Madrid - When Mr Inaki Urdangarin weds Infanta Cristina de Bourbon today, one of Europe's proudest royal lineages draws to its heart a self-made man. In sharp contrast to the House of Bourbon's centuries of inherited privilege, the 29-year-old professional handball player grabbed control of his own fate while still in his teens.
"I am very aware that since I was 15 I have had to forge my own future," Mr Urdangarin said in a recent interview. "My training as an elite athlete demanded a great deal from me as a person and I think that is what my personality most reflects."
Mr Urdangarin, who weds the third in line to the Spanish throne, in his youth displayed a natural ability that would eventually lead his team to Olympic bronze in Atlanta.