iñaki and Ainhoa travelled in another vehicle.

Now, Martín Blázquez has revealed that the meeting had a clear purpose: to inform Iñaki's children about the wedding plans with Ainhoa. "It was to spend a few days and tell them that it had been a year since they divorced their mother, three years since the separation, and that they were thinking of getting married," the journalist detailed. "The intention is for it to be a discreet wedding, with very few people and a small group," she added, while noting that "some of the children are not entirely in favour" of the union.

In January 2023, just after the divorce of Cristina de Borbón was made official in December 2022, Iñaki and Ainhoa moved into a rented apartment in Ciudad Jardín, Vitoria, near Urdangarin's 90-year-old mother. This proximity allows the former athlete to be more attentive to his mother.

Since their love story began, the couple has had to deal with the acceptance of their respective families, as both have children from previous marriages. Even the mother of the former Duke of Palma maintains an excellent relationship with her former daughter-in-law of decades. However, with time and patience, Ainhoa has managed to find her place in the Urdangarin family.

With their relationship sailing smoothly, Iñaki and Ainhoa are ready to take the next step and say 'I do'. For now, the wedding date is unknown, but all indications are that it will be an intimate and discreet ceremony.