Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, Current Events Part 6: April - May 2005

[Elsa M.]

A few more photos about last Thursday's scholarships, from Cover and DPA:

 

[Elsa M.]

http://www.diariosigloxxi.com/noticia.php?ts=20050502141521


The Princes of Asturias shall inaugurate next Friday the 33rd edition of the International Hall of the Automobile of Barcelona, which will open doors on Saturday.

 

[micas]

We'll just wait and see (and if the announcement is made in May, this can mean that we could have a Made in Brazil baby )

Anna you are stunning a brazilian baby he need to fly ........ . Mmm, Mary and Frederik baby have to fly???

 

[marezdote]

I just found this photo. It is from Letizia's grandfathers funeral. Not only was there a flower arrangment from Felipe and Letizia (which Anna had posted a pic of at the time of the funeral) but there was also an arrangement from the royal family. It is kinda hard to see where it says "familia real" on the ribbon because of the sun glare but the caption did say it was from the family.

 

[Anna_R]

Anna you are stunning a brazilian baby he need to fly ........ http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxdm006YYPT . Mmm, Mary and Frederik baby have to fly???

It's been said that Mary and Fred's baby was made in Australia

 

[carlota]

is it actually true or they are just rumours?

 

[Anna_R]

As I said "It's been said" i.e. it's a rumour, b/c people are counting time based on the expected due date

 

[carlota]

The schedule of the asturias

i was counting the acts that felipe and letizia were present in along this 2005 year. it's not as tiring as we think. have a look and give your own opinion...

JANUARY

9 working days.
11 acts.
Average of 1.22 acts in a day

FEBRUARY

16 working days.
33 acts.
AVERAGE OF 2.06 ACTS IN A DAY

MARCH

9 working days.
11 acts.
AVERAGE OF 1.22 ACTS A DAY
APRIL

9 working days
14 acts.
AVERAGE OF 1.55 ACTS A DAY.

 

[Elsa M.]

You are not considering here the individual dutties of the Prince, nor all the days of cabinet preparation the acts imply, namely the trips abroad.
But I understand what you mean... as Anna pointed out, they have clearly slow down their frenetic rythm, in the last couple of months (who knows if it isn't due to the supposed pregnancy )...

 

[carlota]

You are not considering here the individual dutties of the Prince, nor all the days of cabinet preparation the acts imply, namely the trips abroad.
But I understand what you mean... as Anna pointed out, they have clearly slow down their frenetic rythm, in the last couple of months (who knows if it isn't due to the supposed pregnancy )...

well... the trips abroad are also counted there but i dont know what you mean with individual duties. felipe hasn't done much alone since he is married and i guess he attended 2 or 3, at the most, militar engagements. letizia has done only one solo engagement, and that was last year.

i will try to count the engagements of the past year to compare if they actually slowed down in their roayl duties...

 

[marezdote]

well... the trips abroad are also counted there but i dont know what you mean with individual duties. felipe hasn't done much alone since he is married and i guess he attended 2 or 3, at the most, militar engagements. letizia has done only one solo engagement, and that was last year.

i will try to count the engagements of the past year to compare if they actually slowed down in their roayl duties...

I think what Elsa is refering to is not only the military things Felipe does but when his father is out of the country and Felipe is regent he often spends the day taking meetings with diffrent groups.

 

[carlota]

I think what Elsa is refering to is not only the military things Felipe does but when his father is out of the country and Felipe is regent he often spends the day taking meetings with diffrent groups.

well... i guess those are included in the schedule given by the royal house in their webpage. don't think they are in juan carlos'!
however, juan carlos hasnt been doing any trips abroad recently.

 

[Elsa M.]

I think what Elsa is refering to is not only the military things Felipe does but when his father is out of the country and Felipe is regent he often spends the day taking meetings with diffrent groups.

Yes, i was refering to that, as well as the fact that the acts and the dutties and trips abroad need a preparation in cabinet, planing the visits, studing its aims and the ways to make them profitable. The days when we see them around is just the visible face of the coin, but it requires a whole backstage work that we don't see.

 

[Alexandria]

i was counting the acts that felipe and letizia were present in along this 2005 year. it's not as tiring as we think. have a look and give your own opinion...

