The media even talks about “Leonor mania” in Madrid. The 18-year-old is the heir to King Philip’s throne – and has become a star of the royal family in recent years.
Spanish Crown Princess Leonor took the constitutional oath on her 18th birthday. She took the oath on Tuesday, wearing a white pantsuit, in the lower house of the Madrid parliament: “I swear to exercise my office conscientiously, defend the constitution and laws, respect the rights of citizens and autonomous communities and remain loyal to the king .” Then there was applause for several minutes.
In the afternoon, the eldest of the two daughters of King Felipe and Queen Letizia was to receive the Collar of the Order of Carlos III, the highest civil honor in Spain, at the Royal Palace. According to the press, Leonor’s controversial grandfather, former king Juan Carlos (85), exiled in Abu Dhabi since August 2020, was only invited to the private birthday party that night at the Palácio Pardo, in Madrid.
Thousands of people applauded Princess Leonor
According to some media reports, there was a “Leonor mania” in Madrid on Tuesday: thousands of people occupied the streets as the royal family drove from the Royal Palace to the “Congreso de los Diputados”. People applauded and waved Spanish flags. There were flags and large photographs of Leonor throughout the capital. Two large screens were installed in the main square, Puerta del Sol, in front of which thousands of people also gathered to watch the inauguration ceremony.
However, not all Spaniards love their royalty. On the contrary: there has been a lot of criticism for years. The inauguration ceremony was boycotted on Tuesday by five of the 11 parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies that defend the abolition of the monarchy. Furthermore, two ministers and a minister from the left-wing government coalition remained absent from the ceremony.
It was above all the ex-king Juan Carlos who damaged the image of the “Royal House” with numerous escapades and affairs. The crown princess, who began three years of military training the summer after finishing high school, must now help her father, Felipe, make the royal family more popular again and, if possible, unassailable. If she succeeds her father, Leonor would become Spain’s first female head of state since 1868. (APA)