The daily life of the Spanish royal family at the table is the central point of recent statements by Iñaki Urdangarin, ex-husband of Infanta Cristina, who decided to reveal how meals take place at the Zarzuela Palace. In interviews given in the context of promoting his autobiography, the former Duke of Palma describes conversations focused on current affairs and in an environment that contrasts with the solemn image often associated with the Royal House.
According to Flash! magazine, Urdangarin emphasizes that family gatherings combined normality with unusual themes for a common dinner. “There were very normal family moments, but subjects were also discussed that are not normally discussed at a normal dinner,” he said, adding that the atmosphere was, for the most part, relaxed and marked by laughter.
News of the day instead of ceremony
According to the same source, the conversations revolved mainly around the news read by everyone, with space for different opinions. “The topics of conversation are news that we all read, with each person giving their opinion”, explained Urdangarin, dispelling the idea of a hierarchical or ceremonial table.
Infanta Cristina’s ex-husband also sought to dispel myths about the layout and atmosphere of meals. “It’s nothing like the palace that many imagine. It’s not like everyone is sitting on opposite sides; they’re just ordinary chairs. The king doesn’t have a throne to eat on,” he said.
Who is the protagonist of the revelations
Urdangarin’s statements come almost four years after the announcement of the end of his marriage to Infanta Cristina. The couple announced their separation through a joint note: “By mutual agreement, we have decided to interrupt our marital relationship. Our commitment to our children remains intact”, they wrote, asking for respect for the decision.
Married between 1997 and 2022, Cristina and Iñaki have four children and have lived in several cities, including Barcelona, Washington and Geneva. According to the newspaper Expresso, family life was spread across different countries, following different professional and institutional paths.
Family and public reactions
The divorce became even more popular after images of Urdangarin with Ainhoa Armentia, his co-worker, were released. The digital newspaper El Español reported at the time that Armentia was married, mother of two children and a colleague of the former duke in a law firm in Vitória, in the Basque Country.
Among the couple’s children, only Pablo publicly commented on the situation. “These are things that happen, no matter what happens we will continue to love each other”, he said, in a statement cited by the same publication, maintaining a conciliatory tone.
Judicial past that marked the table
The context of these revelations is not dissociated from Urdangarin’s judicial career. According to , the former handball athlete was convicted in the Nóos case, for embezzling public funds through fraudulent contracts, taking advantage of connections to the then head of the State.
The process had a profound impact on the royal family and led to the institutional removal of Infanta Cristina, who became the first member of the Spanish Royal House to sit in the dock, eventually being acquitted.
Ordinary conversations in an unusual context
Despite the institutional weight and the judicial episodes that marked the family, Urdangarin’s descriptions point to meals where current themes predominated and a coexistence similar to that of any other informed family. The same source emphasizes that this normality was a constant, regardless of the public functions of some of those present.
In the end, the portrait drawn moves away from the palace imaginary and approaches a routine where the news of the day served as a starting point for conversation, in a space where, at least at the table, protocol seemed to remain at the door.
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