Amparo Illana

Illana was born in Madrid on 25 May 1934 into a family of Basque origin.^[2][3] Her father was a colonel in the army.^[4] She studied English in Ireland and French at a boarding school in France.^[5]

She met Adolfo Suárez in Ávila during a summer vacation.^[3] Suárez was a native of the town.^[6] They married there on 15 July 1961.^[3] Her family contributed to the political career of Suárez.^[4] Illana was close to the Opus Dei, a Catholic group,^[7] and her husband was also a member of the group.^[6] She was involved in philanthropic activities with a special focus on the Gitanos or Romani people in Spain.^[7] She organized a meeting about their problems in Madrid in 1978 in collaboration with the Opus Dei.^[7]

Illana had five children with Suárez: María Amparo, Adolfo, Laura, Sonsoles and Javier.^[5] Illana was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994 and died in Madrid on 17 May 2001.^[5] She was buried in Ávila Cathedral, Ávila, on 18 May.^[3] Her husband would also be buried there next to her in March 2014.^[8]

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