Spanish Monarch Felipe commemorates a decade of reign.
On this specific Wednesday, King Felipe commemorates a decade on the throne. In Spain, the monarchy's modernization process is still ongoing to ensure its longevity. Despite significant changes, King Felipe and Queen Letizia face numerous tasks.
A decade ago, King Juan Carlos I paved the path for his son Felipe to become the King of Spain on June 19, 2014. Since then, Felipe and his queen consort have been working diligently to put the monarchy back in check. They've made progress but still confront substantial hurdles.
Former King Juan Carlos left his son and daughter-in-law in a bit of a mess. Among other things, he was embroiled in corruption and abuse of power scandals. The royal family faced a severe crisis. The financial misconduct involving Felipe's former brother-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin, who was sentenced to nearly six years in prison in 2018, further undermined public trust.
Calls for the abolition of the monarchy grew louder. At the beginning of 2014, polls showed more than half of the Spanish population were in favor. Felipe's crowning on June 19 was met with demonstrations. "The Crown must regain the reverence, regard, and trust of the citizens," Felipe declared during his proclamation.
To rebuild the public's trust after the scandals, the royal couple focuses on accessibility, transparency, and frugality. Ungrandiose coronation ceremonies were held. For the throne anniversary, no extravagant celebrations are planned. The royal household announced on its website only their participation in the royal guard's review, the awarding of civil merit orders, and a lunch on the proclamation anniversary day.
King Exposes His Financial Statements
In 2022, the King disclosed his financial statements for the first time - a significant move toward financial transparency. In an official statement, he revealed the total value of his and his wife's assets: €2,573,392.80, most of which is in savings accounts. At that time, the public also learned that Felipe's annual income is almost twice that of his wife. Other monarchies, such as Britain, are still in the process of downsizing, but this has already happened in Spain. Felipe transferred the royal allowance to his father in 2020. The royal couple, their two daughters, and Queen Sophia now receive the royal salary.
In his reign, Felipe has faced heavy criticism. There is no separatist movement as powerful in any other EU country as in Spain. Regions like Andalusia, Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia seek autonomy and openly reject the monarchy. The illegal Catalonia independence referendum in October 2017 was rejected by the King with clear words. In a television address, he spoke in favor of Spain's unity and overruled the government's decision not to recognize the vote. Criticism followed that the King had breached his political neutrality.
As Princess Leonor of Spain turned 18 and swore an oath to the constitution before the Parliament in Madrid on her birthday in October 2023, it became evident that the Spanish Monarchy still stands on shaky ground: None of the secessionist regions attended. Five of the eleven parties represented in Parliament boycotted the event, as they advocate for the abolition of the Monarchy.
Rumors of a Marital Issue
In addition to these major challenges of safeguarding the future of the Monarchy, there is another matter for the Royal Couple. Rumors of a marital crisis began to swirl coincidentally in the year they were set to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on May 22, 2024. Fanned by the May 28 release of the tell-all book "Los silencios de Letizia" (roughly translating to "Letizia's Silence") by scandal journalist Jaime Peñafiel, some Spanish media even speculated about an alleged long-term secret separation. Every move, every gesture is now closely scrutinized. Do Letizia and Felipe still have affection for each other? Or do they only share the public spotlight as a duo for the Crown?
The Monarchy traditionally keeps such private matters private. The Royals prefer to let images speak for themselves. In connection with their wedding anniversary, new images were released, depicting the Royal Couple harmoniously with their two daughters, Crown Princess Leonor, and Princess Sofia.
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King Felipe's financial transparency continues to shape Spain's monarchy, as he publicly disclosed his and Queen Letizia's assets and income in 2022. Amidst the celebrations marking a decade of Felipe's reign, Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia remain dedicated to modernizing the monarchy and regaining public trust, effectively navigating various challenges and controversies.
