Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, Current Events Part 22: May - June 2006


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Genevieve said:
I couldn't agree with you more grevinnan. One of the things that really sets this couple apart is how hard they work and the significance of the events they attend within Spain and abroad.

We really don't need another cut out fashion princess cutting ribbons for a new hospital or to christen a boat or receive a train. We have in Letizia someone who is intelligent and who isn't shy to use her brains and her experience in her role as princess.
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I'm sorry but i'm gonna have to disagree with you, we could speculate about Letizia's role behind the scenes, but the truth is we don't know for sure if she has such control over her own activities. We can only comment on the image that is given to the public eye, and that is the one of a princess who can't even deliver the prices on an act where she is the president of honor! and has hardly speak her mind since she got married.

Don't get me wrong, i adore Letizia and agree that she is a really smart and capable woman, but that is exactly the reason i can't stand watching her being minimize to her husband shadow. Having her own activities doesn't have to interfere with the team she and Felipe form, doesn't Felipe has his own agenda?, why can't leti perform some activities while he is traveling?.

I am pretty sure she has recieve invitations from several organizations that don't imply doing something frivolous like giving name to a rose, if there is a crownprincess who can do a meaningful and important labor with the role that is given to her, that is Letizia!.:)
 
lucys said:
As to why she does not do acts alone, I suspect it is a combination of two factors: 1.) they like to do acts together (that's obvious) and 2.) after working so hard to get Felipe out of the shadow of his father, the last thing they want is for him to be in the shadow of his wife. I have no doubt--and reports in serious news magazines have said this--that behind the scenes she is a fully equal partner -- in fact, her critics say she is too involved behind the scenes... she can't win, it would seem ...
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I totally agree.If Letizia is allowed to do acts alone,she would have certainly overshadowed Felipe.then, we could have another Charles/Diana tragedy.
 
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Beautiful dress... and more beatuful Letizia... I was hoppins she delivered al least the prizes
 
Who's the woman with red hair? Does she think she's 16?
 
question: how popular was Prince Felipe before he married Letizia? Is he well respected and liked?

On the matter of Letizia not doing any public duty without her husband performing all the acts, I could be wrong but my guess is that its part of her getting used to the royal duty. I think the plan for both of them is to present a united front and a happy union to the public. I hope to see her taking an active part infront of her husband, because I know Letizia is extremely intelligent and articulate. Its good to see her happy and comfrotable because in the past, she seemed unapprochable and uncomfortable in public events.
 
I don't get what the big deal is....why does it matter that she does duties on her own?together, Felipe and Letizia work hard and are acheiving a lot. I see this and introducing her to the REAL world of royalty where she can be truly useful. Together they are unstoppable, and I'm sure neither of them would want anything less.
 
sadie said:
I'm sorry but i'm gonna have to disagree with you, we could speculate about Letizia's role behind the scenes, but the truth is we don't know for sure if she has such control over her own activities. We can only comment on the image that is given to the public eye, and that is the one of a princess who can't even deliver the prices on an act where she is the president of honor! and has hardly speak her mind since she got married.

Don't get me wrong, i adore Letizia and agree that she is a really smart and capable woman, but that is exactly the reason i can't stand watching her being minimize to her husband shadow. Having her own activities doesn't have to interfere with the team she and Felipe form, doesn't Felipe has his own agenda?, why can't leti perform some activities while he is traveling?.

I am pretty sure she has recieve invitations from several organizations that don't imply doing something frivolous like giving name to a rose, if there is a crownprincess who can do a meaningful and important labor with the role that is given to her, that is Letizia!.:)
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Perfectly said, I completely agree with everything you said:) and why is it always that when people talke about Letizia doing something alone there comes the fashionshows and roses, I find it insulting to all the other women where the courts trust is them to do things alone (Maixma and Camilla has NEVER attend a fashionshow, and Camilla was not exaclty leading the popularity barometer but she got out there on her own), and for goodness sakes the others do not only attend fashionshows, they are invlolved in many different topics, a very, very small minority beeing fashionshows. This situation is getting a little out of control when Letizia cant even attend a dinner with her in laws when her husband is out of the country, or recieve a ham alone, never give a speech and not even unveil a plaque.

lucys said:
In any case, as I have said many times, these two, as a pair, I find so interesting, that I personally would be disappointed if they stopped doing their public acts together.
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You would be disapointed if the Princess gets to open her mouth on duties to give a speech or show herslef as an independant woman. Quite frankly Im severly diapointed in Felipe that he does not stand up to whoever decides this. He wanted to be modern a marry a non royal, when then he can put some weight on the people in charge and get his wife some independance and dont threat her like a trophy wife who is only on work to draw attention to him, the man, or who sits at home when he has his independant duties. This might not be how it is but it is how it appears.