JANUARY

9 working days.
11 acts.
Average of 1.22 acts in a day

FEBRUARY

16 working days.
33 acts.
AVERAGE OF 2.06 ACTS IN A DAY

MARCH

9 working days.
11 acts.
AVERAGE OF 1.22 ACTS A DAY
APRIL

9 working days
14 acts.
AVERAGE OF 1.55 ACTS A DAY.

I'm confused about where these "stats" came from -- did Casa Real release them?

It would be interesting to juxtapose these numbers of working days with the schedule of other Crown Princely couples. If you look at some of these numbers, they've obviously had some gruelling weeks -- 16 working days in February (which only has 28 days to begin with), yet they performed 33 acts -- that is more than two acts a day.

I think there is also a difference in what one counts or defines as an act. Making an official appearance is one thing, but as Elsa points out, there is also a lot of "behind the scenes" work without visible cameras capturing the work and time. Just like with most people who work, it's not just the 8 hours a day one puts in at the office, but the hours that one does work at home. I know that a friend who is a teacher puts in much more time then the 8:30-3:30 day she is in the classroom; there are hours spent each week marking assignments, preparing lessons, purchasing items for art projects, etc. Just as I'm sure that all of us would prepare for a meeting, so would Felipe and Letizia. They don't simply show up at these engagements and shake some hands then go home to the palace.

 

[Anna_R]

Well, there goes 2004's math, based on the scheduled published at http://www.casareal.es - These are only the events they attended together (before the wedding, Felipe performed a number of solo events)

January 2004
03 working days
03 acts

February 2004
02 working days
02 acts

March 2004
03 working days
03 acts

April 2004
02 working days
02 acts

May 2004
10 working days
11 acts (there excluded the Gala dinner before their wedding and their wedding)

June 2004
04 working days
05 acts

July 2004
12 working days
22 acts (including there the acts performed during their trip to Mexico)
Average 1,8

August 2004
03 working days
08 acts (including their trips to Dominican Republic and Panama)
Average 2,6

September 2004
13 Working days
37 acts (Trips to Panama, USA and Hungary)
Average 2,8

October 2004
12 working days
28 acts (including the Prince of Asturias Awards)
Average 2,3

November 2004
15 working days
20 acts
Average 1,3

December 2004
09 working days
15 acts
1,6 average

 

[Elsa M.]

Also, we have to consider the fact that many events attended by the Princes are not included in their agenda of official acts, since the Spanish Royal House has a much strict sense of what they consider as an "official act" (I'm refering, for example, to dinners they had with some writers, when they visited Barcelona, or exhibitions and concerts they attended, as required by their position, but that were never counted into the Royal House's agenda, since they were considered to be private acts.

 

[carlota]

I'm confused about where these "stats" came from -- did Casa Real release them?

i counted the acts and the working days from the schedule in casareal.es and then did the average myself...

 

[Elsa M.]

i counted the acts and the working days from the schedule in casareal.es and then did the average myself...

According to Elmundo (vd. Hemeroteca: November 21st, 2004), La Zarzuela shows some data: between 1996 and 2003, the Prince has participated in an average of 380 official acts per year - more than one per day. That does not include the hours of office, the preparation of the acts, and the lunches of work. The average has not diminished since then.

 

[carlota]

According to Elmundo (vd. Hemeroteca: November 21st, 2004), La Zarzuela shows some data: between 1996 and 2003, the Prince has participated in an average of 380 official acts per year - more than one per day. That does not include the hours of office, the preparation of the acts, and the lunches of work. The average has not diminished since then.

well... i'm not lying you can count the acts yourself if you want to and see those are the quantities for this year at least.

 

[Elsa M.]

well... i'm not lying you can count the acts yourself if you want to and see those are the quantities for this year at least.

Yes, and I can see that the average has increased, since the wedding

 

[Elsa M.]

This month of May Felipe and Letizia celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Since the 22nd of May 2004, when the 31-year-old broadcast journalist married Prince Felipe at the Almudena Cathedral, TRF have followed their steps pari passu, observing how the new princess was progressively enthroned into her new duties as Princess of Asturias and future Queen of Spain.
Now that the ephemeredes impose the review of the year, our monthly newsletter is dedicated to remember the most important moments of this first and memorable year.


