Infanta Elena to Marry Jaime de Marichalar: November 26, 1994

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

True, although the majority of senior royals in King Juan Carlos' and his parents' generation did at least marry non-royals. Of course, an important distinction is that those marriages were treated as unequal and therefore morganatic.

I believe her husband was a commoner. He was created a count only a month before he married the infanta.

A 'solution' that was also used by Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma, when making his eldest son's fiancée 'Countess of Molina'.

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Somebody

A 'solution' that was also used by Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma, when making his eldest son's fiancée 'Countess of Molina'.

It makes sense if it was done to raise the former King of Spain's future son-in-law to a station more suited to the spouse of an Infanta. Although unlike Carlos Hugo's daughter-in-law, the marriage remained morganatic and Enrico and his children were not considered Royal Highnesses or members of the line of succession.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

I believe her husband was a commoner. He was created a count only a month before he married the infanta.

Yes he was ennobled by the king on the 13th of May 1940 the wedding took place on the 10th of June 1940.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

It is interesting that two of the three of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía's children intermarried with the aristocracy, with Don Jaime being a son of a count and Don Iñaki being the son of a Belgian noblewoman. I believe Belgium was the only other European kingdom where that was the case for the senior royals of their generation.

Is the mother on Inaki relyy a belgian noble. As far as i remember from the Wedding it was onlysaid that she was beglian.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Stefan

Is the mother on Inaki relyy a belgian noble. As far as i remember from the Wedding it was onlysaid that she was beglian.

Wikipedia's list of Belgian noble families includes the surname Liebaert among the baronial families (Julien Auguste Marie Joseph, Baron Liebaert, ennobled in 1930). Does Iñaki's mother descend from that family?

[An Ard Ri]

Claire Francoise Liebaert Courtain was born in Antwerp in 1935 but I wasn't aware that she was from a Belgian Noble family.

I don't know anything about her Belgian Family.

[Moonmaiden23]

During the runup the Inaki/Cristina nuptials back in 1997, I have foggy memories of reading that Inaki's mother was descended from minor Belgian nobility.

I also read that his paternal ancestors include a canonized Saint.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Moonmaiden23

During the runup the Inaki/Cristina nuptials back in 1997, I have foggy memories of reading that Inaki's mother was descended from minor Belgian nobility.

I also read that his paternal ancestors include a canonized Saint.

As far as i remeber at the Coverage of the Wedding it was said that they thought so but there was no evidence found. But i would have to look into my VHS-Tape from the Wedding.
But i remember about the Saint

[Moonmaiden23]

Yes...not sure about his mother's ancestry but very clearly remember hearing about the canonized Saint.

I have VHS tapes of the wedding somewhere...will have to dig them up as well!

[An Ard Ri]

The Saint is reportedly St Valentín Faustino de Berriochoa a 19th century Basque/Spanish Dominican missionary and martyr who was beheaded in Hai Duong , Vietnam.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valent..._de_Berriochoa

Inaki and Cristina's first born son,Don Juan Valentín Urdangarin was given the middle name Valentín in his honour.

[Tatiana Maria]

I apologize, I should not have repeated the statement concerning Iñaki's mother (which I first heard from a mention either in the press or on a forum) without researching whether it was true. I would be interested if anybody has access to further information regarding her ancestry.

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Wikipedia's list of Belgian noble families includes the surname Liebaert among the baronial families (Julien Auguste Marie Joseph, Baron Liebaert, ennobled in 1930). Does Iñaki's mother descend from that family?

Wikipedia takes its information from "État présent de la noblesse belge, Annuaire 2009" and the year of birth for Julien Liebaert is given as 1848. Iñaki's mother, on the other hand, descends in paternal line from Augustinus Frans Liebaert who was born in 1861, per this website which takes its information from "Descendants of Judocus Bruynooghe, 2007 , Verheecke, José".

[Sancia]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

The Saint is reportedly St Valentín Faustino de Berriochoa a 19th century Basque/Spanish Dominican missionary and martyr who was beheaded in Hai Duong , Vietnam.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valent..._de_Berriochoa

Inaki and Cristina's first born son,Don Juan Valentín Urdangarin was given the middle name Valentín in his honour.

Inaki's grandmother was Ana Berrio Otxoa, and saint Valentin de Berriochoa was her grandfather's first cousin. It was a nice move to have remembered him in their first son's name.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Sancia

Inaki's grandmother was Ana Berrio Otxoa, and saint Valentin de Berriochoa was her grandfather's first cousin. It was a nice move to have remembered him in their first son's name.

Thanks for filling in the gaps and it was a nice personal family touch.