After his release from prison, Iñaki Urdangarin seems to have seriously reconsidered his life and is now focused on building a new future. He hasn’t been idle: earlier this year he launched his own brand, Bevolutive, offering coaching services in sports, business, and personal development. Two more major events lie ahead: in February 2026, the publishing house Grijalbo (part of Penguin Random House) will release his memoirs titled “Everything Lived,” and tonight he will give his first television interview since his incarceration to journalist Jordi Basté. But the most significant changes are happening in his personal life—he has taken a decisive step in his relationship with Ainhoa Armentia, moving with her to one of the most prestigious residential complexes in northern Spain.
At the end of January 2024, after more than two years of being together and immediately following his official divorce from Infanta Cristina in December 2023, the lawyer and former son-in-law of King Felipe VI began a new life with his partner in the Basque Country. Gone are the days spent in the exclusive Pedralbes district of Barcelona and in Geneva, Switzerland, where he lived with his former wife and their four children: Juan, Pablo, Miguel, and Irene. Their new home is located in Ciudad Jardín—an elegant and tranquil neighborhood in Vitoria that has earned a reputation as one of the most desirable in northern Spain. This area is a true green oasis, protected by private security, with properties ranging from half a million to nearly two million euros. It is here, far from the spotlight, that Iñaki Urdangarin plans to put down roots with Ainhoa Armentia. The couple has rented an apartment just a few meters from the residence of Claire Françoise Liber Courten, Iñaki’s mother.
Within the residential complex, which covers more than 27,000 square meters of communal areas, the entrepreneur and lawyer rent a spacious, comfortable, and discreet apartment. The exact number of rooms remains undisclosed, but rent for a three-bedroom apartment in this neighborhood is around 2,500 euros per month. This is a sum not accessible to everyone, but the former Duke of Palma has clearly prioritized comfort. However, the couple does not always reside in Ciudad Jardín. Ainhoa divides her time between the apartment in Vitoria and her family home, where she continues to co-parent her teenage children. Meanwhile, the coach returns to his mother’s house to keep her company and look after her. This suggests that the couple has found a balance between their relationship and family responsibilities.
Just hours before his first televised interview following his release, another piece of news made headlines. Iñaki Urdangarin’s memoir, “Todo lo vivido” (“All That I Have Lived”), is set to be published in February 2026. According to the publisher, the book “recounts his childhood, sports career, public life, the most difficult years, and his path to personal transformation after prison.” Since the “Caso Nóos” scandal erupted in 2011, the former athlete had remained silent—“out of caution, respect, fear, strategy…for many reasons.” “My life has been told by others. Journalists, judges, commentators, strangers… It seemed everyone knew who I was, what I thought, what I did, and why,” quotes Penguin Random House. For the first time, the former son-in-law of King Juan Carlos will share his story in his own words: “I’m writing this book because I need to face everything I’ve gone through—highs and lows—and share it honestly.”
Incidentally, Iñaki Urdangarin is one of the most controversial figures in modern Spain. He was once a celebrated handball player, a member of the national team, and an Olympic medalist. His marriage to Infanta Cristina, the younger daughter of King Juan Carlos I, in 1997 made him a member of the royal family and Duke of Palma. However, his reputation was shattered by a corruption scandal known as the “Noos case.” In 2018, he was convicted of embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering and sentenced to five years and ten months in prison. The scandal dealt a significant blow to the image of the Spanish monarchy. In 2022, while still in prison, he began a relationship with Ainhoa Armentia, and in January 2024, his divorce from Infanta Cristina was officially finalized.
