Spanish royalty has a bright future ahead of it, which is embodied by Leonor de Bourbon. The heir to the Spanish throne swore loyalty to the Constitution on Tuesday, the day she turned 18, an essential step to one day succeeding as head of state from her father, King Felipe VI. Accompanied by her parents and her sister, Leonor de Bourbon took the oath before the two chambers of Parliament meeting in extraordinary session, an approach taken by her grandfather, Juan Carlos I, in 1969 under the Franco dictatorship, then his father in 1986 under the democratic regime.
Dressed in an elegant white tuxedo, Leonor took the oath on the same copy of the Constitution as her father 37 years before her, under his father’s tender gaze, in the presence of the Queen and in front of the President of the Chamber of Deputies , Francina Armengol. “I swear to faithfully fulfill my functions, to protect and ensure the protection of the Constitution and the laws, to respect the rights of citizens and autonomous communities, and to be faithful to the king,” she declared before being applauded for several minutes by the hemicycle. Visibly moved, the sovereign then kissed his daughter.
Brief ceremony
She had arrived at Parliament in an official convoy from the Zarzuela Palace, outside Madrid, home of the royal family. The brief ceremony was broadcast on several giant screens installed in the Puerta del Sol square in the heart of Madrid, as well as in other locations in the Spanish capital. A crowd gathered around Parliament, waving Spanish flags and shouting “Long live Spain” as the royal family passed by. Upon entering the hemicycle, the royal family was applauded before the national anthem was played.
King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, Leonor’s grandfather, did not attend the ceremony. Entangled in repeated scandals during the last part of his reign, he had to abdicate in 2014 before going into exile in the United Arab Emirates in 2020. He should, however, attend a private ceremony at the end of the day at the palace of the Pardo, a few kilometers from Madrid.