Relationships between the members of the Spanish Royal Family

[Menarue]

I think that King JC puts up with Letizia because she is his son´s wife but that doesn´t mean he has to put up with her family.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by Menarue

Duke of M. You are spot on. Queen Sofia, loves her son and will do anything for him that she can, even accept his choice for a wife. The Spanish Royal family have always been very close. The Count of Barcelona and his wife were very loving parents but I don´t think they would have approved of their grandson marrying someone not royal. No problem with the girls but when the Borbon dynasty is at stake then that would come first. King Juan Carlos made the perfect choice for his Queen of Spain and I admire her tremendously. Now she is trying very hard to be the glue that sticks this generation of royal family together. I hope that she succeeds.

Menarue DoM I agree with everything that you both said, If we go a generation before when JC was in love with the Italian Princess before he met P Sofia........He was not allowed to marry her because she was not a member of a reigning family. He had however, to accept his children's choices and it falls on Q Sofia to "keep it all together". I agree that Q Sofia is not the person who will make Letizia a "best friend" but she will do all she can to show a unified front. She is a professional. Hopefully Letizia will learn from her how to become a true Queen when her turn comes.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by Menarue

I think that King JC puts up with Letizia because she is his son´s wife but that doesn´t mean he has to put up with her family.

I truly believe that this goes for all the Kings and Queens who had to accept their commoner daughters in law........I still believe that the whole institution of Monarchy is changing and it may even become obsolete in another generation or two.

[lula]

A thing is the public function and other different the personal relations.

The King belongs to a certain generation raised in a certain Spain and with another way of thinking ... only from this point of view some of his personal attitudes are acceptable or understandable. The same thing happens with the Queen, in her case, probably the priority was and it is enclosed over the Wreath, the future her children and her grandchildren. For the Spanish educated in the last 30 years, the attitude of him is not acceptable and of her it is not exemplary. Even for their own children be like that...

On the Queen and the Princess, I believe that they are contributed very much mutually. The Queen can teach things to the Princess in all that in relation with her public role, but I believe that in personal the Princess can contribute very much the Queen. The Queen has a relatively solitary life, if we exempt her sister Irene and her cousin Tatiana, scarcely one sees her to have relation with friends, the relation with her sisters-in-law is small, and neither she shares the exits of the King with his friends... the Princess and the girls must be a good company for her.

[Odette]

Lula. When Sarah Ferguson joined the BRF there was talk that the Queen enjoyed her company a lot because Fergie would talk to her about the "outside world" which the Queen was not familiar with, and she found the details interesting and amusing. This may also be happening with the Queen and Letizia if Letizia still keeps in touch with the "outside world"
There is no doubt things have changed and ideas evolve. My personal issue is that there are some institutions that "updating" and "modernization" bring them to the level of the common man and as a result, they lose their luster, mystique or whatever kept them there in the first place. Monarchy and religion are two such institutions. This is my own humble opinion. The Spaniards will have the last say of course.

[lula]

The Queen Sofia is not the Queen Elisabeth, I do not believe that it is necessary that her daughter-in-law comments on things to her " of the exterior world ". I think more that the Queen has one more company, to part of her sister, another woman in house, with which she can share interests.They share many official activities, but also they live closely, and often they work at the same building.

[donnaK]

Originally Posted by lula

The Queen Sofia is not the Queen Elisabeth, I do not believe that it is necessary that her daughter-in-law comments on things to her " of the exterior world ". I think more that the Queen has one more company, to part of her sister, another woman in house, with which she can share interests.They share many official activities, but also they live closely, and often they work at the same building.

True, the friendship between Sofia and Letizia goes beyond 'amusing things of the outside world', they both share the same interests at literature and arts (Sofia herself is quite different from the Borbon women), even do the Pilates together.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by donnaK

True, the friendship between Sofia and Letizia goes beyond 'amusing things of the outside world', they both share the same interests at literature and arts (Sofia herself is quite different from the Borbon women), even do the Pilates together.

How do we know this? A queen like Q. Sofia ? She was raised and educated in a German school, has always been reputed to be on the serious, rigid side, turned 60 years old to see her son marry a commoner and she turned into a bosom buddy with her daughter in law?
I have nothing against Letizia, I actually cannot figure her out. She however, married into the royal family, gave them two children and I hope she will always be happy. However, I have a hard time believing that Q Sofia will turn into her friend and do Pilates with her...... I am sure they have a cordial, civilised relationship but I cannot believe these two ladies are too close in private.

[donnaK]

Originally Posted by Odette

How do we know this? A queen like Q. Sofia ? She was raised and educated in a German school, has always been reputed to be on the serious, rigid side, turned 60 years old to see her son marry a commoner and she turned into a bosom buddy with her daughter in law?
I have nothing against Letizia, I actually cannot figure her out. She however, married into the royal family, gave them two children and I hope she will always be happy. However, I have a hard time believing that Q Sofia will turn into her friend and do Pilates with her...... I am sure they have a cordial, civilised relationship but I cannot believe these two ladies are too close in private.

It was everywhere on the press during Letizia's pregnancy with Leonor. It was Queen's biographer said that they shared the same interest at literature and arts. All those articles were posted on this board before.