BTW the Princess looks great theese days now that she is out of her shoulderpadded jackets and in to soft dresses, very flattering on her
foto by Carlos Picasso
 
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planetcher said:
Who's the woman with red hair? Does she think she's 16?
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She's rosa María Calaf, tve's correspondent in Far East. Letizia's ex-colleague ;)
 
lucys said:
The protocol of the Spanish Royal house is very clear. The senior royal ALWAYS speaks and ALWAYS takes the lead. If the King and Queen go together, the King always speaks. If the Infantas do any activity with their husbands, they always are the lead figure. It's the same with Felipe and Letizia--he's the senior royal. And remember, most acts Felipe and Letizia do are not just the photographed acts, but involve receptions and such that are NOT photographed and where she is (according to the articles I have read) just as proactive as he is. As to why she does not do acts alone, I suspect it is a combination of two factors: 1.) they like to do acts together (that's obvious) and 2.) after working so hard to get Felipe out of the shadow of his father, the last thing they want is for him to be in the shadow of his wife. I have no doubt--and reports in serious news magazines have said this--that behind the scenes she is a fully equal partner -- in fact, her critics say she is too involved behind the scenes... she can't win, it would seem ...

In any case, here are some photos from Getty Images (Carlos Alvarez):
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Very intelligent analysis and I quiet agree because the Princess give a so good appearence in this time and for this specific act to say the opposite.

For my part, I think that the situation will becoming a little be risquy for Felipe if he give the feeling that he fear the Letizia'aura.It will be necessary to find a better compromis then the" be beautifull and be quiet !";)
 
http://www.ociocritico.com/oc/actual/canales/diario/mirador/mirador.php#letizia

It follows the 'honeymoon'

Since he married dona Letizia Ortiz, the Prince Felipe scarcely can suppress affectionate allusions towards his wife even in the public speeches. There is what happened this Friday, on the occasion of the delivery in Segovia of the prizes Cirilo Rodríguez of journalism, act in which the principesa of Asturias was the chairwoman of honor. Don Felipe did not forget to mention " my dear chairwoman of honor " at the moment of naming the present authorities. During the whole act, notes and looks of complicity did not stop being interchanged, since already it comes being usual.

Then, in the coctel, with assistance of numerous journalists, it was possible to see specially comfortable dona Letizia conversing with her former companions. The prize relapsed into the correspondent of El Pais into Rome Enric Gonzalez, into hard struggle with the finalists Rosa Maria Calaf, of TVE into New York, and Javier Martin, correspondent of Efe into Middle East.
 
mtbcm said:
I'm sorry but didn't Princess Letizia delivered a speach at that Flag Event, attended this week by the Queen?

I'll have to check for that but I'm almost sure she delivered a speach...
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Yes, she did it. It was her first (and till now the only one) speech as the Princess. It was her 4th month of pregnancy, if I'm not wrong.


Does anyone have any idea who has designed those 2 beautiful dresses?
 
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I'm sorry but didn't Princess Letizia delivered a speach at that Flag Event, attended this week by the Queen?

I'll have to check for that but I'm almost sure she delivered a speach...

And you are starting to talk about P. Letizia as if she has been married for 30 years and has done nothing on her own.

CP Letizia is having the same role that the Queen had in her first years as a Princess, and everything turn out just fine.

Amazing how story repeats, the only difference was that Princess Sofia was considered a snob and unadjusted (nothing more far from truth) for not participating and Prince Felipe is being acused for not letting his wife participate. :(

I do believe that they have no need to go separately, I'm sure in time and in the presence of her husband she will shine with confidance and without shadowing nobody.

As for the comment that she not even goes out with in-laws without her husband present, I do not believe it. I'm sure she does, as she did in the past. She is not a doll to be shown everytime, she's a newly-mother who certainly is granted the privilege to stay home playing and cuddling her daughter if her present in not obligatory.

As much as you like (or not) Letizia she isn't, Thank God, the only member of Spanish Royal Family and I think that it's great to see other members participating and shinning.

