Felipe VI celebrates ten years of reign reaffirming his commitment to Spain and the Constitution
- Felipe VI, the most highly rated member of the Royal Family
- Felipe VI's political and family challenges
Ten years have passed since the King of Spain, Felipe VI, was proclaimed monarch following the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos I, after 39 years as head of state.
On 19 June 2014, Felipe VI took the oath of office as King of Spain before the Cortes Generales, inaugurating a new era that he himself defined as "a renewed monarchy for a new time".
"The Crown must seek to be close to the citizens, to know how to continually earn their esteem, respect and trust; and to do so, to ensure the dignity of the institution, preserve its prestige and observe an upright, honest and transparent conduct, as befits its institutional role and its social responsibility", declared the new king.
With these words, Felipe VI already hinted that one of his main objectives during his reign would be to transform the monarchy, making it a more modern and transparent institution.
Proof of this were some of the measures he has taken as King in this last decade, such as the reduction of the number of members of the King's Household -from 16 to 6-, or the approval of a decree law to apply transparency rules in La Zarzuela. In 2020, Felipe VI also renounced his father's inheritance and withdrew his economic allowance.
Ten years after his proclamation as king, Felipe VI has once again reaffirmed his commitment to Spain and the constitution. "To the Constitution and its values I have adhered and will always adhere in the fulfilment of my responsibilities," the monarch stressed during his speech at the Royal Palace.
"It was and is the commitment of a constitutional king, which transcends the demands of duty: it is also on a personal and moral level, as a profound expression of my respect and loyalty to the Spanish people, to whom I owe myself," added Felipe VI.
"Service, commitment and duty" is the motto chosen by the King for this anniversary, which began with the raising of the Spanish flag in the Zarzuela Palace.
Comienza la celebración del X Aniversario de la Proclamación de S.M. el Rey con el izado de bandera en el Palacio de la Zarzuela.#10AniversarioFelipeVI pic.twitter.com/rlOlaP2Stf
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) June 19, 2024
During his speech, Felipe VI also thanked Queen Letizia for her "great support". "With will, dedication and sensitivity, her institutional activity has contributed enormously to giving visibility and attention to the needs of people, especially the most vulnerable," said Felipe VI, also underlining "the growing support" of his daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía. "We want this to be a special anniversary for them too," he added.
Before his speech, the King decorated 19 Spanish citizens - representing all the autonomous regions and cities - for their services to others with the Order of Civil Merit.
The decoration and the King's speech gave way to the lunch offered by the King and Queen in the gala dining room, with a toast included, and with more than one hundred guests with companions.
🔴 #EnDirecto | Los Reyes, la Princesa de Asturias y la Infanta Sofía presiden los actos conmemorativos del X Aniversario de la proclamación de S.M. el Rey en el Palacio Real de Madrid.#10AniversarioFelipeVI https://t.co/Nd5IlLJDTt
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) June 19, 2024
This very special day will conclude with a solo act by Princess Leonor together with the Infanta Sofia with a visit at around 8:15 pm to the Royal Collections Gallery together with a group of young people who have taken part in the competition What is the King for you? with the writer María Dueñas as a guide.
At 9 p.m. there will be a concert by the Royal Guard music unit, and at 10:35 p.m. Ara Malikian will perform. Finally, a videomapping will be projected in the Plaza de Oriente with relevant images of the King and Queen and their daughters.
Saludo de los Reyes, la Princesa de Asturias y la Infanta Sofía a los ciudadanos presentes en la Plaza de Oriente con motivo del X Aniversario de la Proclamación de S.M. el Rey.#10AniversarioFelipeVI pic.twitter.com/MgYgNidfG6
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) June 19, 2024
Felipe VI, the most highly rated member of the Royal Family
The current King of Spain is the most highly valued member of the Royal Family by Spaniards today, according to a survey conducted by the IMOP Insights institute for Vanitatis on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his proclamation.
Qué bonita luce la capital de España y muchos municipios de la Comunidad de Madrid por el 10º aniversario de la proclamación del Rey Felipe VI. pic.twitter.com/PnuB19x0ix
— Isabel Díaz Ayuso (@IdiazAyuso) June 18, 2024
In the 2024 survey, Felipe VI obtained the best results of all these years, thus consolidating his reign among citizens. The King has achieved an average score of 6.6 among Spaniards, surpassing, for the first time in these 10 years, the 6.5 barrier and coming closer than ever to a "B".
Felipe VI's political and family challenges
This good rating is due, in part, to the way in which the monarch has dealt with the political and personal challenges of the last decade.
Politically, Felipe VI has had to deal with difficult governance in Spain, where there have been five general elections in nine years. To this must also be added the controversial secession referendum by Catalan pro-independence supporters in 2017 that is still having consequences today and the coronavirus pandemic.
On a personal level, the King of Spain has been able to handle the family scandals related to his father, Juan Carlos I, as well as the corruption cases linked to his sister, the Infanta Cristina, and his brother-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarín, who was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for embezzlement, prevarication, fraud against the Administration, two tax offences and influence peddling.
Due to these accusations, which significantly affected the reputation of the Royal Court, Felipe VI opted to revoke the right of the Infanta Cristina, charged with tax offences in the Nóos case, to use the title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca.
