The celebration of Infanta Cristina's 60th birthday has shaken Zarzuela's traditional calm. An anniversary that was expected to be a warm family gathering has been marked by a surprising disagreement: Cristina's children have decided not to share a table with Queen Letizia. The decision has sparked new attention and raises questions about the tensions that persist within the Borbón family.
Poor relationship from day one
On Friday, June 13, Infanta Cristina celebrated her birthday, turning six decades old. She chose to do so in a private setting: an intimate dinner at the Palace organized by Queen Sofía, attended by the honoree, Infanta Elena, Princess Irene, and several grandchildren.
However, sources close to the family have revealed that Cristina's children—Miguel, Pablo, Juan, and Irene—have unanimously refused to attend if Letizia Ortiz is among the guests.
Royal Household wants to hide it
From Zarzuela, the Royal Household hasn't made any explicit statements. They have only reported that the celebration is private and that King Felipe VI might only stop by to greet, without confirming his presence. Meanwhile, it has become known that Letizia and Felipe formally declined to attend, without adding further details.
Some media outlets have suggested that the Urdangarin children made their decision because they consider it inappropriate for the queen to participate in such a personal event, given the person she represents and the wound left open by the Nóos case. They reportedly perceived Letizia as a figure who prioritized defending the Crown over defending their mother.
The Nóos case marked a turning point
This distancing is nothing new. Since the outbreak of the Nóos case, which lasted from 2011 to 2017 and in which Iñaki Urdangarin was convicted, the relationship between Cristina and Felipe VI, and by extension with Letizia, cooled drastically.
The infanta lost the title of Duchess of Palma in June 2015, while her children experienced traumatic situations that even included bullying at school. Although since then Cristina has worked to rebuild her professional life in Geneva and Barcelona, she has kept a strict distance from the queen consort elpais.com.
Over the past few months, the infanta has begun to regain visibility: she participates in events for the la Caixa Foundation and has an apartment in Pedralbes to be close to her children. Although her presence in Spain has increased, she remains discreet elpais.com.