Just my thought! :)

Regards and have a nice weekend! :)

mtbcm
 
I already am accustomed that I do not do acts in solitarily, but I think that about those acts to those who come because they have requested directly the presence of the Princess (that every time they are more) it had to give major protagonism to her. If an institution wants that the Princess presides at an act, it is something absurd that the Royal House decides that all the protagonism should be for the Prince and that she does not do anything. It ends up by looking like a lack of respect towards this institution. :confused:

When they happen things how what comments on this article, it is that there is something that is not done well.;)

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/442501-post103.html

On the other hand, I believe that the Royal House " does not need " that Letizia does acts in solitarily for the present time, and the topic seems they not to be interested in it very much. All the princesses, for a social - cultural question, devote themselves to charitable and cultural acts. In Spain there is a Queen colitigant and 4 Infantas who devote themselves to these activities.
In countries how Holland or Denmark, where the Queens are women and devote themselves more to other matters, and all the children are men, it is normal that the Princesses colitigants acquire major protagonism, because they turn in necessary to cover a sector of activities. In Spain it is very organized. The Queen has her foundation, her work with the microcredit and many prizes of cultural character with her name. The Infanta Elena and the Infanta Cristina have their acts distributed with different organizations. The Infantas Pilar and Margarita also collaborate with foundations and charitable institutions. And up to the Princess Irene of Greece presides at a Spanish Charitable foundation.

The inevitable way in Spain is that little by little the things are changing, Letizia will have to acquire major protagonism, because it has to be like that and because the society like that demands it. It cannot be that Letizia is treated by a lot of time as a simple colitigant as the Dukes colitigants of the Infantas. She has to finish exercising a role similar to that of the Queen.
 
Yes I agree withe you LULA and I add that the Princes reach now to the point on their activities together are very successful and may be it's time to open for the Princess a way to be protagonist by herself. I'm quiet sur that the CR might to have a reflexion about that.
 
She will certainly Lula. But...ONCE she is a queen. For the moment she is only "la princesa de asturias".
 
clymène said:
She will certainly Lula. But...ONCE she is a queen. For the moment she is only "la princesa de asturias".
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But to be only the " Princess of Asturias " is great, and more to be the mother of an Infanta of Spain.;)

It is a legal question, not of caprice, this one is the fragment of the Constitution that speaks on the Prince of Asturias:

"The inheritor of the Wreath will have from the birth or since there takes place the fact that there originates the call, the Dignity of Prince or Princess of Asturias, as well as other titles linked traditionally to the Successor of the Wreath and the honors that as such correspond. It will receive the treatment of Royal Highness. Of equal Dignity and treatment the colitigant will take part, receiving the honors that are established in the juridical classification."

For example, if the Princess comes to an act with an Infanta (and the Kings or the Prince are not), Letizia for law would be the first one ahead of the Infanta. Because of it, before so later she will have to be with everything what it implies, the second lady of the country.
 
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It would be an interesting discussion about how the various crown prince couples approach their jobs and place in history. As this is F & L's space I will refraing from such comments but the discussion as a whole would be interesting.
 
http://www.eladelantado.com/ampliaNoticia.asp?idn=42970&sec=1&offset=0

The attendence of Don Felipe and Doña Letizia to the prize-giving ceremony of the Cirilo Rodriguez Journalistic Awards gave a more formal and institutional character to the ceremony, but this time the anecdotes were not less significant.

The arrival of Princes of Asturias (which was followed by some citizens that were waiting for them in the proximities of the Parador) was accompanied of strong security measures and a great expectancy. Doña Letizia, however, (who chose for the occasion a dress in pink tones, with matching sandals and long earrings) did not doubt to caress a dog that a girl had approached to her, at the door of the Parador.

After greeting the authorities at the entrance of the auditorium, TRH also greeted the three finalists, who were at the first row, and afterwards the ceremony began, to take approximately 45 minutes.

Once concluded the act, the Princes of Asturias went to a hall, in order to receive various presents; thus, the organization gave Doña Letizia an artisan saltcellar (made with the 18th century artisan techniques, at the Royal Crystal Factory of La Granja); Jose Maria Ruiz, president of the Association for the Promotion of the Cochinillo de Segovia (Procose), gave the Princes an examplar of the book "El Dorado"; finally, the director of the National Radio, Javier Arenas, presented the Heirs with a CD with a selection of chronicles of Cirilo Rodriguez, published by the public radio in collaboration with the Press Associations of Segovia and Madrid, including the famous broadcasting of the arrival of Man to the Moon. The assistants to the act had the opportunity to listen to a brief passage of that broadcasting, which was followed with special interest by the Princes of Asturias.

