Juan de Urquijo always preferred to stay out of the spotlight, but his relationship with Irene Urdangarin inevitably drew the attention of the paparazzi. Publicity was never his aim, and in that regard he shares much with his sister, Teresa Urquijo. As the wife of Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, she also carefully guards her private life—even their son Lucas’s christening was a strictly family affair. Nevertheless, after word got out about his relationship with the daughter of Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin, Juan found himself closely watched by the press. Photos of the young couple soared in price, and photographers went to great lengths to capture exclusive shots.
The couple’s breakup was as private as their relationship. There were no official statements or comments from either side, following a policy of accomplished facts. Given that they move in the same social circles, future encounters are likely, but nothing more. Juan easily fit into the Bourbon family, to whom his own family is distantly related. It seemed that everything pointed to his relationship with Irene growing stronger—after all, he had known her since childhood, and they were brought closer by his friendship with her cousin, Victoria Federica.
Initially, it was believed that Infanta Elena’s daughter served as the link, but it later emerged that Irene’s own brothers played a role in bringing the couple together. In any case, the pair appeared happy and handled public scrutiny with poise. Their relationship was tested by distance when Irene traveled to Cambodia to volunteer under the guidance of Father Kike Figaredo, a longtime family friend. This trip proved to be an important and enriching experience for her.
News of the breakup leaked to the press in August of last year, and since then both have remained silent. Juan Urquijo continues his life in Spain, working as an agricultural engineer. Meanwhile, Irene Urdangarin is opening a new chapter in Oxford, where she is studying hospitality, tourism, and event management.
The likely reason for their separation was being at different stages in life, with distinct goals. Juan already has an established career in which he plans to further develop, while Irene has yet to finish her studies and define her professional ambitions. Now, both have found relief in no longer being the center of media attention. This is especially true for Juan, as Irene, due to her background, will always attract heightened interest from society column readers.
