King Felipe VI Promises Changes For Spain

Scandal and public dissent /4/have caused problems for former King of Spain Juan Carlos, but the King Felipe VI wants take on the nation’s monarchy.

Spain’s newest monarch, King Felipe VI, promises to bring country’s leadership into the new millennium.

Add into the mix the fact Spain’s in the middle of a financial crisis, so pomp and circumstance was curtailed by quite a bit.

Maria Puente tells that “Spain’s coronation-without-crowns still has pomp” in an article for USA Today. Comparing the British and Spanish style of monarchy, she notes the three big differences between the two countries: no one wore a crown, the women where hatless, and no priests were part of the coronation. 

While it’s been over half-a-century since the British royals crowned a new monarch, Felipe VI showed some changes right away. 

Having the crown sit on a chair and not his head was a big one. Symbolically, it shows a common man element in a country that has over half the population crying for a republic instead of monarchy. 

King Juan Carlos, King Felipe’s father, recently abdicated after several scandals involving the royal family.

When the former king went on holiday, spending a small fortune for an animal hunting trip while the country fell into even deeper debt, the public wasn’t happy. 

And then youngest daughter Infanta Cristina made headlines when her husband, Inaki Urdangarian, Duke of Palma, faced investigation for embezzling public funds to the tune of six million euros from a charitable foundation. Alongside Urdangarian, business partner Diego Torres faces the investigation and prosecution. 

Public opinion turned and King Juan abdicated.

King Felipe does share one thing in common with Britain’s Prince William, though. 

Both have married women without a direct connection to the monarchy. Queen Letizia’s job as a former respected journalist with no clear noble blood lines adds an element of everyday versus royal in the eyes of the public. 

Not wearing a crown, or hat, hammered home the idea the latest king and queen understood how important it was to be seen as understanding, compassionate. 

The little bit of show involved riding in a vintage Rolls-Royce convertible along streets that showed portraits of the newest monarch while smiling at the crowds. And following their distant relatives lead, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the couple kissed on the royal balcony. 

While the Brits have a little longer to enjoy life without a crown, the latest Spanish monarchs seem ready to do what’s necessary for the nation. He promised to take care in decreasing unemployment while acknowledging the three regions that make up the country. 

Change is in the air. Spain is ripe for an updated look in the 21st-century. So the world looks towards to the future with curiosity and a little apprehension.

Sources: USA Today, YouTube