I believe that this it is a superficial enough, habitual vision in certain type of press and for lack of knowledge. It is evident that the Prince is never going to live through the historical circumstances through that his father lived, we do not know through those that he will have to live and how he is going to face them.
To summarize the Prince with the phrase of " he has married a divorced journalist " is simple enough. The Spanish society is sufficiently mature to accept it, without supposes a problem (except for a minority that wants to make business or criticize for criticizing). The Prince is not going to have (let's wait for) a Franco or one 23F, he does not even have thet great charisma of his father. Nevertheless, he has many other things to his favor, and sometimes a shame is that it does not know the sufficient thing because only it interests the gossip.
To part of that the Prince has a better formation of the one that had his father, he has learned of him. He could have learned the good thing, but also of the mistakes of his father (who has had them). Whereas with the King, for his historical role, some mistakes have been kept the background, with the Prince always there has been major pressure and criticizes .... and it has a positive part, because it contributes more transparency.
Curiously for the birthday of the King, many serious journalists, were concentrating already on the future that the Prince was meaning that in the King. They doubt neither the capacities of the Prince, nor of his political or diplomatic capacity (I believe that no serious mistake is known, and he has lived through not very comfortable situations). If there is some change with the Spanish Monarchy it will not be because the Prince is the inept one that cannot do his work or because the Princess had a previous marriage, but for circumstances that go farther and concern many areas.
If probably something was criticized in the Prince, it is that he was, probably for coyness, more distant, which was contrasting with the extrovert and charming character of his father. This way, as that he was living a bit surrounded by " rich children ". Curiously, which more was criticizing him, has improved it with his wedding (yes, with the "horrible" divorcée). Now he is more relaxed, is more nearby and has demonstrated that he can be nearby of all type of people.
For many people, over the King, of the hair of Letziia or of Marichalar's absence ... the more emphasized from the birthday of the King was the speech of the Prince, the conjunction of the son and of the inheritor. I have the imprension of which with everything what has happened in the last months the figure of the Prince has been rising, and that this year is going to be one very interesting year.