Relationship between Jaime Peñafiel and the Royal Family

[lula]

Originally Posted by carlota

i know he was close to the queen but much closer to the king, with whom he had a quite close relationship (of course, this was during that period you are mentioning of when he was a much more powerful journalist). he enjoyed a quite privileged position during those times as far as i know, he travelled with the royals sometimes (to cover their agenda) and more than once he told quite interesting anecdotes from those times.

:)

They were other times, and the things in these years have changed very much.
Today in day there are several journalists who travel with the Royal Family in the official trips, some newspapers and the most important televisions have persons destined specifically to follow the Royal Family. It is the case of Mai Angeles Alcazar for La Vanguardia or Carmen Enriques in TVE; They go years or enclosed decades following the Royal Family, but they work for serious means and devote themselves to report not to gossip.

[Toledo]

So things make more sense now, from what I gather from the replies above (thanks everyone!) the picture of Penafiel resentment against Queen Sofia becomes more clear and explains why he, once with access to the inner circle of power, is now left out:
1. His daugther died of a drug related over dose.
2. The Queen is president of a Foundation that helps people with drug problems.
Thus...Penafiel projects his frustration on the Queen, a former aquaintance (?) for not doing enough (?).
3. He adds to that resentment the silence of the Royal Family after his daugther died.
That means he thought of himself so important that Queen Sofia should have paid more attention to his ego ?!?

It seems he does not realize that Spain has millions of persons for the King and Queen to worry about and Penafiel's idea is that Royalty must revolve around his journalist's ego. That would explain why the drastic change from been so pro-Royal Family for so many years and now taking every opportunity to do reports while his resentment comes to the surface on every article.

[ysbel]

Well actually I found it more interesting that Penafiel became a powerful journalist under the regime of Franco. I can't imagine a liberal or democratic thinking journalist could have been so powerful under Franco's rule. So it makes perfect sense that he believes that royals should only marry their equals and that is why he dislikes Letizia.

We don't get much news in the U.S. about the Spanish royals nowadays but they were very much in the news in the 70s when Franco died and later the military tried to take over parliament.

I read once that Franco approved of Juan Carlos over his father because the king's father expressed very democratic-leaning principles which Franco disapproved of. Juan Carlos apparently hadn't said anything so Franco assumed that he was conservative-learning which turned out to be wrong. I also read that the military initially supported Juan Carlos and expected him to support them when they tried to take over parliament.

I can only guess that some of the king's earlier supporters were very conservative and were disappointed when Juan Carlos later supported democracy. When did Penafiel's change of attitude towards the royals come about? What was his attitude towards the shifting to democracy in Spain?

A couple of things about his attitude don't make sense. I see that he doesn't like the fact that Sofia is Greek but if royals only married other royals, the royals are going to have to marry a foreigner eventually. What other complaints does he have about Sofia? I'm also curious about his attitudes towards Cristina's and Elena's marriages to commoners.

There seems to be different stories of exactly what happened with his daughter's suicide. I wonder if its what we call in English a red herring, something that appears to explain something when it really doesn't. Its possible that he did resent at least a lack of sympathy from the Royal Family but it could also be possible that people find Penafiel's attitudes terrible (understandably) and are trying to make what he says seem trivial and unimportant by offering an explanation that makes him seem petty and vengeful.

From what you all have have said, it seems equally possible that he resents the royal family for not living up to the ideals that he may have expected when he began covering them as a journalist.

Can you explain more about his history of reporting the royal family and how his attitudes have changed over the years?

[Diogenes]

Originally Posted by ysbel

Well actually I found it more interesting that Penafiel became a powerful journalist under the regime of Franco. I can't imagine a liberal or democratic thinking journalist could have been so powerful under Franco's rule. So it makes perfect sense that he believes that royals should only marry their equals and that is why he dislikes Letizia.

His right-wing past probably explains his resentment towards the Royal Family as he must have been one of those who believed that the young king would maintain Franco's fascist status quo.

