Iñaki Urdangarin
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Iñaki Urdangarin Liebaert (born 15 January, 1968) is the husband of the Infanta Cristina of Spain, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. He is styled as His Excellency The Duke of Palma de Mallorca.
He was born (of Basque and Belgian descent) to Juan María Urdangarin Berriochoa and Claire Liebaert Courtain in Zumarraga, Guipúzcoa, Spain, but has spent almost all his life in Barcelona. At the age of 18, he became a professional team handball player with FC Barcelona, where he remained until his retirement in 2000. He became Spain's most successful handball player, winning more than forty trophies. Meanwhile, he studied at the Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ESADE) in Barcelona, from which he received a master's degree in business administration.
As a member of the Spanish handball team, he participated in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Summer Olympics, serving as team captain in 2000. It was at the 1996 games in Atlanta that he met the Infanta Cristina, whom he married in Barcelona on 4 October, 1997. They have four children, all born in Barcelona:
- His Excellency Don Juan Valentín de Todos los Santos Urdangarín y de Borbón (born 29 September, 1999)
- His Excellency Don Pablo Nicolás Sebastián de Todos los Santos Urdangarín y de Borbón (born 6 December, 2000)
- His Excellency Don Miguel de Todos los Santos Urdangarin y de Borbón (born 30 April, 2002)
- Her Excellency Doña Irene de Todos los Santos Urdangarin y de Borbón (born 5 June, 2005)
He has been a member of the Spanish Olympic Committee since 4 April, 2001, and was elected first deputy chairman on 16 February, 2004.
External links
| Styles of The Duke of Palma de Mallorca | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Alternative style | Sir |
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