Filipina ex wife of Julio Iglesias.
>> >
>> > Isabel Preysler
>> > From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
>> >
>> > Isabel Preysler (born Maria Isabel Preysler Arrástia on February 18,
>> > 1951 in Manila, Philippines) is a Filipina journalist, model and
>> > former TV talk show host in Madrid, Spain. She is known in the Spanish
>> > press as "La Reina de Corazones" (the Queen of Hearts) ever since a
>> > best-selling biography by the same name was published about her. She
>> > is the mother of international pop superstar Enrique Iglesias, Julio
>> > José Iglesias, Chabeli Iglesias, Tamara Falcó and Ana Boyer.
>> >
>> > Preysler was born in the wealthy neighborhood of San Lorenzo, Manila,
>> > Philippines, the third of six children to a rich business Filipino
>> > family. She attended the Assumption Convent, a private Catholic
>> > school. Due to her good behaviour, she was often selected to represent
>> > the Virgin Mary in the local Christmas nativity scenes.
>> >
>> > Her nickname as a child was "Chabeli", which would later be the
>> > nickname of her first child. According to the book "Reina de
>> > Corazones" by Paloma Barrientos, she dated Gregorio Araneta, Charlie
>> > Lopez, and Bobby Santos, among others, as a teenager.[1] Her older
>> > brother Enrique died in Hong Kong due to a heroin overdose. She named
>> > her second son Enrique Iglesias, in honor of her deceased brother.
>> > Joaquin, her second oldest brother, also had problems with drugs, but
>> > overcame them and now lives in Canada.
>> >
>> > During her youth, Isabel participated in a charity beauty pageant for
>> > the Sheraton Hotel in Manila and was crowned queen. Jun Ikalav, a
>> > playboy with a bad reputation, started dating Isabel. This worried her
>> > parents, and at the age of 18, she was sent to live in Madrid with her
>> > uncle and aunt to study at Mary Ward College, an Irish Catholic
>> > university in Spain, where she studied Accounting. It was at a party
>> > in 1970 that she was introduced to a family friend by the name of
>> > Julio Iglesias, who at the time was not yet a famous singer. The
>> > couple had their wedding just seven months later and were married for
>> > seven years, during which time they had three children, Chabeli, Julio
>> > Jr. and Enrique. In accordance with their rising careers, Julio as a
>> > singer, and Isabel as a model in Spain and Europe, they exploded onto
>> > the scene in 1971 and became overnight superstars in Spain and Latin
>> > America..
>> >
>> > Following their divorce in 1978, Isabel launched her own career as a
>> > journalist for Spanish magazine ¡Hola! and her first interviewee was
>> > Julio himself. She also interviewed Richard Chamberlain. She married
>> > the Marquis de Grignon, Carlos Falcó, on 23 March 1980, a short-lived
>> > marriage resulted in the birth of a second daughter, Tamara. She later
>> > married former Spanish finance minister, Miguel Boyer, with whom she
>> > has another daughter, Ana. This marriage symbolized for critics the
>> > alliance of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party, part of the
>> > leftist opposition to Francisco Franco, and to the "beautiful people"
>> > (aristocracy and bourgeoisie).
>> >
>> > Often dubbed "La Perla de Manila" by the Spanish media ("The Pearl of
>> > Manila"), readers at Hola magazine have voted Isabel as the most
>> > elegant and best-dressed woman in Spain for 1991, 2002, and 2004, and
>> > she has consistently topped the best-dressed lists over the years in
>> > various Spanish magazines.
>> >
>> > In 1984, she hosted the Spanish lifestyle TV programme, "Hoy." She has
>> > been chosen by several companies to be an image sponsor for their
>> > products, including Ferrero Rocher, Suárez jewelery, and, most
>> > notably, the Spanish tile company, Porcelanosa.
>> >
>> > In 1987, her two sisters moved to Spain with their families to be
>> > closer to Isabel.
>> >
>> > Her father, Carlos Preysler, has passed away. Her mother, Beatriz
>> > Preysler, still lives in Manila where Isabel is known to visit
>> > frequently with her children. She is close friends with Maurice
>> > Arcache, a local openly-gay Philippine journalist and socialite. She
>> > frequents social events in Manila, including events hosted by the
>> > Spanish Embassy of the Philippines. She is also friends with Miriam
>> > Quiambao, Miss Philippines-Universe 1999, ever since they met at a
>> > party hosted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a national newspaper,
>> > and with fellow Filipina and acclaimed fashion designer Monique
>> > Lhuillier, who she met in Los Angeles during a trip. She is known to
>> > wear Lhullier gowns at social events in Spain.
>> >
>> > In May 2001, she was Prince Charles' guest of honour for the opening
>> > of his Spanish Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in England. She was
>> > his guest of honor again in 2005 at a garden party during a trip to
>> > Spain by the Royal Crown.
>> >
>> > In 2004, she became Spain's welcoming host for David and Victoria
>> > Beckham when she hosted a welcoming party at her house for the
>> > celebrity couple. She became close friends with Victoria and was often
>> > photographed shopping with her during their stay in Madrid. [2]
>> >
>> > Most recently she launched her official website at the suggestion of
>> > her son Enrique, who is one of her biggest fans. She continues to be
>> > the national spokesmodel for Ferrero Rocher, Suárez jewelery, Manolo
>> > Blahnik shoes, Chrysler cars, and Porcelanosa tiles, for which
>> > American actor George Clooney recently joined her in Fall 2006 to
>> > represent the brand in a new advertising campaign. [3]
>> >
>> > In 2006, she was also honored along with Hillary Clinton, Shakira, and
>> > Yoko Ono among others with the Women Together Award, which honors
>> > women for their philanthropical contributions to the United Nations in
>> > New York, making her the first Filipina woman in history to ever win
>> > the prestigious honor.. [4]
>> >
>> > She, her family, and her home are frequent presences in Spanish
>> > magazines.. She also helps participate in events for the Philippine
>> > Embassy in Madrid..
>> >
>> > In 2007, she and her daughters were invited by Prince Charles of
>> > England to be guests of honor at the Clarence house at their estate in
>> > Britain and was voted out of a total of more than 40,000 Hola magazine
>> > readers as the most elegant woman in Spain.