Originally Posted by ysbel

We don't get much news in the U.S. about the Spanish royals nowadays but they were very much in the news in the 70s when Franco died and later the military tried to take over parliament.

Juan Carlos really out-manoevered Tejero and his cronies with an excellent show of statemanship. I remember how these dramatic events had us all glued to our television sets.

Originally Posted by ysbel

I can only guess that some of the king's earlier supporters were very conservative and were disappointed when Juan Carlos later supported democracy. When did Penafiel's change of attitude towards the royals come about? What was his attitude towards the shifting to democracy in Spain?

I bet he wasn't best pleased! Surely, he switched to being a Royal expert, confidant and 'friend' but probably under duress.

[Juanita]

Originally Posted by ysbel

A couple of things about his attitude don't make sense. I see that he doesn't like the fact that Sofia is Greek but if royals only married other royals, the royals are going to have to marry a foreigner eventually. What other complaints does he have about Sofia? I'm also curious about his attitudes towards Cristina's and Elena's marriages to commoners.

I read before the suicide of his daughter, when he really worked with the King, he always had a good relation with Sofia. She was greek (i don't know if she is greek now) but she did and she does a wonderful work for Spain and for the whole world! And she really wanted to have the importance that she has now.. Jaime liked those fellings about Spain (Sofia learnt spanish very fast and she want to be a spanish woman) so he helped her.
About Cristina's and Elena's marriages, i read something that he wrote. It was a criticism to Letizia and there he said that both the Infantas didn't marry the right person. I read also he can stand Elena's husband because he is a cultured person and interested in all kinds of art, but Cristina's husband he cannot stand because he was a handball player (pathetic reason, in my opinion!).

Originally Posted by ysbel

Can you explain more about his history of reporting the royal family and how his attitudes have changed over the years?

He was Chief of the Royal House and he changed when the King decided to change the Chief of the Royal House. I think that was the first reason of all his changes!
Then his daughter's suicide: his daughter had a problem with drugs and he asked the Queen (she is President of some fundacion that helps people with drugs' problems) for help. Not just for his daughter, but also for himself; some psychological support. But, so he says, he received a letter from the Queen saying the Queen couldn't help them because she had lot of work (it was something like this, i'm not very sure).
So, she died and since her suicide, Jaime Peñafiel blames the Queen for her daughter's death!
Now, he attacks most part of the Royal Family. But now he attacks first Letizia and he ignores sometimes the Queen.
And he doesn't criticize the Queen, he just does bad commentaries about her. On the other hand, he criticizes a lot Letizia and all the things that she did or does!
I hope i can answer to your questions!

[Toledo]

Wow, this research has been a great group effort! Thanks everyone! :)

Penafiel's true character finally comes to light as a complicated person himself. He is like a remnant of the old Regime that terrorized us for decades as we grew up. He could not adapt to the changes of the new monarchy, as is said often about King Juan Carlos who has a Court without the Courtesans (a.k.a. the Spanish aristocracy). Penafiel could not keep up with the times and the changes made by the King to modernize the idea of a constitutional monarchy supported by the people, not by an army. And now all he has to lash out are articles loaded with double meaning against Spain's true Royal Family, who took back the country from the hands of the Franco family. The same Franco family that moved in the El Pardo Palace and proclaimed they will be residing there for generations (that was in an article I posted many months ago).

I feel sorry for the loss of his daugther and his frustration, as her father, for not been able to save her from herself. Must be a horrible feeling for any parent to bury your own child.

But the attitude he has been showing against the Royal Family after that personal tragedy does not deserve my sympathy. He seems to me like a really complicated person with a lot of anger inside that lashes out with the tool he has, journalism. And he lashes out against those he seems to blame for his loss.
Maybe one day he will come to his senses.

[Zonk]

Many thanks to all who contributed to this thread. I wasn't that familiar with the Jamie Penafiel and his relationship with the SRF but I could definitely tell something wasn't right. There was no mistaking the nastiness of his articles.

