Her paternal grandfather, Jorge Astaburuaga Vergara, had held positions as a deputy, mayor, and diplomat.

[3] At the age of 27, Astaburuaga married diplomat Fernando Maquieira Elizalde, with whom she had two children: Cristián, who followed in his father's career, and Diego, a poet.

[4] Two days after their wedding, which took place in the Iglesia El Golf in 1947,[5] the couple relocated to New York City, where Maquieira became the secretary of the Chilean embassy at the United Nations.

[7] In 1996, Astaburuaga published a book titled Así lo hago yo ("This is How I Do It"), which includes chronicles about her life and provides advice on gastronomy, manners, and other topics.

[8][9] In September 2009, due to her appreciation and past connections during her time living with her husband in the diplomatic mission in Peru, she made efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries.