Relationships between Members of the Spanish Royal Family

[Lady Nimue]

Has anyone ever thought about that the reason for the Queen , Catherine ZJ etc holding the hands of their daughters in public is that the children get scared by the crowds and the press? On the same day as the Palma incident we had little James Severn crying outside St George's Chapel and last year Vincent of Denmark started crying at the photo opp on his first day at school.

Outstanding insight! Thank you, thank you for bringing this up! I have been thinking that Letizia (and Felipe, and Sofia btw) touching and holding hands with the children is a way to keep the girls focused and within the circle of family intimacy in the face of the very non-intimate experience of being in front of the crowds and cameras.

Braving the cameras and crowds can be disorienting for seasoned adults, imagine the experience for youngsters. Note that all royals hold their children's hands and will have their hands on their children one way or another when facing crowds.

There are two very famous royal princes who were 'required' to face crowds very young. One of those princes is now a parent and fiercely protective of his children. The photo-op for the first day of school for his first born child was not in front of a crowd for example, but just one photographer. These choices by someone who has lived exposure to the crowds as a youngster should not go unnoticed.

I don't like it when I see Queen Sofia or Queen Letizia holding hands with both girls, or any celebrity doing it. They are teenagers now, not toddlers, for me it looks ridiculous. Kids can stand for themselves at that age and the only explaination for me is that holding hands with a teenage kid is good PR, like 'look how close I am to my child'.

This I cannot understand as the children are not yours and you have no idea what it is like to face a crowd of cameras (I assume). If a child is pulling away in such a situation (afraid of what others will say because they are holding hands with their parent ) I would say the parent has greater concerns (as would I) for the child. The girls btw are not teenagers (yet).

No one can judge how a parent decides to manage the significant psychological onslaught a child experiences in front of crowds and cameras. The parent must be the judge imo, not the opinion of the public. (I have never been the focus of crowds and cameras but I have been with another who is and I can vouch for the exceedingly disorienting experience: thank the heavens for the 'handlers' because it's hard to stay 'on task', at least for me).

 

[loonytick]

There are two very famous royal princes who were 'required' to face crowds very young. One of those princes is now a parent and fiercely protective of his children. The photo-op for the first day of school was not in front of a crowd for example, and just one photographer. These choices by someone who has lived exposure to the crowds as a youngster should not go unnoticed.

And didn't Felipe balk in his youth at Sofia forcing him into posing for the cameras more than he liked? Perhaps his reaction to his mother's lack of protection for him at that age has influenced his and Letizia's decisions to more closely protect their own daughters. And perhaps the reason Sofia doesn't see the girls isn't so much because of Letizia but because of the kind of mother she was to Felipe.

It's so easy to always blame the one who comes in from the outside of a family, but often it's the spouse who has the family/experiential history whose opinions truly drive a desire to forge a different parenting path.

 

[wyevale]

I repeat...
Existing in a 'fish-bowl' as they do [amongst SO fiercely critical a public,with so vicious a press], is it any wonder the Kings feel the need to re-assure their children during their public appearances ?
I am not a parent, but I am an Uncle, and I was always hyper-vigilant when with my young nieces in big crowds. To me it is completely understandable, that Queen Letizia [especially] who has been the subject of so much HATE, should be paranoid and deeply worried for her children...

Her instincts MUST be to want to 'protect', even if the harsh reality is that she cannot... and that [in the long run], she has to learn to 'let go, and trust' her daughters to the 'tender mercies' of the Spanish public'..

 

[Kitty1224]

I get it they need to have a bit of privacy time but can’t they all just be like QEII? I admire her deeply because she understands her role and her duty and doesn’t complain about privacy and the media ect... she gets on with it esp as she lives in luxury and privileges above high class society!

 

[An Ard Ri]

Queen Sofia is not short of money she could buy a nice villa on the island and live there quite comfortably with her sister Princess Irene .

That way the queen mother doesn't need to reside at the Marivent and gets her Mediterranean air she loves so deeply.

 

[leidi]

Queen Sofia is not short of money she could buy a nice villa on the island and live there quite comfortably with her sister Princess Irene .

That way the queen mother doesn't need to reside at the Marivent and gets her Mediterranean air she loves so deeply.

I could definitely roll with this and we'll get rid of the pesky "we pay for this with our taxes" situation.