[donnaK]

Originally Posted by Menarue

I think that King JC puts up with Letizia because she is his son´s wife but that doesn´t mean he has to put up with her family.

The King also has other concerns on the possible accusation of the media and public on his in-laws' families taking adavange of the public money. Anyway, the rumors on Letizia not allowing Cristina's in-laws staying at the official residence is completely baseless since the King would not have allowed this to happen at the first place.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by donnaK

It was everywhere on the press during Letizia's pregnancy with Leonor. It was Queen's biographer said that they shared the same interest at literature and arts. All those articles were posted on this board before.

Isn't is strange that when the press comes up with some news we do not like we call them yellow press/trash etc but when it is something good we quote it over and over?
Again, I am not privy to their relationship and it takes a bit more for me to believe the Pilates story. The fact that some papers mentioned it, does not make it true. Same when they mention negative news.

[Menarue]

I don´t think there is much for Queen Sofia to learn about the common world from Letizia.
When she married JC he was a prince who perhaps, and at the time it was a big perhaps, would one day be King of Spain. There was his father in front of him at that time. Both JC´s sisters led very normal lives, one a nurse at a hospital in Lisbon and the other had a very normal life for a royal princess, did her own shopping, did charity work and gave lessons at a school for the blind. They all led a very simple life and were seen round and about where they lived and were very accessible. It may seem strange but the person to introduce a more normal life to Queen Sofia would have benn her husband and sisters-in-law not Letizia so many years later.

[donnaK]

Originally Posted by Odette

Isn't is strange that when the press comes up with some news we do not like we call them yellow press/trash etc but when it is something good we quote it over and over?
Again, I am not privy to their relationship and it takes a bit more for me to believe the Pilates story. The fact that some papers mentioned it, does not make it true. Same when they mention negative news.

I have never called the stories from the royal insiders (ex. Queen's biographer, or a royal insider called Mariangel Alcarza who tranvelled with the royals, or other senior royal correspondants, Jaime Penafiel was an exception since he had been excluded from Zarzuela long before Letizia) yellow press or trash. How could Queen's biographer be trashy ? Plus I never really care if Sofia and Letizia have a true friendship or not as long as they have a respectful working relation (I don't think I can survive living next door to my mother-in-law and working at the same building with her). Just as lula said, getting along well with Letizia also benefits the Queen too since she has no other friends in Spain than her own sister Irene.

[Odette]

If I remember correctly the Queen's biographer wrote her book way before Letizia came into the picture. Penafiel wrote some stories that were hotly disputed by some.
It is good for Q. Sofia to have friends besides her sister. It is also true that she has two daughters who live in Spain, one of who is in Madrid and who definitely needs her mother since her separation.
It is lovely that Q Sofia knows how to put her past reservations behind her and show in public a smiling warm friendship towards Letizia.
The point that I am trying to make is that the stories about the warm and fuzzy feelings the Queen and Letizia share have not won me over yet. I am glad you believe what some reporters say, perhaps I have a harder time perhaps I do not have as much interest, perhaps there is a PR campaign going on. Who truly knows?

[Menarue]

Originally Posted by donnaK

The King also has other concerns on the possible accusation of the media and public on his in-laws' families taking adavange of the public money. Anyway, the rumors on Letizia not allowing Cristina's in-laws staying at the official residence is completely baseless since the King would not have allowed this to happen at the first place.

I don´t know about this, Letizia might have thought that it would be natural for her family to stay with her future in-laws, but the same goes for Infanta Cristina as for her father, she may have to welcome her brother´s wife but she wouldn´t have to put up with her family. There was a rumour about Letizia´s mother getting some royal house, but I haven´t heard anything more about that so it might just have been a rumour.
I don´t think that Letizia´s family are the kind of people that the the royal family would normally mix with on a social level, but I don´t believe that Queen Sofia doesn´t have friends in Spain besides her sister, I am sure she has many friends but I am also sure that she is very much aware of her position as the Queen of Spain and royal protocol.

[Redferns]

I wonder why Sofia has no friend....

[Menarue]

Originally Posted by Redferns

I wonder why Sofia has no friend....

I just don´t believe this and I think you shouldn´t even to bother wondering about it.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by donnaK

It was everywhere on the press during Letizia's pregnancy with Leonor. It was Queen's biographer said that they shared the same interest at literature and arts. All those articles were posted on this board before.

I don't go for the gossip pilates story either and one doesn't have to be the Queen's biographer to figure out that they share the same interest at literature and arts. Queen Sofia is not the type of woman who will entrust her daughter in law with her most intimate thoughts or darkest secrets but will share everything with her that will benefit Letizia's current and future role. Both women are professional and make the best of a situation that is non-negotiable. Felipe has made his choice and everyone has to live with it in good and bad times, the SRF are used to walk the line therefore I believe Letizia has the hardest part of all by becoming part of a system that does not adapt to her but forces her to adapt. If the spanish monarchy will fail because the CP couple is not up to the challenge Queen Sofia will probably consider herself as failed.

[Menarue]

Bravo! Duke of Marmalade. That is exactly right.

[magnik]

Originally Posted by Redferns

I wonder why Sofia has no friend....

How could you now that? Just because they aren't almost non photos of her with her friends?
She has her sister Princess Irene, Princess Tatiana Radziwiłł and why not Letizia?