Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarín confirm separation

KING Felipe's sister, the Infanta Cristina may have to pay regular maintenance to husband Iñaki Urdangarín once they are finally divorced, reveals Vanitatis in the wake of the ex-Royals' shock separation announcement.

Rumour mills went into a flat spin after Urdangarín, formerly the Duke of Palma, was spotted hand in hand with his married work colleague Ainhoa Armentia along the seafront esplanade in Bidart, in the French Basque Country.

They were described as being 'very affectionate' with each other, and Ainhoa was revealed to be the wife of a motor dealership company director, born in the Spanish Basque city of Vitoria (Álava province), and an accountant at Imaz & Asociados, where Urdangarín, who is on parole, also works.

The Infanta Cristina, formerly the Duchess of Palma and who, along with her soon-to-be-ex husband, lost her Royal Highness title when her brother, Felipe VI, came to the throne in June 2014, has been living for over eight years in Geneva, Switzerland.

She has been employed by CaixaBank's social and charitable arm, the La Caixa Foundation, for around 30 years – a job which once saw her living in Miami and which she moved to Geneva with from Barcelona in the wake of her husband's embezzlement trial.

Neither the Infanta Cristina nor Urdangarín have denied or attempted to cover up the revelations, and very swiftly followed them up by admitting they were going through a legal separation.

Sources consulted by celebrity media channels claim Ainhoa and Urdangarín have been a couple for several months now, and that their relationship is serious.

Urdangarín's first official words spoken once the marital rupture became public were: “These things happen, but we're going to deal with it as best we can.”

Family solicitors consulted by Vanitatis said Urdangarín may be eligible to apply for a regular maintenance payment from the Infanta if there is considered to be a financial imbalance between them that would be aggravated by their marriage ending.

Javier Castro-Villacañas, a specialist in Royal Household legal affairs, said on the channel four or La Cuatro talk show Todo es Mentira ('It's All Lies') that the situation Urdangarín is in at the moment is 'the result of a sentence passed in response to his criminal activity' and 'not due to financial inequality through dedicating himself to the family'.

In the latter case, where one parent gave up or reduced his or her work to raise children or care for sick or disabled members of the household, the bread-winning parent may be required to compensate the other in the event of a separation or divorce.

Urdangarín, a former Olympic handball-player and later national team trainer, is unlikely to attempt to claim any kind of financial maintenance from Cristina, however, according to solicitors' firm Messrs Vilches, whose representatives spoke to Vanitatis.

Two main reasons for this are that, firstly, the court would be unlikely to grant it, and secondly, because Urdangarín's career was not interrupted by his marriage or through childcare, but through his 'legal issues'.

These high-profile 'legal issues' involved a conviction for money-laundering and public fund embezzlement, using his non-profit sports and cultural promotion entity, the Nóos Institute, as a front.

Urdangarín was sentenced to prison, but after a short few years was given the equivalent of a 'category D', permitted to work outside the jail centre.

Although the Infanta was questioned and placed under formal investigation in connection with the Nóos scandal, her allegations of lack of specialist financial knowledge and having 'merely trusted her husband' and 'signed what he told her to sign' were considered legitimate, and she was acquitted.

She moved to Geneva with the couple's children when Urdangarín went to prison, and they sold their Barcelona mansion.

In the interests of avoiding public outcry, the then King Juan Carlos I and his wife, Queen Sofía, had already opted to 'shrink' the Royal 'hub', with only the monarchs themselves and the heir to the throne, Prince Felipe of Asturias, plus his wife, Princess Letizia and their two daughters, Leonor and Sofía, able to represent the institution in official engagements.

Once King Juan Carlos I abdicated and his son was crowned King Felipe VI, the new monarch stripped his sister and brother-in-law of their Royal titles, for the same reasons.

They also lost their Duke and Duchess status, although the middle sister, the Infanta Elena, kept her own as Duchess of Lugo, but to prevent public speculation or accusations of favouritism, Elena was also removed from Royal duty and lost her title.

The entire débacle appears to have taken its toll, costing the King's sister and brother-in-law their marriage.

Even though Urdangarín looks unlikely to try for maintenance payments from his future ex-wife, both parties will be required to make these for their children.

All bar Irene, the youngest, at 16, are now legally adults – Juan is 22, Pablo is 21 and Miguel is 19 - but child maintenance is payable until the offspring are aged 24 to 25.

Urdangarín and the Infanta will need to reach an agreement on the sums each of them pay to the other for their sons and daughter, although due to their differences in income, it is likely Cristina will have higher sums to pay, according to Messrs Vilches.