Plus we'll all get to enjoy the Marivent complex and it's history and view

 

[M. Payton]

Loonytick: Thank you for a voice of reason here, I applaud Felipe and Letizia for the way they protect their children and if some in the family do not see the grandchildren when they *want* maybe it is because the girls are busy at that time with other things in their schedules? And how do we really know *for sure* that Sofia does not see the girls when she wants? Does a picture have to be taken all the time to prove that she see them, is it always a photo op to be had to prove what?????

We here see and read all the time how other royal families protect their children from being out and about in the public eye, in this day and age of terrorism and anger is it any wonder that they do so? Spain is a hot bed of problems and the country as seen it's share of terrorism, so even in a church no place is totally safe anymore regardless of who is around. Thank goodness that royals have the means to protect their children and don't we all wish the same for all parents and children.

By the way, is Sofia in Greece now, avoiding the problems of Spain? Isn't this one of the times she goes to Greece to be with family after Easter? If wrong please just say so, all royals deserve time off and vacations even Felipe and Letizia.

Even though JC has retired from being in the public eye, maybe someone should inform his wife of that. I like what Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands did when she retired, she took a less title as some one said here and God bless her for she gave her son and his wife full responsibly for the country.....maybe Spain should perhaps look into doing the same for then there would be no questions about who is King or Queen......as I see it now the country has 2 kings and 2 queens who do not get along and that creates problems.

Times change and I in my own opinion think Spain is having growing problems with those changes. JC/Sofia are of the old world with old ideas and attitudes, Felipe and Letizia are of the new world with new ideas and attitudes and that is clashing in the country and the media is not there to do anything except keep the status quo and the old ways of doing things for that gives them power and money.......MONEY with the media is the name of the game as we all know.

 

[An Ard Ri]

I think Sofia is still in Spain she was at the hospital with king Juan Carlos only yesterday

 

[lula]

Sofia was not in the hospital yesterday, she was on Sunday. And it would not be strange that she had traveled to Greece ... it's what she has done for years, be the official holidays in Palma and the week after going to Greece, nobody asked where she was.

The easy option is to attack Queen Letizia. But the journalists closest to Zarzuela for years and some authors of books about Felipe, have said on several occasions that he is very protective of the girls, and that he has never wanted them to have a childhood as exposed as he had.

 

[JR76]

Sofia was not in the hospital yesterday, she was on Sunday. And it would not be strange that she had traveled to Greece ... it's what she has done for years, be the official holidays in Palma and the week after going to Greece, nobody asked where she was.

The easy option is to attack Queen Letizia. But the journalists closest to Zarzuela for years and some authors of books about Felipe, have said on several occasions that he is very protective of the girls, and that he has never wanted them to have a childhood as exposed as he had.

Was Felipe and his sisters that exposed growing up?

 

[leidi]

Was Felipe and his sisters that exposed growing up?

Normal exposure, they were seen often but were left to their own devices most of the time, I was born in 1969 so I have a pretty good recollection of those times since I basically grew up with Felipe

They were not paraded like monkeys or anything of the sort, just enough to keep the public happy and for them to learn the ropes of their trade without being pushed, touched or having their hands held by their parents at all times, that's why they grew up to be quite confident people, gave them a lot of security in their public outings.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Plus his parents were away quite a bit on outgoing State Visits/Trips from 1975 onwards,none of know for certain how Felipe felt but he was the male heir and thus groomed for kingship.

It was a very different world ,social media was unheard of and as we know all too well of late with the Easter Sunday Mass video that went viral and caused such a worldwide fuss.

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

Has anyone ever thought about that the reason for the Queen , Catherine ZJ etc holding the hands of their daughters in public is that the children get scared by the crowds and the press? On the same day as the Palma incident we had little James Severn crying outside St George's Chapel and last year Vincent of Denmark started crying at the photo opp on his first day at school.

That's an excellent point and what with the multitude of different viewpoints going on for more than a week, I hadn't taken this into consideration. Leonor and Sofia aren't seen as much as some of the other royal children and large events with flashing cameras are daunting for anyone, so for a 12 and 10 year old girl they are doing incredibly well at coping with them. (I recall occasions when their cousin Juan Frolian was not so graceful and has made gestures at the press before.)

 

[Winnie]

AN ARD RI, you are so right. If social media was around in the days of my John F Kennedy, the media would have been jumping around with glee printing new made-up or true but elaborated stories daily. After reading some of Jackie's private Journals that Caroline permitted released after Teddy died, royal families everywhere would look quite dull.

 

[Kitty1224]

Being a royal is for life and 24/7 but I do agree they need to recharge and have privacy but also remember they are privileged and live in luxury so suck it up and do your role well.

