He was born in
Madrid, as the third and last son of
Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera (elder son of
Infante Antonio, Duke of Galliera, and of
Infanta Eulalia of Spain) and
Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (youngest daughter of
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and of
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia). He was named after
king Athaulf, who ruled the
Visigothic Kingdom from 410 to 415. Although he was not made an
Infante like his eldest brother,
Alfonso XIII gave him and his other brother Alonso the same privileges and honours. His godparents were
Infante Carlos of the Two-Sicilies, and
Isabella de Borbón. Prince Ataúlfo was a student at
Sandroyd School in
Wiltshire. He was idolised by
Priscilla Scott-Ellis who was not deterred by his mother who hinted that he was not interested. He would later reveal his homosexuality. When the
Spanish Civil War broke out, Prince Ataúlfo volunteered in the
Condor Legion, the German volunteer unit that was sent by
Hitler to repel
Communism in Spain. Only he and two of his cousins, Luis Alfonso and José Eugenio of Bavaria (
Prince Fernando of Bavaria's sons) represented the
Spanish royal family in
Francoist official acts, due to the pro-democratic views held by most of the royal family. He was followed to Spain by Priscilla Scott-Ellis who volunteered as a nurse mainly to be near him. In time she married another Spanish aristocrat. ==Honours==