Il Divo star Carlos Marin’s ex-wife says last farewell to ‘the love of my life’ at singer’s funeral

Carlos Marin’s ex wife has said her final farewell to the ‘love of my life’ at the El Divo Star’s funeral in Madrid. 

Geraldine Larrosa, who remained very close to the Spanish baritone despite their 2009 divorce, was pictured standing alone and placing a hand on his coffin on Tuesday in a poignant scene.  

The actress and singer, 44, had earlier revealed she was planning to remarry Carlos before he died from Covid in a Manchester hospital last week despite being jabbed with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The couple had remained good friends despite their divorce three years after marrying in Disneyland following a relationship that had lasted more than a decade.

Larrosa was pictured today with tears in her eyes as she walked out of the crematorium after the singer’s body was cremated.  

Speaking outside Saint Isidore Funeral Home in Madrid where Carlos was resting in his coffin, dressed in the trademark Armani suit he wore at performances around the world, Geraldine said: ‘We have been together for 30 years although you’d travel and we’d separate and get back together again.

‘During these two years of pandemic we’d been together. We were going to marry and it’s not happened in the end.’    

Geraldine Larrosa, who remained very close to the Spanish baritone despite their 2009 divorce, was pictured standing alone and placing a hand on his coffin on Tuesday in a poignant scene

Larrosa was pictured today with tears in her eyes as she walked out of the crematorium after the singer’s body was cremated

Carlos Marin’s ex-wife Geraldine Larrosa (pictured together in October) has revealed she was going to marry Carlos again before he died from Covid last week

The funeral of Carlos was held in Madrid on Tuesday after died from Covid in a Manchester hospital last week despite being jabbed with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Carlos was cremated after a mass on Tuesday and his ashes deposited at Our Lady of Almudena Cemetery, the largest in Madrid and one of the largest in western Europe, alongside those of his father in a family niche in accordance with his last wishes. 

Geraldine also admitted on Monday her nine-year-old daughter Scarlett by her ex Sergio Arce regarded Carlos, who was her godfather, as her ‘second dad.’

Sergio, whose split with Geraldine has been described in Spanish press as ‘amicable’ and recently announced he had become a father again with a new partner, paid his own tribute to the Il Divo star by writing in a social media tribute: ‘Scarlett called you ‘daddy’ Carlos and I can’t be prouder that she called you that.

‘You are an incredible godfather. Whenever you were with her, I was happy because I knew she would be happy.

‘Now I know you will look after her from Heaven. You were one of the kindest, most generous and entertaining people I’ve ever known. We will never forget you.’ 

The comments come after Geraldine revealed she bid goodbye to the Il Divo star in an emotional video call when he ‘knew he wasn’t going to make it’. 

She fought back tears at the wake on Monday, where she wore black, as she recalled her final FaceTime call with Carlos.    

Geraldine said: ‘Before being intubated he said goodbye to me because he knew he wasn’t going to pull through and it was the saddest image in my life. 

‘He called me and told me he loved me like mad and that I was the woman of his life and asked me to take care of his family.’ 

Carlos Marin’s ex-wife Geraldine Larrosa was emotional as she left the crematorium in Madrid on Tuesday

A picture of Carlos smiling in a garden is laid in front of his coffin during his funeral in Madrid on Tuesday 

Geraldine Larrossa (centre) holds hands with Carlos’ sister Rosa (left) and his mother Magdalena Menchero (centre left)

The French-born artist, whose pre-recorded New Years Eve performance of Bohemian Rhapsody with Carlos for Spanish TV is expected to be screened despite his untimely death, added: ‘We had survived the pandemic and in the end the pandemic has taken him from me. 

‘He was the most kind-hearted person in the world, the greatest artist in Spain and the whole world. I still can’t believe what’s happened. 

‘I’m going to carry on fighting for his dreams and the dreams we had together. I don’t want the world to forget him.’

Geraldine offered no more information on when she was going to tie the knot again with her ex-husband.

Carlos had not been romantically linked to anyone since the end of his 2009 marriage to his ex-wife.

Late on Sunday night, Geraldine said on social media: ‘Tomorrow is going to be the saddest day of my life.’ 

The 44-year-old singer and actress described him as the ‘great love of my life’ as she opened her heart to fans following his December 19 death at Manchester Royal Hospital. 

Carlos’s Mother Magdalena Menchero, sister Rosi Marín and daughter Scarlett comfort each other during the funeral on Tuesday

The priest performs a ceremony during the funeral of Carlos Marin in Madrid on Tuesday

The singer, who goes by the stage name Innocence, said Carlos will ‘always be the great love of my life’

Carlos (second from left) is due to be cremated after a mass tomorrow and his ashes deposited at Our Lady of Almudena Cemetery 

Geraldine had said in an emotional Instagram tribute last week alongside a photo of the couple’s 2006 Disneyland wedding: ‘We were going to repeat this moment’.