 

[An Ard Ri]

AN ARD RI, you are so right. If social media was around in the days of my John F Kennedy, the media would have been jumping around with glee printing new made-up or true but elaborated stories daily. After reading some of Jackie's private Journals that Caroline permitted released after Teddy died, royal families everywhere would look quite dull.

Or the accidental shooting of King Juan Carlos's younger brother Infante Alfonso .

 

[Osipi]

I get it they need to have a bit of privacy time but can’t they all just be like QEII? I admire her deeply because she understands her role and her duty and doesn’t complain about privacy and the media ect... she gets on with it esp as she lives in luxury and privileges above high class society!

This, I think, is the worst imaginable thing to wish on anyone. It would go over as well as someone telling me I should be exactly like Zsa Zsa Gabor. Each person is unique unto themselves and should be allowed to live and express themselves as unique individuals and not to "be exactly like" anyone else.

QEII is an excellent role model as a monarch but to wish all monarchs to be exactly like her is an impossible request.

 

[leidi]

AN ARD RI, you are so right. If social media was around in the days of my John F Kennedy, the media would have been jumping around with glee printing new made-up or true but elaborated stories daily. After reading some of Jackie's private Journals that Caroline permitted released after Teddy died, royal families everywhere would look quite dull.

I think they need to learn how to deal with that, it's going to be a part of their lives whether they want it or not and it's better to have a "friendly" press, giving them some scoop, bits and pieces than to be very closed off and don't allow them to have anything thus making the paps/journos crazy and starved for anything they can get their hands on.

It's a delicate balance but it's a sink or swim situation, in this day and this era, if you're anywhere near famous, that's the cross you have to bear.

How you bear it, that's the big question and the Zarzuela PR department has been a complete disaster.

 

[Osipi]

I have to admit that I prefer the "never complain, never explain" attitude towards the press that the British have. They learned their lesson big time with everything that's happened in the 90s. I think the Spanish royal family would be better off ignoring the tabloid press and just get on with what they do.

Give the press a inch and they'll they'll want miles and miles.

 

[M. Payton]

That is just what JC and Sofia did all those years, gave the media miles and the media demanded more and wanted the entire package, now Felipe and Letizia are paying the price with the changes that they want to make. The media would never treat Felipe the way they do his wife, Letizia has become the escape goat of the media and the Spanish people. Felipe should somehow put a stop to the slander by the media, how I do not know, for in the end it will destroy his reign and carry onto Lenore's reign.......is this I ask how the people want their king to seen, if so, then what is the use of having a king for the people. Better to go republic and let the politicians have at it....

 

[Kitty1224]

This, I think, is the worst imaginable thing to wish on anyone. It would go over as well as someone telling me I should be exactly like Zsa Zsa Gabor. Each person is unique unto themselves and should be allowed to live and express themselves as unique individuals and not to "be exactly like" anyone else.

QEII is an excellent role model as a monarch but to wish all monarchs to be exactly like her is an impossible request.

people are struggling in this world and these royals who complain should probably humble themselves and know others have no food, water, ect.... They should be grateful and be the best royals they can be and help others.

 

[LadyFinn]

Plus his parents were away quite a bit on outgoing State Visits/Trips from 1975 onwards,none of know for certain how Felipe felt but he was the male heir and thus groomed for kingship.

It was a very different world ,social media was unheard of and as we know all too well of late with the Easter Sunday Mass video that went viral and caused such a worldwide fuss.

That's right. When Felipe and his sisters were children, the photos were published at newspapers and magazines, many times some days later. Now when a photo of a royal child is published by the court or taken at some event, an hour after that thousands of copies of that photo are at the websites and social media. The photos are modified and photoshopped. If a video is taken at some event, hundreds of gifs are at the social media for instance of a royal child yawning or "looking funny". How would it feel if it would be your child at the gifs?
Internet and social media have made this very sad development possible. And I have often thought that the royal parents are thinking about that and feel bad about that, but can not do anything to that. So I can very well understand that the royal parents are protective.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Queen Sofia is not short of money she could buy a nice villa on the island and live there quite comfortably with her sister Princess Irene .

That way the queen mother doesn't need to reside at the Marivent and gets her Mediterranean air she loves so deeply.

How do you know the Queen is not short of money?

Plus: why buy a villa when you are already 80 years old when you are provided one for free?

I have to admit that I prefer the "never complain, never explain" attitude towards the press that the British have. [...]

What do you mean with "never complain, never explain"? Both Prince William and Prince Harry have laid formal compaints down. The last one even not so long ago, about the ambush his (then) girlfriend Ms Markle was in.