Happy anniversary with TRF:

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5730

 

[Anna_R]

This month of May Felipe and Letizia celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Since the 22nd of May 2004, when the 31-year-old broadcast journalist married Prince Felipe at the Almudena Cathedral, TRF have followed their steps pari passu, observing how the new princess was progressively enthroned into her new duties as Princess of Asturias and future Queen of Spain.
Now that the ephemeredes impose the review of the year, our monthly newsletter is dedicated to remember the most important moments of this first and memorable year.

This is certainly what I would call a stylish introduction! Congratulations!

 

[marezdote]

Bravo Elsa! What a wonderful look back at their first year of marriage! Great, great job!!

 

[Elsa M.]

http://www.ultimahora.es/segunda.dba?2320+10+317299

Josep Maria Sirvent created an emblem of the VI legislature of the Balears’ Parliament, an enormous piece entitled "Fita de la paraula". The small format reproductions were made in bronze and black granite, with the measures of 50 x 60 x 60, and one of the first people to receive it will be the Princes of Asturias, during their first official trip to Balears, that will take place next week.
It's an intense visit of five days, when they will have a series of meetings with the civil society, industralists, unions, associations. Don Felipe and Doña Letizia will officially visit the Balears for the first time, and they will cross the four islands: Mallorca, Menorca, Eivissa and Formentera.

 

[Alexandria]

i counted the acts and the working days from the schedule in casareal.es and then did the average myself...

I think it's important to note that not all events are listed on the official web site. And it's unfair to compare royal couples (though I did originally suggest it) as what one royal house counts as a royal duty another would not.

The best example being that the Spanish royal court did not count the appearances of the family at the Olympic games in Athens last summer as an official engagement, though other royal houses did when their members appeared at the opening/closing ceremonies or attended games in support of their athletes.

And as Catherine pointed out in the Danish forum, part of it is all about coverage, too. Some individuals and couples may get covered more than others, but that doesn't mean they do any less work.

I think ultimately it's not for any of us to decide of Felipe and Letizia are hard working or not. It should be for the people of Spain to decide if they feel that their future King and Queen are representing their country well or not making the grade.

 

[donnaK]

i was counting the acts that felipe and letizia were present in along this 2005 year. it's not as tiring as we think. have a look and give your own opinion...

January has always been a slow month over the years, the official enagements usually started from King's birthday (Jan 6th). F&L had a regular working schedule in Febuary, the first half of March was also normal as well, returning from a south American trip and 6 working days from March 1st -11th. Starting from mid-March until now, they did start to reduce the activities. I guess nobody knows the reasons (if any at all) at this moment, but it could be used to fuel the rumors of pregnancy.

 

[eireann]

It could be too that they wanted to cash in on their popularity and introduce themselves and make themselves known while they were "new" and still had a buzz about them. Now maybe that "buzz" is wearing off and they can relax a little bit and take things a little bit easier or focus their work and/or energy in a different direction. I think they worked incredibly hard this year and that they should be proud of themselves....

 

[carlota]

Yes, and I can see that the average has increased, since the wedding

ohh... did it? i will count the events they attended the 22nd when they make the 1st year as a married couple... just to see.
will try to remember to do that.

 

[Elsa M.]

Carlota, I'm just following your thoughts:

According to Elmundo (vd. Hemeroteca: November 21st, 2004), La Zarzuela shows some data: between 1996 and 2003, the Prince has participated in an average of 380 official acts per year - more than one per day. That does not include the hours of office, the preparation of the acts, and the lunches of work. The average has not diminished since then.

These are only the events they attended together:

May 2004
10 working days
11 acts (there excluded the Gala dinner before their wedding and their wedding)

June 2004
04 working days
05 acts

July 2004
12 working days
22 acts (including there the acts performed during their trip to Mexico)
Average 1,8

August 2004
03 working days
08 acts (including their trips to Dominican Republic and Panama)
Average 2,6

September 2004
13 Working days
37 acts (Trips to Panama, USA and Hungary)
Average 2,8

October 2004
12 working days
28 acts (including the Prince of Asturias Awards)
Average 2,3

November 2004
15 working days
20 acts
Average 1,3

December 2004
09 working days
15 acts
1,6 average

I really think this is a pointless discussion, giving that we're talking about a "job" that can not be compared with anyone's else (we can't say ii's a job 9am-5pm, the same way we can't say the job of a President of the Republic is that so...).

 

[rchainho]

a photo with the princes in athens.