Relationships between Members of the Spanish Royal Family

[Kitty1224]

Originally Posted by leidi

100% agree.



Several people I've talked to in Spain think she has an inferiority complex and thus she wants to stay like "above" everyone else,"above" everything and that includes consistently working with people.

I am not a psychologist or anything and that might be wrong but that's the vibe she's giving a lot of people in the country and that isn't good, she as a Queen cannot show those kind of weaknesses.

Not going to lie, when they visited the U.K. I did get a weird vibe from Letizia as if she was better than Charles and Camilla. Maybe it was because she never met the BRF like that. Sad that she doesn’t want to get in touch with the public in Spain. It doesn’t make sense to me. I had no idea about the sentiments about the monarchy in Spain.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Missy-

I agree with you entirely DoM, it seems some here are only focusing on the video inside the cathedral, what about when they are leaving (don't have time to grow grab the link)? I don't feel there is any room for doubt that Letizia went after Sofia a second time as they were leaving, and that interaction was even more tense. And it isn't cool to involve your children in your personal drama. JMO

It looks to me that Leonor and her sister were perfectly fine taking a picture with their grandmother. Then Letizia intervened and there was a row between mother and grandmother. In the process, both mother and grandmother were touching, maybe trying to grab/push Leonor and that explains her getting uncomfortable and displaying a physical reaction. I also think that the "incident" has been blown out of proportion. Queen Sofia is not a child molester, nor Leonor was being physically abused.

What the video does show, however, is that Letizia micromanages all of her daughters' public appearances in a way that, I think, is not positive for the girls, especially now that they are already pre-teens. The British Royal Family occasionally does that too with their young. I think they should both take a clue from the Scandinavian royals, especially Victoria and Madeleine and the public appearances of their respective kids.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Letizia could have controlled herself better. How dare she to act like stung by a wasp, in public, towards Queen Sofía of Spain, a born Princess of Greece and Denmark.

But the worse was Marie-Chantal. How vulgar to lash out against Letizia in public. On Twitter nota bene...

[M. Payton]

Kitty1224:
You got a *VIBE* from pictures, and have you checked out the current events that she has done and what organizations that she attends to? Do you actually read all the current events and places that she visits and view the videos? It is okay to not like someone for that is your opinion but to say she does not get involved with the people shows your not actually reading what she does each day and where she goes. She works very hard and is an asset to her husband's position. The videos show many different things going on and it was and is an embarrassing situation all around for *everybody*, not just Queen Letizia or Queen Sofia. We here do not know the whole story of what happened and really never will for we weren't there to view it.

After all we all are just flawed humans who make mistakes in life and even royals do that from time to time, this is not going to end the monarchy nor will the country fall apart over this. Go back in history and really read some of the antics of royal families and their friends will probably surprise you. IMHO, this is just a family spat in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Duc_et_Pair]

It made me think about the awarding of the Order of the Golden Fleece to Doña Leonor. Letizia looked só tense. If she was a kettle, she woukd have whistled all the time because the water was boiling. I detect the same here. So in controlling mood.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

It made me think about the awarding of the Order of the Golden Fleece to Doña Leonor. Letizia looked só tense. If she was a kettle, she woukd have whistled all the time because the water was boiling. I detect the same here. So in controlling mood.

In the past, I thought Letizia was intimated by Queen Sofia's "bluest of blue" royal ancestry, but, now, I don't think that is the case anymore, if it ever was. What do the Spanish posters think ?

[wyevale]

Methinks Marie-Chantal has forgotten that while her family has been deposed and no one cares what they do or say, the Spanish royal family actually has a country to rule and the Spaniards do very much care about their royal family. Particularly when it comes to any possible gossip or strife.

A MILLION times THIS.. M-C Miller [dreadfully spoilt scion of a Billionaire] cares NOTHING for the extremely delicate position of the [ACTUALLY REIGNING] side of the family she married into, and should keep her trap SHUT, [at least in public] !

[princess gertrude]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Okay, I have to admit that this clip from Daily Mail, does show that Leonor does not wish to have her grandmother's hand on her: 'Tense scene' between Letizia of Spain and Queen Sofia in Mallorca | Daily Mail Online

Of course we can speculate endless as to why, so unless it happens or has happened more often, it could be caused by anything IMO.