But her message was not understood at the time as confirmation that a second marriage was on the cards, and what she really meant only became clear as she talked about the second marriage that had been planned.

In her open letter in Spanish she also said: ‘It doesn’t matter because I know the universe is going to bring us together millions of times.

‘It will wed us millions of times, I don’t have any doubt about that.

‘I love you with all my soul. Your goddaughter loves you like mad. I know you are here at my side and at our family’s side but you have left us with an immense hole in our lives.

‘I love you my darling. Your voice, your happiness, your affection and your humour is impregnated on my soul.

‘You are my great love who has marked the rhythm of my life. I love you.’

The French-born artist, better known by her stage name Innocence, flew to the UK after the 53-year-old’s condition worsened and he was admitted to hospital before ending up in an induced coma in intensive care. 

She was one of the first of the many family and friends due to attend a private wake on Monday. The funeral home was opened up to fans who want to pay their last respects. 

Carlos’ sister Rosa, who helped repatriate his body from the UK over the weekend, and his mother Magdalena Menchero were believed to be have attended with Carlos’ bandmates David Miller, Sebastian Izambard and Urs Buhler.

Rosa revealed last week the singer would be buried in the trademark Armani suit he wore on stage at performances around the world, although his coffin was be closed at the wake in line with Covid regulations.

The public wake, organised by his family so as many fans as possible could bid farewell to him, finished at 8pm local time on Monday.  

Geraldine admitted last week in a clear demonstration of the great relationship she and her ex still enjoyed: ‘Most people already know but I’ll say it again because I want the whole world to know. 

‘Carlos Marin has been and will always be the great love of my life. ‘He’s the kindest and most generous person in the world.’ 

The wake is taking place amid uncertainty over the path his family will now decide to take following his death. 

The family of Il Divo star Carlos Marin (pictured), will look at the treatment he received before his death

Flower arrangements are brought to the funeral service celebrating the life of Carlos Marin in Madrid on Tuesday

Rosa ended days of speculation about the cause last week by revealing Carlos had caught the Delta variant and it had attacked his lungs, leaving him in an induced coma in intensive care. 

Carlos’ lawyer Alberto Martin, who helped him take a crazed fan to court in September after she penned a string of X-rated letters and left him enduring sleepless nights with death threats, said last week before his body was repatriated: ‘I spoke with his mum the day he died and she was saying she was convinced that if had been in Spain, he could have survived. 

‘We don’t know if it’s been because of the care he received or the natural evolution of the virus and if Carlos’ mum said what she said out of the desperation she feels at his loss but the fact is they haven’t managed to keep him alive. 

‘It’s something that we’ll have to analyse when we see all the medical documents because we feel there was time to control his situation and improve things so he could pull through and have his life saved which was the most important thing.’ 

Speaking on Spanish TV, Mr Martin claimed the singer had delayed going to Manchester Royal Hospital on after he fell ill until December 7 and hinted that could have played a part in the fatal outcome which left millions of Il Divo fans around the world grief-stricken. 

He described the singer’s shock death as a ‘bad dream’ which had left his friends and loved ones devastated.   

Mr Martin said the singers had taken ‘every precaution’ to protect themselves from the virus but that he believed the singer contracted Covid in Gran Canaria when the group travelled to the sunshine island at the end of November for a concert. 

It was not clear when Carlos had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires a single shot followed by a booster jab at least two months later. 

He added in a Spanish TV interview: ‘We sincerely didn’t think we were going to see this terrible outcome.’

In separate comments published by respected Spanish daily El Mundo, the Madrid-based lawyer added: ‘The family are not happy with anything because they’re heartbroken. 

‘We didn’t anticipate this situation, neither the evolution or the outcome. 

‘We can’t explain it because he had been improving, his lungs were functioning on their own but suddenly everything went downhill. 

‘The intubation had to be changed and from there the outcome was fatal. 

‘I’ve heard Carlos’ mum say that if he had been in Spain he could perhaps have been saved. 

‘When we get to see the medical reports we’ll know why he hasn’t pulled through.’ 

Sharing news of his tragic passing on December 19, Carlos’ Il Divo bandmates David Miller, Sebastian Izambard and Urs Buhler said hours after his death: ‘It is with heavy hearts that we are letting you know that our friend and partner, Carlos Marin, has passed away.

‘He will be missed by his friends, family and fans. There will never be another voice or spirit like Carlos.

Simon Cowell, who created the crossover group which has sold 30 million copies of their albums worldwide since the band’s inception in 2003 and was among those to pay tribute to the singer, wrote on Twitter: ‘I am finding this so difficult to put into words how I feel right now.

‘I am devastated Carlos Marin has passed away. He loved life. He loved performing and always had so much appreciation towards the fans who supported the group from day 1. Rest in peace Carlos. I will miss you.’