Elena, Felipe Froilán & Victoria Federica de Marichalar News & Events 3 : May 2019

[lula]

Duke, you can find a lot of news about Sofia's role in financing and guiding the education of her grandchildren, in the case of Elena's children. It has been Juan Carlos and Sofía who have paid for schools, boarding schools and private universities... so in some way they have always intervened in decision making.

Elena and Jaime's divorce was very tense, and it seems that Sofia did intervene on the issue of the children as a mediator between them. Felipe went through boarding schools in Spain and a military school in the United States, Victoria Federica was sent to an exclusive British boarding school and upon returning to Spain she began to fail in her studies.

Both the parents and the grandparents who financed everything made decisions that do not seem to be what Felipe and Victoria needed to overcome family, behavioral or learning problems.

Elena had learning problems, she always had reinforcement teachers and she got her degrees in private centers. She also spent some time in a British boarding school. Her secretary for decades was a teacher who helped her with her studies as a teenager (a really strange case in palace). So the pattern that has been followed with her children has been similar to the one followed with her. Just like 40 years ago they tried to fix things with money, strict exclusive schools... instead of acknowledging the problems and sending them to schools that would really help them with their problems, like they have done in other royal houses.

The situation of Cristina and Felipe was different, they did not have these learning problems, they studied in public universities, they had prestigious university professors as study tutors and their secretaries in the palace were people with professional prestige.

[Prinsara]

If you are suggesting that Elena inherited Juan Carlos's dyslexia or something similar, not very much is known about how he managed to deal with it academically — but presumably it wasn't with anything close to modern "proper" understanding. So I'm not sure why Elena would have received a better level of assistance. And it may have been harder for her children than if their mother and grandfather had not already had issues learning — if they had been "blank slates", perhaps the family would have come at it from a different approach.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by lula

Duke, you can find a lot of news about Sofia's role in financing and guiding the education of her grandchildren, in the case of Elena's children. It has been Juan Carlos and Sofía who have paid for schools, boarding schools and private universities... so in some way they have always intervened in decision making.

Elena and Jaime's divorce was very tense, and it seems that Sofia did intervene on the issue of the children as a mediator between them. Felipe went through boarding schools in Spain and a military school in the United States, Victoria Federica was sent to an exclusive British boarding school and upon returning to Spain she began to fail in her studies.

Both the parents and the grandparents who financed everything made decisions that do not seem to be what Felipe and Victoria needed to overcome family, behavioral or learning problems.

Elena had learning problems, she always had reinforcement teachers and she got her degrees in private centers. She also spent some time in a British boarding school. Her secretary for decades was a teacher who helped her with her studies as a teenager (a really strange case in palace). So the pattern that has been followed with her children has been similar to the one followed with her. Just like 40 years ago they tried to fix things with money, strict exclusive schools... instead of acknowledging the problems and sending them to schools that would really help them with their problems, like they have done in other royal houses.

The situation of Cristina and Felipe was different, they did not have these learning problems, they studied in public universities, they had prestigious university professors as study tutors and their secretaries in the palace were people with professional prestige.

Thanks lula, I agree that the approach is completely wrong but did not know the extent of the learning difficulties on Elena side, stretching out to her children. So it's related to Elenas specific situation. I misunderstood your wording earlier, to me it indicated that Sofia is one of those women of her generation who think that royal girls don't really need an education as they will be married off to fellow nobles anyway. But I have never seen Sofia as such a woman, and Cristina is the best proof. Her children seem to be going through the educational process withouth any problems as well.

I guess when JC passes there will be enough inheritance for the grandchildren that they will not be encouraged to make their own living through education. It will keep the press busy, much to Felipe's dismay I guess.

[fandesacs2003]

Understand from what I read that King Emeritus JC has dyslexia. Furthermore I doubt that around 1950-1960, when he was at school, people could recognize what dyslexia was. Students suffering from dyslexia were considered just as bad students... no salvation.
But, please correct me if I'm wrong, I doubt if he did study. I know that since his pre-teen years JC was raised by Franco but he went to military academy, no other studies. I don't say that Military academy was nothing, just that no-one teacher would fail Franco's protegee.

As for Froilan since his very young age he seemed a very turbulent boy. Remember the F+L wedding... he left his position to beat his cousin.

For the divorce Elena Jaime I don't know.anything.

