The former general secretary of the Popular Party and former president of Castilla-La Mancha, María Dolores de Cospedal (Madrid, 1965), and her husband, businessman Ignacio López del Hierro (Seville, 1947), have separated after 15 years of marriage. She herself confirmed the news in Vanitatis: “Indeed, I have separated. There is no story beyond the disagreements in coexistence. I would like to make this clear. I continue working, and a lot,” he said this Wednesday, October 23, about his separation.
Ignacio López del Hierro and María Dolores de Cospedal knew each other since they were young for a family friendship. The couple got married in 2009 at a civil wedding held at the Cigarral de las Mercedes in Toledo. At that time, María Dolores de Cospedal was president of the Popular Party in Castilla-La Mancha, and López del Hierro was administrator of several companies. The former Minister of Defense in the Government of Mariano Rajoy brought a young son from her previous marriage. López del Hierro, 18 years older than Cospedal, had also been married before and also had three children, these now grown. She had obtained the annulment of her previous marriage, but he had not. For that reason they celebrated a civil wedding.
Their wedding, which was officiated by the PP councilor in the Toledo City Council, Fernando Sanz, was attended by the then president of the party, Mariano Rajoy, accompanied by his wife, Elvira Rodríguez. As well as various names in politics, such as former ministers Miguel Arias Cañete and Manuel Núñez Pérez, along with a hundred guests. The place chosen for the ceremony had special importance for the groom, since he was civil governor of Toledo in 1979, appointed by Adolfo Suárez.
Personally discreet
During these 15 years of marriage they have been a discreet marriage. Especially after Cospedal was removed from the political front line in 2018. Currently, she works as a State lawyer and chairs the Political Leadership Institutea training project that has the collaboration and academic direction of the Catholic University of Murcia and the sponsorship of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
The last time that Ignacio López del Hierro and María Dolores de Cospedal were seen together was during the celebration events of the tenth anniversary of his proclamation of Felipe VI.