While I share Toledo's hope that one day Penafiel will come to his senses..I seriously doubt it. Sometimes, people are so entrenched in their bitterness and hatred that they no longer recognize right or wrong nor are they objective.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by juanita

He was Chief of the Royal House and he changed when the King decided to change the Chief of the Royal House. I think that was the first reason of all his changes!

What year did this happen? I know that Juan Carlos abolished the court. Was it about the same time? I imagine Penafiel and a lot of the coutiers didn't like that either.

And he doesn't criticize the Queen, he just does bad commentaries about her.

I noticed in the article about Sofia, he doesn't really critcize her but points out her connections to a fallen monarchy. It seems with Sofia the former princess he doesn't cross the boundary to actually criticizing her. With Letizia a former newswoman he does.

Jaime liked those fellings about Spain (Sofia learnt spanish very fast and she want to be a spanish woman) so he helped her.

That must have been a long time ago, I imagine Sofia learned Spanish very well before Juan Carlos came to the throne. Was this the 1960s, early 1970s?

I read also he can stand Elena's husband because he is a cultured person and interested in all kinds of art, but Cristina's husband he cannot stand because he was a handball player (pathetic reason, in my opinion!).

Well I imagine someone who only approves of equal marriages would not like a princess marrying a handball player but I'm amazed he likes Jaime.

[Toledo]

At least we know the reasons behind his anger. The bits and pieces I've read on Penafiel's relationship with the Royal Family since the 1960's and the venom he spills nowadays against them made me wonder what happened to this guy to be so vicious. And as I posted above, many of his articles are not translated so those of us who read in Spanish can hardly give you gals and guys a small glimpse on the brutal words he uses so openly.

Speaking of words, I re-worded post # 49. I type in English but was thinking the words in Spanish and my post needed some serious editing after I read it again. Something that probably happens to some of us with more than one language in our heads.

[Juanita]

Originally Posted by ysbel

What year did this happen? I know that Juan Carlos abolished the court. Was it about the same time? I imagine Penafiel and a lot of the coutiers didn't like that either.

i think it was in the 90's.... it was bettween the 80's and the 90's! But i don't know the exactly year! Sorry...:o

Originally Posted by ysbel

That must have been a long time ago, I imagine Sofia learned Spanish very well before Juan Carlos came to the throne. Was this the 1960s, early 1970s?

She learned Spanish between 1961 and 1962, because when she met Franco she already spoke spanish.

[ldt20]

Here are some comments Jaime Peñafiel made about the Royal Family in an awards ceremony in Madrid:
http://es.celebrities.yahoo.com/1506...rvidumbre.html
From Yahoo.es

Numerous well-known faces occur to appointment in the prizes of the magazine ' I Doná. One of them was the journalist Jaime Peñafiel, whom it asked for the businesses of the Duke of Palm and other subjects to him of the present time that surround to the Royal Family.

- Don Iñaki de Urdangarin has rectified its businesses of Majorca.
I want to believe it, I believe that he has been sensible, but we go badly advisory of Telephone not this. It is a good position.

- You think that the Duke of Palm is making profitable the union to the Royal Family?

The facts are there, until the opposite does not demonstrate itself. He is a valid person, that perhaps it needed the marriage with the Infant, so that the world knew that she is a valued person. It has demonstrated it.

- Princes de Asturias one has seen very fans them with the Spanish selection

Like everybody. I have liked the party and that that I am not become fond of. Although I do not like futbol, likes me to see win to the Spanish selection.

- What you think on the rumors that say that Rocasolano Dove was going to rent a villa by 300 euros?

I have not believed it because it seems to me an error, an enormous damage to the Real House. The family of Letizia, within which she fits, is behavior moderately well. To accept that canonry of house, as it is said that they were preparing to him in the Brown, would be a demential thing.

- It is truth that their parents are going away to transfer to the house where lives she now.

Everybody changes of house when it can. Of Moratalaz, one has gone away to an apartment in the center of Madrid, and to their house of Moratalaz their parents have gone. - it is not rare that so soon the Royal Family denies? That demonstrates that it was a serious thing. It is as they must be. To become related with the real family is not a privilege is a servitude.