[camelot23ca]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

Thanks lula, I agree that the approach is completely wrong but did not know the extent of the learning difficulties on Elena side, stretching out to her children. So it's related to Elenas specific situation. I misunderstood your wording earlier, to me it indicated that Sofia is one of those women of her generation who think that royal girls don't really need an education as they will be married off to fellow nobles anyway. But I have never seen Sofia as such a woman, and Cristina is the best proof. Her children seem to be going through the educational process withouth any problems as well.

I guess when JC passes there will be enough inheritance for the grandchildren that they will not be encouraged to make their own living through education. It will keep the press busy, much to Felipe's dismay I guess.

I’ve read that there was some resistance to Cristina’s plan to study Political Science at university, and that, if she was going to go to university, the preference would have been for her to study a more “soft” subject - education, sociology, etc. I don’t remember reading that Sofia was the one who objected to Cristina’s plan, though, but more that it was a general concern on the part of the royal court.

I doubt Juan Carlos and Sofia worried too much about their daughters’ academic development, although it seems they were both laser focused on Felipe. But they obviously didn’t stand in Cristina’s way when she decided what she wanted to do.

As for Cristina’s children, Pablo urdangarin did an interview as a member of his handball team recently and talked about the emphasis his parents placed on him continuing his education. I assume the other children would have gotten the same message.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by fandesacs2003

Understand from what I read that King Emeritus JC has dyslexia. Furthermore I doubt that around 1950-1960, when he was at school, people could recognize what dyslexia was. Students suffering from dyslexia were considered just as bad students... no salvation.
But, please correct me if I'm wrong, I doubt if he did study. I know that since his pre-teen years JC was raised by Franco but he went to military academy, no other studies. I don't say that Military academy was nothing, just that no-one teacher would fail Franco's protegee.

As for Froilan since his very young age he seemed a very turbulent boy. Remember the F+L wedding... he left his position to beat his cousin.

For the divorce Elena Jaime I don't know.anything.

Dyslexia or not, the focus of Franco was to 'create'/educate Juan Carlos to use him for his own purpose. JC did study in Madrid various subjects at university but did not obtain a degree. The military education was absolute key at the time and still plays an important role when it soon comes to Leonors education.

[lula]

Duke, I didn't mean that Sofia put obstacles in the education of her daughters. I mean that she belongs to a generation and to a social circle, in which the learning or behavioral problems of the children were not openly recognized and were solved by paying for very expensive schools or strict and exclusive boarding schools.

Elena had much more difficulties studying than Felipe and Cristina, she had support teachers and went to private centers, not public ones. Although the Royal House never spoke openly about it, there was always talk that she had problems.

Felipe and Victoria have had academic problems, learning problems or the family situation due to the divorce of their parents, and the solution has gone through private schools, boarding schools abroad, a private American university... they have invested a lot of money in get the educational degrees, but it doesn't seem like they have done much work on solving the root of the problems.

[fandesacs2003]

@lula is fully right about Queen Sofia mentality. Herself just attended a nurse school in Salem Germany, nothing else. Furthermore King Konstantine also was very poorly educated, no degree, no High School out of Greece, nothing. This time it was not considered mandatory for a Royal to receive education, out of some foreign languages and some History courses, all these provided at home (Palace) by high diplomates or military people.
Going back to Q, Sofia, she was 2 generations behind her grandchildren, so her own mentality should not influence too much her grandkids.
Felipe got a high education because he was the heir and he was able to. Perfect.
Cristina got good education because she was willing and able to. Perfect also.
Elena had issues, it should not be known (don't forget that when Elena was at school they were under Franco, no need to communicate family issues... Since she had issues... they just managed to make her fulfill the traditional mandatory path and then what? Royal duties while waiting to be married...full stop.

But if already Elena had issues, might have been expected her kids to have issues also. At her eyes matter was less serious for Victoria than for Froilan. Most of rich people, when their kids have leaning issues, just think that there's no big deal, since they are rich, so no fuss.
Furthermore for me the issue for Froilan is not the education but the behavior. Not everyone on world has degrees but they don't get involved in fightings...
As for Victoria she has the usual path of upper class rich girls. Going out, being an It girl thanks to her roots and connections and all ok, till she will do a nice wedding.

[iceflower]

Victoria Federica attended the Dior show in Paris today, January 23:


** gettyimages gallery ** gtresnews gallery ** rex gallery **

[iceflower]

Victoria Federica attended the San Isidro Gala 2023 in Madrid this evening, February 1:


** vanitatis.elconfidencial.com article ** gtresnews gallery **