Read this official communication: https://www.royal.uk/statement-communications-secretary-prince-harry

So your assumed "never complain, never explain" attitude by the British is just a myth.

That is just what JC and Sofia did all those years, gave the media miles and the media demanded more and wanted the entire package, [...]

Before 1975 the throne was vacant and it was not all that sure that the dictator, General Franco, would be succeeded by a King indeed. Don Juan Carlos de Borbón and Doña Sofía de Grecia were just "pretenders". Of course the closest to Franco, but essentially between 1962 and 1975 the couple and their three children were a non-reigning royal family, exactly like the Greeks now, or the Orléans.

It was in their very best interest to cooperate as much as possible with the media. So in the prensa de corazón (the lighter media), the one after the other report about the glamorous couple and their three lovely children appeared. The Spaniards needed to know the Borbóns. It was needed ánd it was a total different era anyway.

 

[leidi]

https://www.elespanol.com/corazon/c...leonor-montaje-letizia-sofia/297970811_0.html

"Casa Real prepares an offensive to redeem Leonor's image after the Letizia-Sofía farce"

The article says that everyone noticed how fake the Letizia-Sofía "opening the car door" thing was and that the Zarzuela PR team will now focus on the Sofía-Leonor relationship, to portray it as idyllic as possible and that they are desperately trying to stop the speculations that surround the Royal Family after the Palma Cathedral incident.

I really don't believe Leonor was at fault here for ANYTHING but she's the one that could actually turn the tide in their favor and they are finally seeing it, she got caught in a bad situation caused by the adults in her life but she's the one that will end up cleaning their image

Also, Froilán having heated words with some communists in the AVE train is not helping matters either

 

[Kitty1224]

https://www.elespanol.com/corazon/c...leonor-montaje-letizia-sofia/297970811_0.html

"Casa Real prepares an offensive to redeem Leonor's image after the Letizia-Sofía farce"

The article says that everyone noticed how fake the Letizia-Sofía "opening the car door" thing was and that the Zarzuela PR team will now focus on the Sofía-Leonor relationship, to portray it as idyllic as possible and that they are desperately trying to stop the speculations that surround the Royal Family after the Palma Cathedral incident.

I really don't believe Leonor was at fault here for ANYTHING but she's the one that could actually turn the tide in their favor and they are finally seeing it, she got caught in a bad situation caused by the adults in her life but she's the one that will end up cleaning their image

Also, Froilán having heated words with some communists in the AVE train is not helping matters either

Hopefully it works.

 

[lula]

That news is from last Sunday, before Sofia got her picture with the two girls... I do not think that from now on they have any different plans for the girl, than they had before.

Froilán is always involved in this type of mess ... on the one hand, it is his own personality, on the other, the portrait that the press has always made of him, and which makes him an easy target for attacks and so it has been since childhood.

 

[leidi]

That news is from last Sunday, before Sofia got her picture with the two girls... I do not think that from now on they have any different plans for the girl, than they had before.

Froilán is always involved in this type of mess ... on the one hand, it is his own personality, on the other, the portrait that the press has always made of him, and which makes him an easy target for attacks and so it has been since childhood.

I think Froilán heard something bad about his grandma and reacted, he has never been a controlled kind of person, so it went sour quickly, I am actually surprised it didn't get physical, the communists would have LOVED to have that ammo on him

 

[tdarlene]

I think Froilán heard something bad about his grandma and reacted, he has never been a controlled kind of person, so it went sour quickly, I am actually surprised it didn't get physical, the communists would have LOVED to have that ammo on him

I agree with you, the communist were bad mouthing his family, and he reacted and by the communist reaction they were wainting for somothing much more serious to happens to amno, I think it is well known their love for royal families and or monarchies.

 

[leidi]

I agree with you, the communist were bad mouthing his family, and he reacted and by the communist reaction they were wainting for somothing much more serious to happens to amno, I think it is well known their love for royal families and or monarchies.

I don't think it was a "coincidence" that they started talking about that just when Froilán was there ?

Today a BNG (Galician Nationalist Party) MP tore a picture of Felipe in the Galician Parliament (said he would burn it if it wasn't a closed space)

 

[Winnie]

I have to admit that I prefer the "never complain, never explain" attitude towards the press that the British have. They learned their lesson big time with everything that's happened in the 90s. I think the Spanish royal family would be better off ignoring the tabloid press and just get on with what they do.

Give the press a inch and they'll they'll want miles and miles.

Yes, I agree otherwise the scrounge press/reporters will be running the minds of the world instead of proper investigated articles on facts.