When it comes to Infanta Elena’s inner circle, several names spring to mind. Among them is, of course, the equestrian Luis Astolfi, with whom she recently shared dinner and participated in equestrian competitions in Seville. Rita Allendesalazar, Countess de la Ventosa, one of her most devoted friends, also comes to mind. Her entourage features some rather unexpected yet widely recognized figures, such as Vicky Martín Berrocal, Antonio Resines, or José Ignacio Galán Ordóñez, known on stage as Nacha la Macha.
Yet one person holds a special place in the life of the former king’s eldest daughter: her cousin, Simoneta Gómez-Acebo. Elena, third in line to the Spanish throne after Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, has maintained a close relationship with Infanta Pilar’s daughter since childhood. Even now—Elena is 61 and Simoneta 57—their mutual affection and understanding remain as strong as ever.
Simoneta, the eldest in the Gómez-Acebo family, is one of Elena’s closest and most frequently seen relatives. She also maintains warm ties with María and Alfonso Zurita. Simoneta has stood by her cousin not only at joyful times but also during the darkest periods. For instance, she supported all her cousins at two memorial services last year for Fernando and Juan Gómez-Acebo, who passed away within just months of each other. It was an especially difficult ordeal for the family, and the Bourbons made every effort to surround them with care.
From a young age, King Felipe and his sisters were very close to their cousins, the children of Doña Pilar and aristocrat Luis Gómez-Acebo, who were almost the same age. Their house in Madrid’s Puerta de Hierro district, where the family moved in the late 1960s, became a gathering place for all the young members of the royal family. It was a family tradition to spend summer holidays together in Palma de Mallorca. Infantas Elena and Cristina often went out to sea and hosted poolside get-togethers in the gardens of Marivent Palace. Joining them were the Bulgarian princes Kardam, Kiril, and Konstantin, as well as the Greek princes Alexia and Pavlos. The youngest Gómez-Acebo and Bourbon generations skied together in Baqueira-Beret and kept another touching ritual—welcoming the Three Kings during holiday parades.
Supporting each other both at public events and in private life, Simoneta and Elena have repeatedly shown their special bond. Both became some of the most loyal allies of honorary king Juan Carlos, and they are often seen accompanying him on visits to Sanxenxo for regattas. Last summer, they were spotted strolling through the streets of Palma, where they stopped by Ca’n Miquel, the royal couple’s favorite ice cream café, along with their grandchildren. Their most recent meeting was at the opening of the 54th Nuevo Futuro charity fair at the Cibeles Palace in Madrid, where Infanta Elena, as always, came out to support Simoneta, who has carried on her mother’s legacy.
