In the ensuing years, Polo witnessed the disintegration of her family. On 31 January 1976, she left El Pardo for the last time. In 1978, her daughter was arrested at Madrid Barajas International Airport for attempting to smuggle 300 million pesetas worth of gold, jewellery and medals that had belonged to her father. She separated from her husband and moved to Paris, where she lived with the antiquarian Jean-Marie Rossi. On 7 February 1984, Polo's great-grandson, Francisco ("Fran"), was killed at 11 in a car accident.