"The Grand Duchess has great respect for King Juan Carlos, for everything he did for his country, and his decision. Maria Vladimirovna certainly believes that Juan Carlos will retain moral influence until the end of his days. She hopes that his son will continue the cause of his father and bring in a fresh stream of development for Spanish monarchic institutions," the House of Romanov's Chancellery Director Aleksandr Zakatov told Interfax on Monday.
"The Russian Imperial House believes that the head of the dynasty, the reigning monarch must perform his duties until the end. A partial handover of duties and powers to the heir is possible," Zakatov said.
"Maria Vladimirovna respects the position of foreign states but believes the paternalistic element of monarchy must not be abandoned. It gives a lot of advantages, primarily, the independence of the state from parties and groups. The possibility of a monarch abdicating the throne is fairly debatable: the father cannot abandon his subjects, even if he is not as strong as he used to be. Such is the Russian tradition," Zakatov said.
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