10 years ago, the Spanish Royal Family experienced a momentous change when Juan Carlos I decided to abdicate the throne in favor of his son, Felipe VI, who at the age of 46 became the king of Spain.
The abdication of Juan Carlos I occurred at a complex moment for the Family, which unlike other royal families, does not enjoy such great affection from its people.
The reasons, the scandals that occurred in the last years of the current King Emeritus in power, ones that Felipe tries to appease at all costs, although they always end up splashing him in one way or another.
Things changed radically 10 years ago, when Felipe ascended the throne and together with Letizia, his wife, Leonor and Sofía became the new Spanish Royal Family, one that is always in the public eye.
Something that is important, a lot has happened in these years and things are definitely very different for the members of the family, those who are in the Royal House, as well as the “King’s family.”
Spanish Royal Family: 10 years since the King’s abdication
“Today, a younger generation deserves to come to the front line, with new energy, determined to undertake with determination the transformations and reforms that the current situation is demanding and to face the challenges of tomorrow with renewed intensity and dedication.”
Thus began one of the most important phrases in Juan Carlos I’s statement, announcing that he would step aside in favor of his son Felipe VI.
His decision, after four decades in power, was made just when his image was almost in the ground, due to the scandals in which he and part of his family were involved.
The first is about the “Noos Case”, a scandalous situation of corruption that led to Iñaki Urdagarín, husband of Infanta Cristina, ending up in jail.
The son-in-law of Juan Carlos I together with his partner, Diego Torres, obtained more than 4.5 million euros by diverting public funds, which caused the image of the Spanish Royal Family to decline.
By April 2012, another scandal weakened his image even further. A luxury trip to Botswana to hunt elephants, which he himself asked to be kept secret.
But how did we find out about this trip? He came to light when he had to return to Spain after an accident. The situation outraged Spaniards who were experiencing one of their most important economic crises in recent years.
Furthermore, his health problems led him to make a decision that left many people calm, especially when his popularity was on the decline.
Changes for the former Spanish Royal Family
The arrival of Felipe VI to power meant that Infanta Cristina had to step aside immediately, something that had not happened with her father.
El Español recalls that Infanta Cristina lost the title of Duchess of Palma in 2015, when Felipe and Letizia closed ranks in the face of the scandal and cut off communication, at least public, with her.
The infanta with her husband stopped attending public events and even stayed away from the traditional Christmas Eve at the La Zarzuela palace.
Things also changed for Juan Carlos I, living (or exiled) in the United Arab Emirates, traveling very little to Spain and stopping receiving his annual allowance of 200 thousand euros, a decision made by Felipe, in an attempt to get away from his scandals.
Furthermore, the current king distanced himself from his father, publicly, trying to improve the reputation of his current family.
Not so with his mother, Queen Emeritus Sofia, who abandoned her position without being asked.
This was stated by Rafael Spottorno, head of the King’s Household at that time, assuring that “Queen Sofía lost her status as queen without having been asked by anyone, she was not consulted about the decision, in any case it was communicated to her,” it states. Vanity Fair.
The queens of Spain, Sofia and Letizia
Another point that has changed in these 10 years is the prominence that Letizia, the current queen of Spain, took on, who remains at the front line of the family.
Of course, her relationship with her mother-in-law, Doña Sofía, current queen emeritus, seems not to be the best. This was demonstrated in 2018, when they staged a “encounter” at the exit of the Easter Mass.
Letizia walked in front of Queen Sofía to prevent her from being photographed with her granddaughters, Leonor and Sofía, whom she hugged leaving the church.
Furthermore, the heir to the throne, Sofia, became detached from her grandmother, in a tense scene that went around the world and questioned their relationship.
Although they immediately tried to do damage control, the wound was already done and although they are seen together, it is rumored that their relationship is not the best.
Less now that Letizia was involved in one of her most serious scandals, when her ex-brother-in-law, Jaime del Burgo, exposed an alleged extramarital relationship that they had for several years.
The girls grew up
When Felipe VI took power, his daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía were 8 and 7 years old respectively.
10 years later they live adolescence, although a very different one from any Spanish child. They both went to study at UWC Atlantic College in Wales, an exclusive boarding school in the United Kingdom.
Although the eyes are mainly focused on Leonor, who has already assumed her role as heir to the throne, participating in several public events.
Cristian Salomoni, director of the International Institute of Behavior Analysis and expert in non-verbal communication, analyzed his growth over the years in Vanitatis.
“She looks more confident in how she walks, how she moves. She still needs to polish some details, something normal due to her age, such as where to leave her bag, but little by little she is going to learn. There is still a bit of nervousness, but on this occasion the firmness and security of the Princess stand out,” she stated.
The young woman receives military training by participating in the General Military Academy of Zaragoza, where she completed her first stage in the Army, noted the Spanish media.
The future of the Spanish Royal Family
A lot happened in these 10 years for the Spanish Royal Family, in Felipe VI’s attempts to bring the monarchy to what it was in the 80s, one of the most prestigious institutions in Spain.
Without a doubt, the jewel in the crown are Leonor and Sofía, who at their young age live in the midst of public ridicule, always protected by the privacy that their parents can provide them.
They are the ones who could continue with their father’s attempts to build the Royal House, since they enjoy a certain popularity that could bring them closer, especially, to younger generations.
However, it all depends on the direction the family follows and how they continue to deal with the scandals that do not remove them from gossip magazines.
