Like the United Kingdom, Spain was a constitutional monarchy; the Borbons had it all to stay as monarchs. However, King Alfonso XIII was not only a disolute man (with many mistresses and illegitimate children) but also a very bad polititian. On 1923 Captain-General Primo de Rivera overthrew the parliamentary government and declared himself as dictator. The King (big, horrendous mistake!!!) publicly declared his support to the dictator and to give the "de facto" government legitimacy named the dictator as his prime minister.
As a result, the Country became heavily divided and violent; democrats all over the Country felt arguably betrayed by the King. The division continued to grow and the monarchy was abolished soon after the Second Republic was proclaimed on 1931. The King's mistakes eventually led to the Spanish Civil War (July 1936 - April 1939) which caused the death of approximately 500,000 Spaniards.
After the monarchy was overthrown, Queen Ena and King Alfonso decided to separate. The royal family lived first in France and then in Italy. It was in Rome where Infanta Beatrix married Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince di Civitella-Cesi (they had 2 sons and 2 daughters) and Infanta Maria Christina married Enrico Marrone-Cinzano, Count Marone (they had 4 daughters). The Infantas' children married into Italian and Spanish nobility and had numerous descendants. Also in Rome, Infante Juan married Spanish born Princess Maria Mercedes Borbon-two Siciles and Orleans (parents of King Juan Carlos I) and Infante Jaime married noblewoman Emanuella of Dampierre-Ruspoli (daughter of French Nobleman Roger de Dampierre, 2nd Duke of San Lorenzo and Viscount of Dampierre and Italian Princess Donna Vittoria Ruspoli).
After leaving Italy, Queen Ena lived partly in the UK and partly in Switzerland. At the outbreak of World War II, the Queen settled in Lausanne, Switzerland. Her grandchildren Alfonso and Gonzalo of Borbon (sons of Infante Jaime) where living and studying very close to her. The princes were very often guests of their beloved grandmother. There was a great and everlasting mutual adoration between the princes and their grandmother.
Front of Queen Ena's Villa in Lausanne "La Vielle Fontaine":