Royal Musings: The Princess of Asturias reaches majority

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

The Princess of Asturias reaches majority

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On October 31, 2005, Letizia, Princess of Asturias gave birth to a daughter at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid. This was the first child for Letizia and her husband, Felipe, Prince of Asturias, then heir apparent to the Spanish throne. The new infanta was baptized on January 14, 2006, and given the name Leonor des Todos los Santos.

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Spain remains the only European kingdom that has not changed its succession law to the eldest child. Succession is still male primogeniture, which meant that a younger brother would have pushed Leonor down a notch in the line of succession. There have been discussions to change the law, but successive Parliaments have not promulgated legislation to change the succession to the firstborn child. Queen Letizia gave birth to a second daughter, Infanta Sofia, in April 2007.

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Following the abdication of her grandfather, King Juan Carlos in June 2014 and the succession of her father King Felipe VI, Leonor was styled as Princess of Asturias, as the heiress presumptive. She also inherited other titles when she became heiress presumptive: Princess of Girona, Princess of Viana, Duchess of Montblanc, Countess of Cervera, and Lady of Balaguer.

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The Princess of Asturias celebrated her eighteenth birthday today. This morning, Leonor carried out an engagement required of the heir to the throne when she swore an oath, upholding the Spanish Constitution. She pledged to "faithfully carry out my duties, to keep and uphold the Constitution and the laws and respect the rights of citizens and the autonomous communities and loyalty to the king."

Her father swore allegiance to the Spanish Constitution on his eighteenth birthday.

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The ceremony was carried live on Spanish television. Media outlets noted that Leonormania has taken over the country. The princess recently graduated from the AWC Atlantic College in Wales. Currently, she is in the first of a three-year military program and is based at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza.

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This evening the Princess of Asturias celebrated her coming of age with a private party, which was attended by her family, including her grandparents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia.

The Princess of Asturias will be the first Queen Regnant in Spain since Queen Isabel (1830-1904). She reigned from 1833, following the death of her father, King Ferdinando VII. She was one month short of her third birthday when she became queen. Isabel's mother, Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was regent until Isabel reached her majority in 1843. Queen Isabel was neither popular nor successful as Queen. A naval mutiny in September l868 led to the defeat of Isabel's troops. She went into exile. In 1870, she abdicated in favor of her son, Alfonso XII (1857-1885). In November 1870, Prince Amedeo of Savoy was elected king of Spain, but his reign ended three years later with the establishment of the First Spanish Republic.