Laura Ponte's current life: former cousin of Felipe VI turned designer

On June 9, model Laura Ponte Martínez (Vigo, 1973) will turn 52 years old. The current life of Felipe VI's former cousin-in-law (Madrid, 1968) has changed radically. The Galician has become one of the most renowned bridal designers in Spanish fashion.

Meanwhile, Beltrán Gómez-Acebo's ex-wife is very focused on her role as a mother and remains one of the most famous figures in glossy magazines. But what is her life like now?

Laura Ponte's Current Life, Felipe VI's Former Cousin-In-Law Turned Designer

Laura Ponte's name will never stop making an impression. More than two decades have passed since the model announced her retirement from the fashion world. However, she remains closely connected to the industry.

Her name has resurfaced in Spanish news because Laura was one of the top models whose story was featured last September by writer Luis Sala in the book "Supermodelos"(Plaza y Janes). In fact, the Galician is on the cover of the book.

Likewise, last October the Galician received the T de Telva award. She received this award alongside other colleagues such as Inés Sastre and Judit Mascó.

However, in 2022 her life changed completely. After suffering an accident in which she had a perforation of the cornea in her left eye, the Galician lost 20% of her vision.

At the end of that year, she managed to undergo surgery in which, through an eye transplant, she was able to recover the sight she had lost and gradually resume her professional projects.

One of them is her brand "Laura Ponte". Since 2018, the Galician has worked as a bridal designer. It is in her home-atelier located in the Chamartín neighborhood (Madrid) where she develops her creativity.

Laura Ponte's talent hasn't gone unnoticed by members of the jet set. One of them is María Vega Penichet López, daughter of lawyer Manuel Vega Penichet.

Likewise, the Galician is also one of the great ambassadors of brands such as Sophie et voilà or renowned designers like Moisés Nieto. She keeps a close friendship with the designer.

Meanwhile, she has appeared in various editorials. One of them was highly publicized because Ponte posed for Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf for Vanity Fair as the historic Princess of Éboli, one of the noblewomen of King Felipe II's court.

Her Connection With the Spanish Royal Family

Indeed, Laura Ponte is very close to royalty. Specifically, to the Borbóns.

To discuss this connection, one must go back to September 18, 2004. On that day, Laura Ponte married Beltrán Gómez-Acebo, one of the sons of Infanta Pilar and, therefore, nephew of Juan Carlos I.

The wedding was held at the Royal Collegiate Church of the Royal, in the Palace of La Granja, Segovia. The guest list for the event reached 508 attendees, including all members of the Spanish royal family. In fact, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia served as witnesses.

This choice was not random because Felipe VI is one of Beltrán Gómez-Acebo's cousins and, at the same time, one of his closest friends. This relationship was reaffirmed after the birth of Luis Felipe, the first son of Beltrán Gómez-Acebo and Laura Ponte, who was born on July 8, 2005, in Madrid.

The little boy was named in honor of Juan Carlos I's son, who acted as godfather at the baptism. In July 2006, Laura, the model's second daughter, was born. Three years after their daughter's birth, rumors of marital crisis surrounded Laura Ponte and Beltrán Gómez-Acebo, which were eventually confirmed.

In 2011, they signed their divorce. However, Laura Ponte's connection with the Borbóns was not broken. Quite the opposite.

They say that, after their separation, Laura Ponte and Beltrán Gómez-Acebo keep an excellent relationship.

Despite their breakup, Laura Ponte kept her relationship with the Spanish royal family. In 2015, the model reunited with her former in-laws at her children's communion. Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, attended this event.

Laura Ponte has never hidden the good relationship she keeps with her ex-husband's family. The model said that "Felipe VI was a wonderful man, charming, polite, and pleasant". On the other hand, the Galician was full of praise for Infanta Pilar de Borbón.

Juan Carlos I's sister was an essential figure in her life. The model described her ex-mother-in-law as a "supermother." She also called her a "loving, wise, very intelligent woman with a great sense of humor."

They say Laura had a special affection for her ex-mother-in-law. For this reason, her death in January 2020 was a hard blow for the model. In 2024, the model didn't hesitate to support the Gómez-Acebo family after the deaths of Fernando and Juan Gómez-Acebo.

Laura Ponte's Other Loves

After her divorce from Beltrán Gómez-Acebo, the model rebuilt her life. The Galician began several relationships with figures such as indie musician Alvaro Naive, who is fifteen years younger than her.

She also became the daughter-in-law of banker Mario Conde when she started a relationship with his son Mario Conde Jr.

Businessman and musician Beltrán Cavero, ex-husband of aristocrat Alejandra de Rojas and nephew of politician Esperanza Aguirre, was another of Laura Ponte's conquests. With poet Pedro Letai, she had her last known romance, which ended in 2019. Since then, she hasn't been known to have a new romantic relationship.

The Galician Who Conquered Spanish Fashion

Laura Ponte was born in 1973 in the Galician town of Santiago de Compostela. She is the daughter of journalists José Manuel Ponte, who also served as editor-in-chief of the newspaper La Nueva España, and Marcela Martínez Zapico. In addition to Laura, the former couple are parents to Jacobo Ponte.

The model spent her childhood in Asturias, specifically in Oviedo, and it was there that she first came into contact with the fashion world because her grandfather was a tailor.

After considering studying Journalism and Fine Arts, Laura Ponte entered the world of runways.

Since her youth, Laura Ponte was a young woman who radiated beauty, which was far from the feminine standards demanded in 1990s fashion. Her career began in 1993, when she started walking in the Pasarela Cibeles and even won the "The Look of the Year" contest.

She had a very distinctive physique and an androgynous aesthetic that captivated designers such as Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Ralph Lauren, Loewe, Karl Lagerfeld, or brands like La Perla. She has also posed for some of the most prestigious photographers in the industry, such as Steven Meisel, Jacques Olivar, Mario Testino, or Richard Avedon, and throughout her career, she has been featured in reports for magazines like Vogue, Elle, or Telva.

Although in 1996, Harper's Bazaar magazine ranked her as the third highest-paid model in the world, fashion was never Laura's first choice. The top model has emphasized on numerous occasions that "I've never liked being a model, I've enjoyed it, I've had a great time, I've learned a lot, but my intention was to see how the business worked. It has never fulfilled me."

In 2003, she announced her retirement, although she hasn't separated from the fashion industry, where she remains, as she says, "a pleasure-seeker."