A look into the notable absences and presences in Princess Leonor’s upcoming oath to the Spanish Constitution compared to King Felipe VI’s past ceremony. Written by DZWatch.
By DZWatch
Fasten your seatbelts because tomorrow is a big day for the Spanish Royal Family. Princess Leonor is turning 18 and will swear an oath to the Spanish Constitution before the Cortes Generales. While this marks a historic moment for the royals, not everyone will be there to witness it.
Recent reports from El País confirm what we’ve all been speculating: King Juan Carlos will be absent from the ceremony. But hold your horses, there’s more! Queen Sofia will also not attend, presumably to downplay the absence of her husband. Talk about a dramatic twist! The former monarchs will only show up for a private family dinner later that evening at El Pardo Palace. And guess what? Infantas Elena and Cristina, along with other relatives, are expected to join them.
Here’s where it gets even more intriguing. The absence of these key family members is a stark contrast to King Felipe VI’s oath ceremony back in 1986. At that time, the then-prince had the full support of his family, including his grandfather, Don Juan de Borbón, the Count of Barcelona. As icing on the cake, Don Juan even got a special mention in the Congress President’s speech, a gesture that reportedly pleased the royal family.
So, will history repeat itself with another shoutout, this time to King Juan Carlos? Well, that remains to be seen and is up to the current Congress President, Francina Armengol.
The takeaway here is that royal events are never straightforward. There’s always a subtext, always a story behind the story. While King Felipe VI enjoyed a full family turnout during his oath, Princess Leonor’s ceremony is shaping up to be quite different.
What does this mean for the future of the Spanish Royal Family? We’ll have to wait and see. One thing is clear though: tomorrow is not just about a swearing-in ceremony; it’s a chapter in an ongoing narrative, a snapshot of a family adapting to the changing tides of public opinion and circumstance.
So stay tuned. Because in the world of royals, the drama is often as compelling as the history it makes.