ADDED: Marie Chantal's remark is astonishing IMO!!
What on earth would possess her to say anything like that in public?!?

I agree with you Muhler about Leonor and Sofia. I think that the most astonishing thing is Marie Chantal's post. What on Earth would possess her to make a remark like that. Wow!

[Kronprinz]

King Felipe and King Juan Carlos are completley caught off guard by the whole scene.

[lula]

Duke, for that reason I say that the situation of the mass is absurd, private but with photos so that the press is happy and nobody criticizes that they close Marivent for Sofia. For years they spent Holy Week skiing, until Juan Carlos and Sofia became older, and Sofia moved the vacation to Palma and someone decided that the Easter Mass was the time to make the family photo.

Letizia, as on this occasion, is always criticized for every gesture she makes, there are always people willing to take everything out of context and to exaggerate it ... and against the members of the royal blood family ... she can never win. Sofia has many ugly gestures, wanting to impose a photo of her alone with the girls at a time that does not correspond... but she is forgiven. The members of blue blood can despise her without problems, but that she does not move.

I believe that it is something that she has assumed for her ... but she feels terror when the situation affects the girls or her family. The attitude of the press with other royal grandchildren has shown that they are capable of everything and that, as on this occasion, any failure of the girls will be magnified. Probably today Leonor will have had a very difficult day at school. The attitude with her family was a real hunt, recently her grandmother said that her husband's last year had been very difficult because of all that harassment, and the ex-husband describes in detail the level of the harassment.

I believe that the level of pressure has been such that she will never be able to relax fully in public.

[dbarn67]

I think the fault is on both ladies. Letizia for coming in and trying to manage the grandmother and granddaughter interaction so publicly when Leonor was fine until she stepped in to block. Sofia for pushing too much with the Leonor. I saw a video from the side (sort of across from Juan Carlos) and Sofia looked angry and frustrated at the end. Its an unfortunate situation for both Queens IMO. There are good feelings and tensions in every family. They both should know better than to allow the public to see those tension on display. More upsetting for me was in the end Sofia makes a big show of affection toward Leonor when they are outside the chuurch but seems ignores Sofia.

[Juliette2]

I think Leonor pushes her grandmother away after this one "locks" her tight around the neck to prevent Letizia from pulling her daughter away. Awful behaviour from all the adult women here...Sofia trying to "steal" the limelight, Letizia blocking the photographers, incapable of grace (she could have kept shaking hands just like her husband was doing!) and then trying to pull her daughter away and clearly not being able to let go instead of making a scene once she saw that her mother-in-law wasn't backing out!! Finally, Marie-Chantal getting involved makes all three of them look like low level fishwives (with all due respect for fishwives!). I guess things are so clearly bad between Sofia and Letizia that she couldn't wait for a faux pas to express how that side of the family feels! Oh well....they're just like us...!

[Rudolph]

Grandmothers usually mean well but it’s the parents who have the last word. It’s unfortunate this played out publicly but I think Sophia should have asked Letizia if a picture could be taken.

I give props for Leonor pushing her grandmothers arm away. At one point it was around her neck.

[Juliette2]

Originally Posted by Kronprinz

King Felipe and King Juan Carlos are completley caught off guard by the whole scene.

No wonder!! I guess they thought their wives were able to behave better in public.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by wyevale

A MILLION times THIS.. M-C Miller [dreadfully spoilt scion of a Billionaire] cares NOTHING for the extremely delicate position of the [ACTUALLY REIGNING] side of the family she married into, and should keep her trap SHUT, [at least in public] !

Originally Posted by princess gertrude

I agree with you Muhler about Leonor and Sofia. I think that the most astonishing thing is Marie Chantal's post. What on Earth would possess her to make a remark like that. Wow!

I could not agree more with you both. No matter what the circumstances, who is M-C to comment publicly? No doubt Sofia and Letizia will move on, after all they are close family, but M-C has certainly blotted her copy. Mary and Maxima, amongst others, will probably be wary of having her around lest she decide to opine in the public domain!

