The Royal Family of Spain, Current Events, Part 24 (Sept. 2017 - present)


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The problem is nepotism with private companies. Sofia did not have relationship with this company before her daughter worked for them, now she delivers their prizes and they support her private foundation.

The Royal Family has been participating in the regatta for decades, so there is no direct link (although Elena now navigates when she has not done so for years). There were always criticisms when members of the Royal Family sailed on boats sponsored by companies, and when Juan Carlos wore the logo of La Caixa. Felipe sometimes sailed on a boat from his Olympic friends that was sponsored, but he avoided wearing the logos... and for years he only participates in the ship of the Spanish Navy that is public.
 
lula said:
The problem is nepotism with private companies. Sofia did not have relationship with this company before her daughter worked for them, now she delivers their prizes and they support her private foundation.

The Royal Family has been participating in the regatta for decades, so there is no direct link (although Elena now navigates when she has not done so for years). There were always criticisms when members of the Royal Family sailed on boats sponsored by companies, and when Juan Carlos wore the logo of La Caixa. Felipe sometimes sailed on a boat from his Olympic friends that was sponsored, but he avoided wearing the logos... and for years he only participates in the ship of the Spanish Navy that is public.
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A quick Google shows Felipe on a boat with a prominent MAPFRE logo as recently as 2015. Images from this past year show him presenting prizes and posing in front of a backdrop branded with “MAPFRE” from top to bottom, Felipe, Letizia and the girls posing for photographers right next to a prominent ad for the Copa del Rey/MAPFRE, (and the MAPFRE part of the ads are always at least as prominent as the Copa del Rey parts), and multiple other situations where its clear he’s a part of the publicity campaign for MAPFRE, whether he’s wearing a logo on his shirt or not.

I’d have to check but I’m pretty sure I recall Felipe and/or Letizia participating in events connected to the foundations of private companies multiple times, including La Caixa. Again, it would be hard for the royal family to avoid the many events and charitable causes these huge foundations are involved in.
 
MAPFRE is the sponsor of the regatta, all boats, including the one of the Navy of Spain, carry the name of the brand with the participant number, as for many years they carried the Agua Brava of Puig (a previous sponsor). Obviously there are multiple events sponsored by multiple brands, another thing is to sponsor them directly or the boats in which they compete.

The first problem is that Infanta Elena went to work in that company being an adult and without any previous experience in the sector. After the divorce she needed a large salary and King Juan Carlos placed her there. The second is that she takes her parents to many official and private events sponsored by her company, and she always appears in the photo ... so the impression is not good, she exploits the situation too much.

La Caixa has one of the most important foundations in the country, really for them the royal connection was not so important to promote. Cristina has worked there for many years, and she started in lower positions and later was promoted, a case not comparable to that of Elena, who was directly named director and with a high salary. And unlike Elena, Cristina used to be more discreet in the relationship between La Caixa and the Royal Family, and she stayed more in the background.

The attitude and the use of the royal connection to promote themselves has been different in both cases.
 
Thank you lula for explaining the situation to us. I agree that the SRF promoting MAPFRE with Elena present gives off the wrong impression.
 
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lula said:
MAPFRE is the sponsor of the regatta, all boats, including the one of the Navy of Spain, carry the name of the brand with the participant number, as for many years they carried the Agua Brava of Puig (a previous sponsor). Obviously there are multiple events sponsored by multiple brands, another thing is to sponsor them directly or the boats in which they compete.

The first problem is that Infanta Elena went to work in that company being an adult and without any previous experience in the sector. After the divorce she needed a large salary and King Juan Carlos placed her there. The second is that she takes her parents to many official and private events sponsored by her company, and she always appears in the photo ... so the impression is not good, she exploits the situation too much.

La Caixa has one of the most important foundations in the country, really for them the royal connection was not so important to promote. Cristina has worked there for many years, and she started in lower positions and later was promoted, a case not comparable to that of Elena, who was directly named director and with a high salary. And unlike Elena, Cristina used to be more discreet in the relationship between La Caixa and the Royal Family, and she stayed more in the background.

The attitude and the use of the royal connection to promote themselves has been different in both cases.
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I agree that the situations between the two Infantas are different. Cristina’s education and work history seem to align well with the work she’s doing now, and, from the limited information we get, it seems she has a successful career which is at least partly independent of her royal status.