After the family photos with the winners, the organization and the members of the jury, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia went to the halls the Parador, where they enjoyed a cocktail, along with the other 300 guests.

The visit of TRH to Segovia, which lasted more than two hours, included some anecdotes; including the prize itself: a heavy glass piece that made the assistant of Don Felipe warn him about its weight, before giving the piece to the hands of the Prince. Besides, the winners and finalists chose to rest it on the table of the Presidency, while giving their speeches, which confirmed that the piece is not easy to carry out, during a long while.
 
Letizia looks great at all these past events!

On the topic of Letizia having her own duties, we don't know the reason for sure. But I am discouraged at some people implying that other princesses only cut ribbons and attend flower christenings while Letizia is the only princess that does time-worthy acts with her husband. As Larzen pointed out, most if not all of the other European Crown Princesses have very serious duties, engagements, and speeches that don't involve a pair of shoes or a flower. And I must ask why a fashion show is considered a "lower act" of a royal. It promotes a very important industry of a nation that can not only boost the name of said designer from that country but also initiate an economic boom in that field. Letizia is a very beautiful and capable princess, there is no doubt about that. When she does duties with Felipe, it's great and we can see that they enjoy spending time together. But IMO it wouldn't hurt to give Letizia just a few solo duties.

Getty has the best pictues but they're always watermarked! :(
 
Yes Getty has always the best pictures of the Princess.Their photogaph seems to have encounter his subject en the Letizia' s portraits
 
What precious dress will wear Letizia tonight? I want to see it already!:D
 
I have to say, I have never been a big fan of Letizia's in the past. But lately I have been in awe of her. She seems to finally be compfortable in her role as Crown Princess. She's been so beautiful and radiant lately. I look forward to the future with this princess.
 
Lauritas138 said:
What precious dress will wear Letizia tonight? I want to see it already!:D
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She has not a dress, takes a suit of jacket and skirt in blue, and a nice hairdo. And a beautiful earrings;)
 
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I don't get it... What's happening tonight? Where do the princes go again?
 
Larzen said:
Perfectly said, I completely agree with everything you said:) and why is it always that when people talke about Letizia doing something alone there comes the fashionshows and roses, I find it insulting to all the other women where the courts trust is them to do things alone (Maixma and Camilla has NEVER attend a fashionshow, and Camilla was not exaclty leading the popularity barometer but she got out there on her own), and for goodness sakes the others do not only attend fashionshows, they are invlolved in many different topics, a very, very small minority beeing fashionshows. This situation is getting a little out of control when Letizia cant even attend a dinner with her in laws when her husband is out of the country, or recieve a ham alone, never give a speech and not even unveil a plaque.


You would be disapointed if the Princess gets to open her mouth on duties to give a speech or show herslef as an independant woman. Quite frankly Im severly diapointed in Felipe that he does not stand up to whoever decides this. He wanted to be modern a marry a non royal, when then he can put some weight on the people in charge and get his wife some independance and dont threat her like a trophy wife who is only on work to draw attention to him, the man, or who sits at home when he has his independant duties. This might not be how it is but it is how it appears.
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Brava! I couldn't have said it better myself.
 
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Larzen said:
Quite frankly Im severly diapointed in Felipe that he does not stand up to whoever decides this. He wanted to be modern a marry a non royal, when then he can put some weight on the people in charge and get his wife some independance and dont threat her like a trophy wife who is only on work to draw attention to him, the man, or who sits at home when he has his independant duties. This might not be how it is but it is how it appears.
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I definitely agree with you here. Felipe needs to whack the heads of the grey men at Zarzuela and speak up for his wife. I really believe that Letizia is a capable woman, besides the royal duties of a crown princess is really not that hard. Maybe they're afraid that she'll outshine him, who knows? She may have a lot of detractors back home, but you have to admit they can't get enough of her. Everything about her is news.
 
Being independent has nothing to do with doing public appearances of her own. Being independent is having influence over her own, Felipe's and Leonor's lifes. It also means being involved in events of substance. She is part of meetings with business,religious and political leaders across Spain and the spanish speaking world. A much more independent role than being armcandy.
 
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