Above the law? Highest representative in the country? Eldest daughter of Their Majesties,
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia,
17 year-old Princess Leonor is already in training to take Spain's crown.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you all to rise and drink a toast to their majesties,
the king and queen, and the people of Spain."
Princess Leonor became the heir to the throne when her father, Felipe, became King on June 19,
2014. Princess Leonor currently holds four titles, which she will no longer use once
she is queen. She is commonly known as Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias,
Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz . As she is the firstborn of the Kingdom of Castile, the Throne of Aragon,
and the Kingdom of Navarre, she also has the title of Princess of Girona, and Princess of Vian. Her
other two titles are Duchess of Montblanc and "Countess of Cervera and Lady of Balaguer ."
Although it is unknown when King Felipe will abdicate from the Throne,
Princess Leonor will lose her current titles when he does. So what will her formal title
be upon her coronation? If tradition and her father's title are anything to go by,
the young Princess will most likely take on the new title of "Her Majesty,
Queen Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz when she officially becomes Spain's Head of State.
Even though her younger sister, Sofia, is also considered royal, as she is the second
born and will not take the throne, she is not referred to as a princess. Still,
she holds the title of Her Royal Highness Sofía de Borbón y Ortiz, Infanta of Spain.
For most teenagers, the idea of becoming a head of state would be daunting,
but Princess Leonor has been preparing to be her country's monarch for most of her life. As queen,
Princess Leonor will be a hereditary and constitutional monarch, which means she is
rightfully born into the role of Head of State after her father abdicates from the crown.
Her duties will be to invoke laws, dissolve the legislature, and sign treaties decided upon by the
Spanish government. While she will significantly influence the government and be privy to all
the country's affairs, her power is limited and shared by the Spanish government, as outlined in
Spain's constitution. Being Head of State within a democratic system of government means, for the
most part, Leonor will act more as the country's representative and a symbol of Spain's unity.
However, as her father, King Felipe, demonstrated,
being the nation's Head of State plays a vital role during a national crisis. For example,
when Spain found itself in a political party deadlock in 2015, the King dissolved
the parliament and announced new elections. As Queen, Princess Leonor will also have to make
difficult decisions and prove to the public that she will abide by the constitution and advocate
for Spain's essential values of freedom, justice, equality, and political pluralism.
Once she is queen, Princess Leonor will be regarded as Spain's highest representative
in international relations. As Spain's monarch, Leonor will be expected to
express Spain's position in international commitments through treaties, according to
the Royal family's website. Fortunately, the 17-year-old already has a head start,
as her fluency in several languages, including Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Euskara, English,
French, Arabic, and Chinese, is sure to help her take on her international commitments.
Princess Leonor's parents have enrolled her in the two-year International Baccalaureate
at UWC Atlantic College, a private school with an impressive South Wales campus,
to prepare her for life as Spain's monarch. As reported by El Pais,
the royal household chose this college because of its "open and critical spirit"
and because it "has no religious, political or other kinds of leaning."
Princess Leonor's father, King Felipe, is Spain's most highly educated king. Felipe has a law degree
from Madrid’s Autonomous University and a master's degree in International Affairs from Georgetown
University in Washington D.C. Although it is unknown what Leonor is set to study after high
school, it is clear that her father would like her to be ready to represent Spain on the world stage,
so she may also study International Affairs to make her better equipped for her role as queen.
One of the perks of being Spain's queen is that once she gets the title,
Princess Leonor will be able to sanction and declare laws. Another perk is that as Spain's
Head of State, Leonor will not be subjected to any judicial process as she will be protected
by the country's constitution and can not be held responsible for her actions. However,
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is not a fan of this type of legal immunity and
questioned the king's current privilege. Sánchez told a Spanish radio station,
"I think it's not necessary for the king's inviolability to be recognized. It's the
product of another era, a legitimate one at that stage, but not something
for a consolidated democracy with more than 40 years of history."
This criticism is closely linked to Leonor's grandfather, Juan Carlos, who abdicated from
the throne when he was charged with corruption. The Spanish royal family has been under damage
control since this event, and King Felipe even imposed new rules under Spain's transparency laws
to help the monarchy regain trust and public favor. With her family's scandalous history,
Leonor, like her father, will have to prove that she doesn't believe she is
above the law and instead use her authority to promote Spain's constitutional values.
