The 'life in the shadows' of Claire Liebaert, Iñaki Urdangarin's 'courageous mother'

Seven years have passed since Iñaki Urdangarin entered Brieva prison (Ávila).

However, the ordeal for Juan Carlos I's former son-in-law had already begun in 2010, after the outbreak of the Noós Case, a scandal that also affected the Urdangarin clan.

The former athlete's family was the victim of unprecedented media harassment. Juan María Urdangarin and Claire Liebaert were targeted by the press.

The patriarch of the clan wasn't present when his son entered prison. However, Claire Liebaert experienced the worst years of her life due to the corruption scandal in which her son Iñaki was involved.

Since then, Claire disappeared from the spotlight. Although she returned to the forefront after the announcement of the divorce between the former athlete and the second daughter of Juan Carlos I.

The most recent public appearances of Iñaki Urdangarin's mother have been alongside some of her children. She was also seen at one of the handball matches of the team where her grandson Pablo plays.

So what is Claire Liebaert's current life like?

Claire Liebaert's current life

In 2022, Iñaki Urdangarin and Infanta Cristina made their separation official. Once again, the Urdangarin clan returned to the media spotlight.

Not only because of the divorce but also because the former Duke of Palma began a new relationship with lawyer Ainhoa Armentia. He met her at the law firm Vitoria Imaz&Asociados.

Although it seemed their relationship wouldn't last, Iñaki and Ainhoa have solidified their story. They settled in the exclusive Ciudad Jardín development in Vitoria, where Claire Liebaert also lives.

Iñaki Urdangarin's mother is living one of the calmest moments of her life. Since her son was released from prison, the former Duke of Palma's mother has increased her public presence.

One of her most recent appearances was alongside Infanta Cristina's ex-husband, at one of her grandson Pablo's matches with BM Granollers.

Although Claire Liebaert's relationship with her grandchildren is very close, many have wondered about the one she keeps with her son's new partner.

According to reports, Claire and Ainhoa met in 2024 and there seems to be good rapport between them.

An excellent relationship with Infanta Cristina

Iñaki Urdangarin's imprisonment brought Claire Liebaert and Infanta Cristina even closer together. The bond between them still persists. Although, according to reports, in 2022 Claire accepted the separation and the beginning of a new romance for her son with the lawyer.

Last summer, Infanta Cristina visited Bidart again, one of her favorite vacation destinations. There, she was seen taking a walk with Claire, whom she held by the hand, and one of her former sisters-in-law.

However, their meeting in the French town hasn't been the only occasion when Infanta Cristina and Claire have met since the announcement of her separation from Iñaki Urdangarin.

In April, they attended together one of the handball matches that Pablo Urdangarin played in Barcelona. People say that since she began her relationship with Iñaki Urdangarin, Claire Liebaert has always been "like a second mother" to Infanta Cristina.

The relationship was so good that, apparently, the Urdangarin-Liebaert marriage was one of the factors that caused the distancing between Infanta Cristina and Queen Letizia.

Infanta Cristina celebrated her daughter Irene's baptism in the gardens of the Zarzuela Palace. To attend, her in-laws had to travel to the Spanish capital. The second daughter of Juan Carlos I and Doña Sofía considered that it wasn't appropriate to accommodate her in-laws in a hotel.

Infanta Cristina asked her brother, then Prince Felipe, if Claire and Juan Maria could stay in the Prince's Pavilion. The residence of the then Princes of Asturias. Don Felipe agreed, but he told his sister that she should speak with Doña Letizia.

At that time, the Princess of Asturias was in an advanced stage of pregnancy with Princess Leonor. It seems that Queen Letizia would have refused.

That episode would have caused the siblings' anger as well as the breakdown of the relationship between Doña Letizia and the Urdangarin family.

Claire Liebaert's story

Claire Françoise Marie Pharaïlde Liebaert Courtain was born on July 16, 1935, in Antwerp (Belgium).

Claire was one of the daughters of the marriage formed by Guillaume Liebaert and Marie Emilie Courtain. The couple had another daughter named Jeannine. The couple and their two daughters moved to Madrid during their youth.

Jeannine has always been one of Claire's greatest supports. She married a Spaniard and became the mother of two children, Alejandro and Lidia.

On July 11, 1958, Claire Liebaert married the engineer from Gipuzkoa, Juan María Urdangarin y Berriochoa. The wedding was held at the parish of Saint Thomas More in Swiss Cottage, Hendon (London).

Initially, the couple settled in Zumárraga, the homeland of Juan María. Later, they moved to Barcelona, where Juan María Urdangarin worked in the chemical sector, and finally, they settled in Vitoria. Claire and Juan María had seven children: Laura, Ana, Lucía, Clara, Cristina, Mikel, and Iñaki.

The family became very well known in the capital of Álava and, according to reports, the small city clashed with the family's elitism.

In 1996, Juan María Urdangarin was appointed president of the former Caja Vital.

A prestigious position he attained due to his membership in the PNV, the political party in which he was active. Despite being one of the most well-known clans in Vitoria, the Urdangarin family always kept a low profile in front of the media.

Until the 1990s, when Iñaki, one of the couple's sons, began his romance with Infanta Cristina. Claire and Juan Maria Urdangarin went from being a discreet couple from the capital of Álava to being connected to the Spanish royal family.

One of their first official "events" took place at the Zarzuela Palace, where the engagement of Iñaki Urdangarin and Infanta Cristina was announced.

On October 4, 1997, Barcelona dressed up for the occasion to host the wedding of the second daughter of Juan Carlos I and Iñaki Urdangarin.

That wedding put the Urdangarin clan in the spotlight. Claire Liebaert dazzled as the matron of honor with a two-piece outfit in champagne color with feather details on the sleeves of the blazer.

Together with Juan Maria, she proudly posed on the steps of Barcelona Cathedral. Since joining the Spanish royal family, the couple didn't usually appear in the media. However, they were always very kind and cordial with the press.

Until 2010, the outbreak of the Noós Case led to relentless media harassment against the family.

They experienced their own Anuus Horribilis. The former athlete's parents went from being the monarch's in-laws to the parents of a criminal.

The weight of the consequences of the shady dealings of what was once the king emeritus's "favorite son-in-law" was a heavy burden for his family, especially for the couple. Juan Maria Urdangarin's health had deteriorated.

He had suffered a stroke that forced him to use a wheelchair. Finally, Juan Maria Urdangarin died on May 10, 2012. The Urdangarin patriarch didn't see his son enter prison. Claire did witness it.

The mother of the former Duke of Palma has gone through the worst years of her life. Her son Iñaki Urdangarin was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for embezzlement, misconduct, fraud against the Administration, two tax offenses, and influence peddling.

People say that Claire suffered greatly seeing her son enter prison. Currently, the Urdangarin family matriarch lives in retirement in a development on the outskirts of the capital of Álava, close to her son Iñaki and very close to her former daughter-in-law, Infanta Cristina.