[Muhler]

Well, unless you are very temperamental an episode like this doesn't just pop out of the blue. There has to be some underlying tensions to trigger it.
Otherwise you would normally discuss any disagreement afterwards in private.

Three things springs to mind.
A) The girls are very uncomfortable with being in the public gaze and with posing. There are periods in the life of children where they are very aware of themselves and how they look in the eyes of others.
The perfect "torture" for say a 13 year old boy is if his mother gives him a big hug in front of his friends - worse if it's in front of girls - give him a kiss and call him "sugar-cube". - Even if they actually like getting a hug from time to time - in private...
The same thing applies for girls.
Queen Letizia knowing this may have reacted instinctively and ferociously in order to shield her children from embarrassment.
We can discuss whether that is justified or not. And also whether that would be the right approach.
Queen Sofia may have considered this no be no big deal, and after all the girls have to get used to being in the public glare, and they were safe surrounded by their family. And as such she reacted with anger, and grabbed hold of Leonor's arm.
- So to sum up this may have been a clash about how to bring up children the right way and not least protecting them - and I think all parents have been there.

B) Queen Sofia is genuinely fond of her granddaughters. No doubt proud as well and would like to pose with them and show them off - and the PR ain't bad either...
Perhaps to the extent that it's too much for the girls. So Letizia may have reacted with a: "Will you back off!! Good grief!!"

C) Or it's simply a deep-rooted disagreement in how to expose, prepare, and train the girls to approach the public.
Queen Sofia perhaps believes she is the one who knows what she is talking about, having been in the public glare for all her life actually and raised children of her own in the public light.
While Queen Letizia, with her background in the media, believes she is the one in the know.
So it's basically: "They are my children and I decide how to prepare them!" Versus: "You don't know what you are talking about, you silly... How many years have you been royal anyway?"
- I think you get the drift.

Whatever, King Felipe was sure taken aback and rushed in to intervene.
And the girls, well, no matter how fond they may be of their grandmother, you cannot expect a child at that age to side against her mother.

[camelot23ca]

Originally Posted by ANNIE_S

It's exactly like that, and obviously that's done in purpose. In the first video that initiated the scandal you just watched Letizia walking in front of the group withno context.

Leidi, I have seen mean comments towards Leonor in social media. But it was actually not social media whom I was referring too

When some of us expressed concern about Leonor growing up in an unhealthy media environment, the concern was regarding things beyond her and her family’s control. Comments about her appearance, for example.

In addition to all the other nonsense that went on in that scene from Easter - and, yes, I’ve watched all the videos - Leonor at one point appears to behave with disrespect to her grandmother. That’s not a “first public error” that it’s ok to make, IMO, and I hope her father, who spoke to her at length about her responsibilities toward Spain in his speech not long ago, has now also spoken to her about more basic things like respect for her grandmother.

The fact that Leonor, in addition to Letizia, is getting absolutely brutalized on social media is extremely unfortunate, even more unfortunate is that because of social media the scene and the reaction it provokes in many people will be around forever.

Not a good week for the Spanish Royal Family.

[Kitty1224]

What sucks is this is the most press that the Spanish royal family has had around the world since the abdication and Felipe coronation.

[Juliette2]

Originally Posted by Rudolph

I give props for Leonor pushing her grandmothers arm away. At one point it was around her neck.

That's right, plus Sofia may have pulled her hair inadvertently. I hated that at that age and would have reacted the same way. However, Letizia's involvement is unjustifiable. Even if they had decided to exit in a different manner she should have done things more diplomatically. She's very controlling and from the very beginning she's been assertive almost to a level of rudeness (I still cringe thinking at the moment during the engagement press presentation when she said to Felipe "Let me finish"...).

[lula]

I repeat ... there were no photographers, the photographers were out several meters away ... there was only the photographer from the Royal House, and it is Sofia who comes from behind and calls him so that he takes a picture of her alone with the girls.

The first 20 seconds of this video ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuohvjeVrgk

The press chasing Letizia's mother and sister today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaFxT0Ma2LM