I would argue, though, that part of Elena and Cristina’s jobs is very much related to who they are. Regardless of formal qualifications, being HRH The Infanta X of Spain opens doors that would remain closed to other people. Both women have also been trained since childhood to act appropriately in various situations with different sorts of people. That’s a valuable skill set in certain kinds of jobs so I wouldn’t say Elena brought nothing to the table for MAPFRE.

I think if you judged Felipe according to the same standards you have for his sisters and his parents it would be obvious there are multiple things about him being the main attraction at such a heavily branded event that might create a poor impression.
 
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King Felipe will celebrate his fifth anniversary honoring 40 exemplary citizens

https://www.lavanguardia.com/politi...cesa-de-asturias-reina-letizia-casa-real.html

Act of imposition of decorations of the Order of Civil Merit
Madrid Royal Palace

Wednesday 19th at 12:00


They will decorate 41 citizens from all over Spain between 19 and 107 years old and considered as an example for civil society.

19 women and 22 men, of different ages and representing all the provinces, who represent a wide representation of the jobs that the Spaniards develop and of the labor or social commitments present in society. All also meet the criteria of merit that requires the award as they stand in areas such as education, the environment, health, volunteering, research, social assistance, culture or integration of immigration.

Among those attending the event will be 6th grade primary students of "Infanta Leonor" school who are the age of Infanta Sofia.

https://www.elconfidencial.com/ulti...-a-ciudadanos-de-entre-19-y-107-anos_2337442/
 
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The girls have grown so well; They are educated, regal, well dressed, well-behaved, ... Leonor is a mini queen. His smile is that of an angel.
Undoubtedly, the most beautiful princesses of royalty.
 
janelarn said:
The girls have grown so well; They are educated, regal, well dressed, well-behaved, ... Leonor is a mini queen. His smile is that of an angel.
Undoubtedly, the most beautiful princesses of royalty.
Click to expand...






I agee that the girls look regal and great, but I still think that, at the ages of 12 and 13 respectively, they are way too young to be taking part in state functions such as a ceremony of the Order of Civil Merit.



I also think it is too much of a burden for Leonor to take such a prominent role as heir, wearing the Golden Fleece in public, when she is still in Middle School.They should wait until she turns 18 at least, but I guess King Felipe is just treating her as he was treated by his parents when he was her age. Is that correct ?
 
Here's another video from today's Order of Civil Merit Ceremony at the Palacio Real.

 
Mbruno said:
I agee that the girls look regal and great, but I still think that, at the ages of 12 and 13 respectively, they are way too young to be taking part in state functions such as a ceremony of the Order of Civil Merit.



I also think it is too much of a burden for Leonor to take such a prominent role as heir, wearing the Golden Fleece in public, when she is still in Middle School.They should wait until she turns 18 at least, but I guess King Felipe is just treating her as he was treated by his parents when he was her age. Is that correct ?
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IMO you can see the weight of expectations on Leonor's shoulders, Sofia is quite a cool customer in comparison.
I think they are missing out on taking Leonor on public events that are fun/age appropriate, eg events at the zoo with her grandma, sports events with her parents, some nature or carefree stuff like the other royal houses do with their kids.
Everything where she's involved is super serious like National Day, reading of the constitution, visiting Covadonga, the upcoming PoA awards ... and it shows.
 
Leonor and Sofia did a wonderful job today and it was a lovely surprise to see them there. It was really nice to see Leonor wearing her Golden Fleece too and I loved the photo of the elderly lady with Sofia.

Duke of Marmalade said:
IMO you can see the weight of expectations on Leonor's shoulders, Sofia is quite a cool customer in comparison.
I think they are missing out on taking Leonor on public events that are fun/age appropriate, eg events at the zoo with her grandma, sports events with her parents, some nature or carefree stuff like the other royal houses do with their kids.
Everything where she's involved is super serious like National Day, reading of the constitution, visiting Covadonga, the upcoming PoA awards ... and it shows.
Click to expand...

Whilst I think Leonor did very well today and she seems to be naturally more reserved in personality; I do agree that the seriousness of the engagements she's being taken to seems to be having an effect on her. Even a visit to a primary/secondary school or indeed a nature reserve/natural playground (like we saw with Oscar of Sweden today, even though he's a lot younger) would make her feel more relaxed and comfortable with her future responsibilities.
 
HereditaryPrincess said:
Leonor and Sofia did a wonderful job today and it was a lovely surprise to see them there. It was really nice to see Leonor wearing her Golden Fleece too and I loved the photo of the elderly lady with Sofia.