"The monarchy won't last much longer. It's weaker than ever
before. So it's the right time to demonstrate against the monarchy."
Although Princess Leonor will not be elected queen or run for office,
she will be the subject of more public scrutiny. According to El Pais, the Spanish royal family
is interested in the public's opinion of the monarchy. When Leonor is queen,
she must convince the Spanish people of the monarchy's relevance. This will not
be an easy task, especially since ​​a 2020 poll for the Platform for Independent Media
found 40.9% of respondents said they preferred a republic, while 34.9% said they were in favor of
having a monarchy. 24.2% of respondents said they were unsure and did not know.
The good news for Leonor is that in 2021 a survey for the leading Spanish newspaper ABC
looked into the popularity of each member of Spain's royal family. While her parents
ranked first and second on the survey, Princess Leonor was rated highly as the
third most popular royal family member and scored 6.4 out of 10. Survey respondents
were also asked about Princess Leonor's first public solo appearance at an event in 2021,
and 60% of those polled praised the young royal. However, as queen, Princess Leonor
will be subject to more public opinion polls, and her every move is set to be closely examined.
"It's nothing against the people, it's against
Spanish government. They've crossed a red line one, two, three times again."
One of Spain's biggest dilemmas is Catalonia's cry for independence from the Spanish government,
and with this issue is a large disregard for the monarchy. According to Catalan News,
most Catalonians do not support the monarchy,
with seven out of 10 preferring a republic. Although Leonor's father, King Felipe,
has argued that he is upholding the Spanish constitution by blocking the country's break-up,
some have labeled him as inflexible in how he has handled Catalan separatists.
Once queen, Princess Leonor will have to find a way to navigate this contentious
issue and help bridge ties between the people of the Catalonia region and the rest of Spain.
In 2019, Princess Leonor attended the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards in Barcelona, Catalonia,
Spain, where she delivered a speech in Catalan, the local language. The young royal impressed
the crowd with her fluency and, as reported by Royal Central, told audience members,
"This land, Catalonia, will always occupy a special place in my heart."
A Spanish monarch plays an important role in working alongside the country's government.
According to the Spanish Constitution, they must "be informed of the affairs of State and,
for this purpose, preside over the meetings of the Council of Ministers." Therefore,
Princess Leonor must be well-versed in Spain's
laws and thoroughly understand the country's legislative system to be an effective queen.
Once she takes the throne, Princess Leonor can influence Spain's future through the government.
She will be able to propose the candidate for President of the Government of Spain and,
where appropriate, appoint the president. Her role will also be to uphold the constitution's
values. She will have the authority to terminate the functions of the Spanish
President and other government officials under the terms provided in the constitution.
However, with Catalonia wanting independence and many Spaniards
supporting a national referendum for a republic, it will be in Princess Leonor's
best interest to maintain a strong relationship with the government.
Her father, Felipe, was the first monarch to have sworn on the 1978 Spanish Constitution,
proving his independence and devotion to the people of Spain. In light of her grandfather's
scandalous past, Leonor will also have to prove her loyalty to her country once she becomes queen.
When her parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, assumed the crown in 2014,
the monarchy had fallen to its lowest level of popularity since
Spain's restoration of democracy in 1975, per Euronews. So once she is monarch,
Leonor's job as queen will be to win over the Spanish people and keep the monarchy relevant.
According to Reuters, conservatives and members of the current government
support the current monarchy, with Defence Minister Margarita Robles calling it a,
quote, "essential part of the constitutional pact" on the radio.
However, left-leaning Spaniards like Pablo Iglesias have called for a republic state,
claiming the monarchy no longer represents Spain's plurality. Iglesias wrote in El Pais,
"A new republic will be the best guarantee for a Spain united on
a foundation of respect and the freedom of its people to decide."
These strong views favoring a republic and former King Juan Carlos' scandals have hindered the
monarchy's public image, causing 40 percent of Spaniards to back a republic in a poll of
3,000 people. The same poll found that almost 50 percent of respondents would like a referendum
on the issue of whether the monarchy is still needed in Spain. Spain's changing perspective
toward the monarchy might make Leonor's reign challenging. As queen, Leonor will have to hold
firm to her family's views and show the people of Spain that the monarchy is a symbol of unity.