Telma Ortiz, usually reserved, has publicly shown her support for her royal nieces Leonor and Sofía. Her recent appearances in Madrid and Marbella reveal a woman balancing family loyalty, personal transformation, and a renewed commitment to humanitarian work.
Telma Ortiz rolled down her car window outside the Italian Embassy in Madrid. She nodded to the crowd. The message was clear. She feels proud of her nieces, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, and she does not hide it. This small gesture came as she left a private ceremony for her friend, the famous bailaor Joaquín Cortés. Cortés had just been named a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy for his artistic work with the country.
Ortiz’s show of support comes at a time when the younger royals face heavy public attention. She did not speak directly to reporters. Still, her support for Leonor and Sofía stood out. In Spain’s royal circles, silence is often the norm. Ortiz called the event “very beautiful.” The night honored Cortés’s long career in flamenco and his work with Italian cultural groups. He once choreographed for the Arena di Verona at just 19. ANSA Latina and La Razón report that the Order of the Star of Italy is a civilian award for building ties between Italy and other countries. The Italian ambassador in Madrid gave Cortés the honor.
Telma Ortiz’s presence at the embassy event was confirmed by both photo agencies and Spanish media, which documented her proud reaction when asked about her royal nieces.
The night was not only about awards. It marked a shift for Ortiz herself. She has faced personal changes over the past year. After six years with lawyer Robert Gavin, father of her youngest daughter Erin, Ortiz ended the relationship. News of the split broke in September last year, but the separation had happened months before. She handled it quietly, as always. Both parents have kept things respectful and focused on their daughter. They still show up together for Erin. Lecturas confirmed this, noting the couple’s ongoing cooperation for their child.
Ortiz has started to appear more in public. She is putting her energy into work and humanitarian causes. In February, she attended an event at the Ateneo de Barcelona. She supported the Akram Loubad Foundation’s work to bring heart care to Gaza. This cause is personal. Ortiz once worked as an aid worker in Gaza. She knows the reality on the ground. That experience still shapes her view of humanitarian work.
This summer, Ortiz joined the Starlite Occident Gala 2026 in Marbella. She represented CAF – Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe as head of Global Strategic Alliances. She stood with Alfonso Cisneros of Venezuela Sin Límites and Unidos en Red. Together, they announced a new partnership to help Venezuela recover after the June earthquakes. Ortiz spoke plainly about the world’s problems. She said, “Love and peace and being surrounded by this aura of joy is what we would all like in life, to always be like this everywhere in the world. But, unfortunately, we know this is not the case and we are surrounded by wars, humanitarian crises, genocides, natural or man-made disasters.” She changed her own schedule to focus on aid for Venezuela.
Recent Spanish media also highlight that Telma Ortiz has attended several other social and charitable events in recent months, though she has not made new official statements at these appearances. The context of her remarks about Leonor and Sofía remains personal and informal, with no new communications from the royal household regarding this outing.
Ortiz’s approach is different from the tight privacy of other Spanish celebrities, as reported earlier. She chooses when to be seen. She uses her public role to support causes that matter to her and fit her own story.
In Spain, royal relatives often fade from view. Ortiz has quietly changed that. She mixes family loyalty, professional drive, and real humanitarian work. It is a new path for public figures in Spain. Her actions show that real influence, when paired with honesty and purpose, can reach far beyond palace walls.