Whilst I think Leonor did very well today and she seems to be naturally more reserved in personality; I do agree that the seriousness of the engagements she's being taken to seems to be having an effect on her. Even a visit to a primary/secondary school or indeed a nature reserve/natural playground (like we saw with Oscar of Sweden today, even though he's a lot younger) would make her feel more relaxed and comfortable with her future responsibilities.
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To me Leonor seems to want to get things RIGHT, whether that’s the way she is naturally or whether she feels pressure from outside sources, or maybe a combination of both. She always acts appropriately when she’s present at events - I would say, at nearly 14, appropriate behaviour should be a given - but you can almost see the wheels turning in her head about how to sit, how to smile, how to shake hands, etc. Sofia does seem more natural, and also more openly bored, but no one is focusing as much on Sofia at public events and I’m sure she knows it and is possibly already smart enough to be grateful for it.

I think it’s hard to argue against the girls having been taken to occasional casual events from the time they were small, but that ship has sailed. I do find it odd that all the public events the girls attend now are high profile and quite formal events. Leonor is only 13 and the majority of her working life will be made up of events that are not especially formal or high profile.
So why not start with the training version of those? Surely they could find some children’s library or nature park inauguration to take her to? She could read with some little kids, hold a couple of cute animals, whatever.

On a more superficial note, it was nice to see the two girls again. I liked both of their dresses and thought both were dressed spot on for their ages!
 
I agree with what everyone said here.


Felipe and Letizia never brought Leonor and Sofia to many official events. They were a bit too protected from royal/media life. Once Felipe became King, they started to take Leonor and Sofia with them, but on very formal events. These girls, specially Leonor, don't know how to relax in public. It's not their fault IMO. Felipe and Letizia need to take them on informal events, like the others pointed out, at a museum, opening of a park, inauguration of a children's hospital or rescue animals center, among many others, to teach them that engagements can be fun too and easy to cope with instead of the boring formal events that they can't relax for even one bit.


Well, but, that's the thing Felipe and Letizia are going with. We can only watch and hope the girls, specially, Leonor will be able to have a smooth transition into public roles.
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
IMO you can see the weight of expectations on Leonor's shoulders, Sofia is quite a cool customer in comparison.
I think they are missing out on taking Leonor on public events that are fun/age appropriate, eg events at the zoo with her grandma, sports events with her parents, some nature or carefree stuff like the other royal houses do with their kids.
Everything where she's involved is super serious like National Day, reading of the constitution, visiting Covadonga, the upcoming PoA awards ... and it shows.
Click to expand...

I agreed. Fun stuff since they were little.
 
I agree with most of the comments above.

It's obvious that Felipe & Letizia have made a conscious choice to bring the girls to more public events (other than just the annual easter mass and Mallorca photocall) during the past couple years, and I'm glad to see them more. But the nature of these events are quite serious: Constitution events, parliament events, investitures etc.

Obviously the 'fun stuff when little' ship has long sailed as mentioned above, but I wish they would accompany their parents to some less formal engagements when the occasion rises, like Mary bringing V&J to the zoo opening, or Frederik with C&I at the tennis club.

Of course every child is different and each family has their own issues, I only wish the best for the two girls :flowers:
 
carina_a said:
I agree with most of the comments above.

It's obvious that Felipe & Letizia have made a conscious choice to bring the girls to more public events (other than just the annual easter mass and Mallorca photocall) during the past couple years, and I'm glad to see them more. But the nature of these events are quite serious: Constitution events, parliament events, investitures etc.

Obviously the 'fun stuff when little' ship has long sailed as mentioned above, but I wish they would accompany their parents to some less formal engagements when the occasion rises, like Mary bringing V&J to the zoo opening, or Frederik with C&I at the tennis club.
Click to expand...


They HAD to bring the girls out more, and it always and still feels forced to me, like, we have no choice. I can't recall any public outing of Leonor and Sofia that was carefree or fun. Even those 'private' HOLA shots, like the girls shopping with their mother, seem forced to give the public what they want from time to time. You cannot hide the heiress to the Spanish Throne and present her as an 18 year old girl.
It's really a shame that the girls missed out on a natural and positive approach to the press and public when they were younger, like many other royal kids.
 
They attended the event yesterday because it was the event that commemorated the fifth anniversary of the proclamation of Felipe. They are in school, and if they must lose school to go to an event, their parents choose to be truly important and symbolic events.

