Who Are King Felipe's Nieces? Untangling Spain's Royal Lineage and Public Scandals
By Alexander Ross
The path pursued by King Felipe’s younger niece couldn't look more different. Born in June 2005 in Barcelona, Irene Urdangarin y Borbón grew up during the most turbulent legal crisis in modern Spanish monarchy history: the Nóos corruption inquiry.
Her father, former Olympic handball player Iñaki Urdangarin, was investigated, convicted, and sentenced to prison for financial fraud. To shield their four children from aggressive media scrutiny in Spain, Infanta Cristina relocated the family to Geneva, Switzerland.
Irene grew up sheltered from Madrid’s paparazzi. Following her high school graduation at the International School of Geneva, she spent months undertaking volunteer humanitarian work in Battambang, Cambodia, assisting people with mobility disabilities. She then moved to the United Kingdom to pursue university studies in the Oxford area, maintaining a strictly guarded personal life and avoiding brand sponsorships, sponsored press trips, and public commercial endorsements.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
