Infanta Maria Cristina was born at the Palacio Real in Madrid, Spain. The Spanish Royal Family left the country in 1931, in the face of Republican demonstrations, settling in Paris, before moving to Fontainebleau. By 1933 King Alfonso and his daughters, the Infantas Beatriz and Maria Cristina, had moved to Rome. Their father warned would-be suitors of the inherent dangers of hemophilia, from which two of the king's sons, Alfonso and Gonzalo, suffered.
Marriage and issue
She renounced her succession rights to the throne of the defunct Spanish crown and, on 10 June 1940, morganatically married Enrico Eugenio Marone-Cinzano in Rome. He had been created 1st Count Marone on 13 May 1940 by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. He was the son of Alberto Marone and his wife, Paola Cinzano, and was the widower of Noemí Rosa de Alcorta y García-Mansilla, by whom he had issue. The marriage produced four daughters, ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren:
Doña Vittoria Eugenia Alfonsa Alberta del Pilar Enrica Paola Marone-Cinzano she married José Carlos Álvarez de Toledo y Gross, 6th Marquess of Casa Loring on 12 January 1961. They have four children and five grandchildren:
*Vittoria Eugenia Álvarez de Toledo y Marone-Cizano, 7th Marchioness of Casa Loring she married Alfonso Codorniu y Aguilar on 29 September 1982. They have three children:
**Jaime Codorníu y Álvarez de Toledo
**Ana Codorníu y Álvarez de Toledo
**Carla Codorniu y Alvarez de Toledo
*Francisco de Borja Álvarez de Toledo y Marone-Cinzano, 9th Count of Villapaterna he married Jill Schlanger. They have two sons.
**Daniel Álvarez de Toledo y Schlanger
**Jacobo Álvarez de Toledo y Schlanger
*Marco Alfonso Álvarez de Toledo y Marone-Cinzano, a priest
*Gonzalo Álvarez de Toledo y Marone-Cinzano, unmarried and without issue
Doña Giovanna Paola Gabriella Marone-Cinzano she married Jaime Galobert y Satrustequi on 24 July 1967 and they were divorced in 1980. They have one son and three grandsons. She remarried Luis Ángel Sánchez-Merlo y Ruiz on 4 August 1989.
*Alfonso Alberto Galobart y Marone-Cinzano he married Alejandra Kindelán y Oteyza on 26 June 1998. They have three sons.
**Andrea Galobart y Kindelán
**Alfonso Galobart y Kindelán
**Alejandro Galobart y Kindelán
Doña María Theresa Beatrice Marone-Cinzano, married in Geneva on 22 April 1967 and divorced in 1989 José María Ruiz de Arana y Montalvo, 17th Duke of Baena, 17th Duke of Sanlúcar La Mayor, 15th Marquess of Villamanrique, 13th Marquess of Castromonte, 5th Marquess of Brenes, 11th Count of Sevilla La Nueva and 5th Viscount of Mamblas. They have three daughters and three grandchildren:
*María Cristina del Carmen Margarita Ruiz de Arana y Marone-Cinzano, 18th Duquesa de Baena, 18th Duquesa de Sanlúcar la Mayor, 14th Marquesa de Castromonte, 12th Condesa de Sevilla la Nueva and 6th Viscondesa de Mamblas.
*Isabel Alfonsa Ruiz de Arana y Marone-Cinzano, 16th Marquesa de Villamanrique, married to Ignacio Izuzquiza y Fernández. They have two children:
**Cristina Izuzquiza y Ruiz de Arana
**Iñigo Izuzquiza y Ruiz de Arana
*Inés Ruiz de Arana y Marone-Cinzano, 6th Marquesa de Brenes, married Carlos Magraner y Ubieta in 2008. They have one daughter:
**Carla Magraner y Ruiz de Arana
Doña Anna Alessandra Marone-Cinzano she married Gian Carlo Stavro Santarosa on 7 December 1968 and they were divorced in 1975. They have two daughters. She remarried Fernando Schwartz y Giron in 1985.
*Astrid Christina Antonia Stavro di Santarosa
*Yara Paola Stavro di Santarosa
Death
Infanta Maria Cristina returned to Spain and spent periods of time there, but never lived there permanently. She died in Madrid of a heart attack on 23 December 1996 during a Christmas reunion of the royal family at the Villa Giralda, the residence of her cousin and sister-in-law, the Countess of Barcelona. A funeral service for the Infanta was held in the chapel of the Royal Palace of Madrid on December 24, and an burial service was held on December 26 in the Marone-Cinzano Pantheon in Turin.