Royal children are not normal children, they have some responsibilities in the future for which they should be educated since childhood. In Spain it would not be understood that girls, especially Leonor, were available for "funny" activities, but not for important ones. For example, the presence of Leonor at the Princess of Asturias Awards has been claimed for years, and her parents have decided to wait until she was 14 years old and more mature. And some even think that she should be a soldier of honor as was her father being much younger.

It is not the same to be the grandchildren of a king, to be the direct heir to the Crown. Also in Belgium they have introduced Elizabeth since childhood in very formal events, and her first words in public were in a very serious event.

Maybe in some monarchies use cute children, their games and mischief works ... in Spain no. The press and the people are brutal, the life of Froilán has been marked for life by his pranks as a child, and Leonor paid dearly for what happened in Palma. On the day she turned 18, Victoria has become a constant target of the press. They are children of royalty, who have the facilities that other children do not have ... and people do not expect them to behave like normal children, but to have a perfect public behavior. Probably it is cruel, because they are only children, but the reality is that in Spain errors in public are paid dearly, and the best way to protect them is to show the most neutral image possible.

Felipe fulfilled serious official obligations from a very young age, Juan Carlos was removed from his family to study in Spain, Alfonso XIII was born being king ... and Leonor and Sofia are very young, but they are the daughters of the King ...
 
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Let's be honest, it's a diferent situation in Spain. I like how the transition is unfolding now. Yes, Leonor is still 13 and Sofia is 11 but they have a role to represent. King Felipe, the then Prince of Asturias, was immersed into his role at the same age. I think looking at Leonor, she's really keen in learning.
Comparing the kids to CP Frederick and CP Mary's kids is a bit off or even to CP Haakon's and CP MM. Again it's a different situation in Spain. They have to maintain a different kind of aura to stay gripped in the throne whereas in other countries it's not the case.
The Royal Family of Spain is my favorite, nonetheless. I have to commend Queen Letizia for being a hands-on mom to them. In this changing times and in the politicial landscape of Spain now, Queen Letizia's motherhood is really working.
I hope, they get the credit that they deserve. They are one heck of a hardworking King and Queen. And hoping to see both the Princess and the Infanta at the Princess of Asturias and Girona awards later this year. It will be their first attendance this year.
 
Public appearances by Leonor and Sofia are very rare and do not amount to more than a few per year ,in the past Felipe/Letizia were criticized for sheltering them from the general public.

I think both girls are doing a wonderful job when they do make an odd appearance.
 
It is difficult for us to judge not living in Spain and I agree with Lula that the Spanish monarchy operates in an environment that is different from other European countries and requires a different modus operandi. Still, I don’t recall any example of royal children as young as 12 or 13 attending a ceremony of investiture of other citizens in an order of merit. Even in Belgium, which is the closest to Spain perhaps in terms of challenges to the long-term survival of the monarchy, I don’t think Princess Elisabeth was seen in official public events other than National Day or family events before she was 15. To me, it looks excessive, but then, again, if that is what the Spanish people expect from a Princess of Asturias or an Infanta, then I am fine with it.
 
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The events that the girls have attended have all been important events and a great way to be introduced to their future public roles. Their privacy and childhood are being excellently protected by their parents I find.

It's silly to despair that they are only shown as serious in public. Leonor and Sofia could hardly goof off at as solemn an event as the anniversary event. Their photocalls during summer still show happy and relaxed children.
 
King Felipe chose to celebrate his 5 years on the throne honoring ordinary citizens ... they were not important or famous people, but normal people who have done something good in the fields of education, science, health, conservation of the environment ... among the winners there were several teachers of primary, secondary education... who have developed some interesting project. Among the guests at the event, there was a class of 6th grade students (Sofia's age) of the Infanta Leonor school.

The stage is very solemn, but the event was very normal. Even the presenter is famous for presenting an entertainment television show with interviews with famous people.

Elisabeth of Belgium has opened a hospital and has baptized a boat with her name, and with 13 years old she spoke in public in the different languages of the country in an event in memory of the First World War. In general Leonor and she have a very similar role, although the events may be a little different.

For example, I think that in Norway with Mette Marit ill and Martha Louise little interested in official life ... in the end Ingrid Alexandra will have to acquire responsibilities soon.
 
Yes, I do agree that in Spain the situation is different, and each royal familiy has their own input on how to behave in their own respective country.


But, what the members here spoke of, were more relaxed events to take the girls when Felipe and Letizia were Prince and Princess of Asturias. Letizia has opened or visited several children centers throughout the years, that would be a great oportunity to send Leonor and I doubt that the spanish people would find it bad. But, then again, things are different in Spain. At least, they are bringing the girls to the public more often, either be it too formal or not.