[Toledo]

Penafiel is just what I needed on a day off to upset my lunch. :p
Well, at least he keep us amussed. Is too bad many of his articles are not translated for the international press, and for us, to share here. Many of you who don't know yet the extension of his split-tongued comments would be horrified of the things he writes these days.

[lisamaria]

Originally Posted by Toledo

The options are there for Constantine to take, if he wants to put the past behind now that he is back in Greece he should make something more than an effort to get his property back. His ego should not be bigger than his common sense.

I have got the impression that Konstantin is living in Greece purely as a private citizen, and has no interest in trying to advance the monarchist cause there. He has been considered by many as the most Greek of the whole RF of Greece; prince Micheal who married a Greek woman, a commoner, has said that much. The WWII aside, perhaps no other country in Europe has suffered like Greece during the 20th century; coups, revolutions, military governments, civil wars, partisans, dozens and dozens of governments, one following the other. I doubt whether even King Solomon himself would have survived it all; Konstantin stood no change, despite of having been immensely popular just a moment earlier.

I found this threat very interesting, especially everything said about this Peñafiel guy. I'm quite sure the Norvegian would find his comments about Mette-Marit very interesting. The most amazing thing about his views seems to be that they are so wonderfully old-fashioned. He, for example, complains about the new spouses (like M-M) being too common, from too lowly origins to sustein the monarchy. He mentioned in one of the links posted here that Letizia's grandfather was - shock horror - a taxi-driver. And yet Sofia, the most blueblooded of the bluebloods, is not good enough for him either. What a gem he is

[ldt20]

Jaime Peñafiel has been on 20minutos.es yesterday Oct 25, 2006 answering questions from online users.

You can read all the questions and answers here:
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1651...iel/encuentro/

[Marengo]

I recently asked a question about Penafiel on the Franco-Iberian board. Manuel replied & he is a most informed poster, so her the exact reason of Penafiel's scars.


Marengo: Excuse my ignorance, but what 'personal scars'
: did Penafiel get from Queen Sofia?

Manuel:It had to do with the death of Peñafiel's daughter. She died of drug overdose. After her death, he sent a letter to the Queen, explaining the case, and wanted the Queen to get personally involved. I mean, he wanted that the Queen spoke about Peñafiel's daughter and use her as an example for other children of "good families". The Queen is the president of the association against drug adiction. The Queen did not answer personally and he only got a letter from the Queen's office. That is the story. He has never forgiven her. He thought he deserved more, after all those years of "dedication".

Manuel also said that although he has personal wounds, Penafiel usually states that as a Queen Sofia is perfect for the role (usually to continue with saying how Letizia will never be able to stand in her shadow).

-
Though Penafiel didn't have any right to expect the Queen to single out his daughter, I can understand that he was hurt, as a suicide of your own daughter should be & will always stay incredibly painfull. Sadly he is projecting part of his pain on HM, which is not right but of course not abnormal IMO (many people project their anger, pain etc. on other people). Just very sad, all of this.

[magnik]

Tell what you want but I repeat that what I've wrote in the other thread: He's a poor man who need a good psychotherapist.

[adelaide]

Originally Posted by magnik

Tell what you want but I repeat that what I've wrote in the other thread: He's a poor man who need a good psychotherapist.

Totally agree it's really apoor a ill man whom the single luck of life it will be meeting a good psychotherpist taking in a count his delirium

[crisiñaki]

Peñafiel is a relic, a legacy from a different era, he has a strong belief in the old ways of the monarchy and that's why he dislikes both Iñaki and Letizia (Jaime is an aristocrat, so he's ok on Peñafiel's book), because they are commoners and has quite the love/hate relationship with the Queen, sometimes I think he's like one of those scorned lovers that live at the shadow of their loved ones

[catango]

He is a clown, Jaime just tells polemics things for money, He wasn't popular before, and now He critizes Princess Letizia for all, that make him popular and they feel and important person is all what He wants. ATENTION.

A VERY RIDICULOUS MAN.

HE has been wrong in many statements about SRF, soooo?????, whar is his credibility.??????????