Elena met
Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada, Lord of Tejada, son of the Amalio de Marichalar y Bruguera, 8th Count of Ripalda, for the first time in 1987 in
Paris. Elena was studying French literature in the French capital while Jaime was working for
Credit Suisse. The formal marriage proposal was made on 26 November 1994 at the
Royal Palace of Zarzuela. The engagement ring was a diamond ring part of a tiara belonging to the groom's mother, María de la Concepción Sáenz de Tejada y Fernández de Bobadilla, Lady of Tejada. Around 1,500 guests, including representatives of 39 royal houses, attended. 150,000 citizens filled the streets around the Cathedral. Also, to celebrate the occasion, King Juan Carlos gave Infanta Elena the title of
Duchess of Lugo. The couple has two children:
Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón (born 17 July 1998) and
Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón (born 9 September 2000) were born at Ruber International Hospital in Madrid. On 26 June 2003, a few days after the king announced his daughter's third pregnancy, Elena suffered a miscarriage. As children of an
Infanta of Spain, Elena's children are
Grandees of Spain. On 13 November 2007, it was announced that Elena had separated from her husband. In November 2009, the Spanish media reported that she and her husband would divorce, although a rumour to that effect had been circulating for a year before the announcement was made. Their divorce papers were signed on 25 November 2009. The Duchess and Duke consort of Lugo were divorced in December 2009. On 21 January 2010, the divorce was registered at the Civil Registry of the Spanish Royal Family and it was officially announced on 9 February 2010; Jaime de Marichalar was no longer permitted to use the ducal title nor was he considered an official member of the
Spanish Royal Family. == Activities and personal work ==