Spain’s future queen, Princess Leonor, pledged her loyalty to the Constitution on her 18th birthday.
3 min read 11/01/2023, 08:00 PM IST
On her 18th birthday, Princess Leonor, who will become the next ruler of Spain, officially promised to support and follow the country’s Constitution. This important step prepares her to become queen when the time is right.
The event that is shown on TV across the country, held in the lower house of parliament, has a very important symbolic meaning. It shows that Spain’s parliamentary monarchy will continue to exist and that the institution is dedicated to the legislative chamber. Leonor de Borbón Ortiz took the same promise that her father made when he was a young prince in 1986 and turned 18 years old. She promised to do her duties well, follow the Constitution and laws, respect the rights of the citizens and autonomous communities, and show loyalty to the reigning monarch.
The ceremony was very important in making sure she could become queen. Leonor became the Crown Princess when Felipe VI was declared king on June 19, 2014. Lately, she has been shown a lot in the media, and they call it “Leonormania” because she is becoming more and more popular as the future queen.
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In a short speech at the Royal Palace after the parliament’s Congress of Deputies ceremony, Leonor said, “From now on, it is my job to help all the people of Spain. I promise to serve them with respect and loyalty. ” I want you to believe in me, just like I believe in the future of our country. There were posters with her picture on lampposts in Madrid, and many important buildings were decorated with drapes and tapestries for the event. The event was shown on big screens all over the city.
The king and queen’s family, along with their daughters Leonor and Sofia, went to the parliament building. They were escorted by Spain’s Royal Guard. Leonor and Sofia said hello to the people on the streets of the capital from inside a fancy car.
Despite some political party representatives not attending in support of a republic, the parliamentary chamber was still full of lawmakers and important people. The royal family was clapped for a long time after Leonor promised to do something.
The Spanish royal family is trying to fix its image in Spanish society and deal with the problems caused by some family members, especially Leonor’s grandfather, former King Juan Carlos. Juan Carlos and former Queen Sofía didn’t go to the public events on Tuesday, but people thought they would be at a family gathering later at the Pardo Palace.
Juan Carlos, who gave up being king in 2014, moved from Spain to Abu Dhabi, which is in the United Arab Emirates, in 2020 because of problems with money. The investigations into his money in Spain and Switzerland have been stopped, and he won a different court case against an ex-partner in October. He wants to go back to Spain, but it is not clear if Felipe or the government will agree to it right now.
Felipe and Letizia have tried to fix the institution’s image, but the monarchy is still a topic of disagreement in Spain, especially because of the previous dictator Gen. Francisco Franco made Juan Carlos king instead of his father Juan de Borbón.
Spain did not have a king or queen since Alfonso XIII left the country when the Second Republic began in 1931. This happened five years before Franco and other military leaders took control through a coup.
It is difficult to know how popular the royal family is right now in Spain because the main organization that asks people for their opinion on the royals stopped doing so in 2015 due to many scandals.
Leonor’s parents have carefully prepared her for her role, and they have put in a lot of effort in raising her. Before she got married to Felipe, her mother had a job as a television journalist. The princess acts very dignified when she is in charge of award ceremonies for the Princess of Asturias Foundation and other honorary institutions.