Yes, I think Leonor and Elisabeth are quite similar on that regard. Living in a country with political instability, but having done a few but relevant appearances since 12/13 years old. Ingrid Alexandra is different, to me, it feels that soon she'll have to do the job of a Crown Princess (given her mother's ilness with a few public role). On the other hand, Catharina-Amalia is an heiress that doesn't do much, unlike Leonor or Elisabeth, I think that Catharina-Amalia will find it harder to transition into her role...
 
Princess Leonor has shown a lot of interest in the events where she has been. The Spaniards for a few years showed displeasure that Leonor and Sofia appear little in public and now must be happy they appear more. I think this year Leonor could even make her first speech at the Princess Awards of Asturias. The time has come for Leonor to assume more and more responsibilities. I am sure that from this year everything will be different for Leonor and she will do her job well. It seems that not four years from now she is an adult ...
 
Blog Real said:
Princess Leonor has shown a lot of interest in the events where she has been. The Spaniards for a few years showed displeasure that Leonor and Sofia appear little in public and now must be happy they appear more. I think this year Leonor could even make her first speech at the Princess Awards of Asturias. The time has come for Leonor to assume more and more responsibilities. I am sure that from this year everything will be different for Leonor and she will do her job well. It seems that not four years from now she is an adult ...
Click to expand...

Leonor and Sofia remind me a lot of the Spanish children I see everyday. They seem very mature. The ones on the streets are certainly opinionated and tweens act like adults when with parents and more their age when with peers. I think these girls will be fine!
 
moby said:
Leonor and Sofia remind me a lot of the Spanish children I see everyday. They seem very mature. The ones on the streets are certainly opinionated and tweens act like adults when with parents and more their age when with peers. I think these girls will be fine!
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Yes they look very mature. Leonor is almost 14 years old, is entering adolescence. Sofia is younger but has also shown maturity for her age.
 
kathia_sophia said:
Yes, I do agree that in Spain the situation is different, and each royal familiy has their own input on how to behave in their own respective country.


But, what the members here spoke of, were more relaxed events to take the girls when Felipe and Letizia were Prince and Princess of Asturias. Letizia has opened or visited several children centers throughout the years, that would be a great oportunity to send Leonor and I doubt that the spanish people would find it bad. But, then again, things are different in Spain. At least, they are bringing the girls to the public more often, either be it too formal or not.


Yes, I think Leonor and Elisabeth are quite similar on that regard. Living in a country with political instability, but having done a few but relevant appearances since 12/13 years old. Ingrid Alexandra is different, to me, it feels that soon she'll have to do the job of a Crown Princess (given her mother's ilness with a few public role). On the other hand, Catharina-Amalia is an heiress that doesn't do much, unlike Leonor or Elisabeth, I think that Catharina-Amalia will find it harder to transition into her role...
Click to expand...


I understand the frustration. The kids have only been seen in more formal events but that's how it is in Spain and with more people complaining about their less appearance over the years, I think they have decided that the girls should be immersed in their role. With King Juan Carlos retiring from public duties, it's about time for the girls to learn from scratch and I think this has something to do with also them not being seen for a long time since they will study abroad like their father before.

As to the Duchess of Brabant, before she left for boarding school in Wales, she's always seen joining both formal and less formal events. The other children namely Gabriel (16), Emmanuel (14) and Eleonore (11) were seen at Queen Elisabeth Competition this year.

It's true that the Dutch Royal Family have a different approach too as we don't get to see the kids at formal events. The last time we saw them was at Seville.
 
BlackHat said:
It's silly to despair that they are only shown as serious in public. Leonor and Sofia could hardly goof off at as solemn an event as the anniversary event. Their photocalls during summer still show happy and relaxed children.
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I don't think it's silly to comment about the nature of the engagements Leonor is being asked to attend, since I doubt any of us who would like to see her in a more relaxed environment are suggesting that she "goof off" in solemn events, but more so that she attend events that are better suited for her, such as an opening of a zoo, or a visit to a primary school, etc. Signings of the constitutions and military parades seem to be very solemn for a thirteen year-old, though on the other hand, this seems to be normal for Spanish heirs.

lula said:
They attended the event yesterday because it was the event that commemorated the fifth anniversary of the proclamation of Felipe. They are in school, and if they must lose school to go to an event, their parents choose to be truly important and symbolic events.

Royal children are not normal children, they have some responsibilities in the future for which they should be educated since childhood. In Spain it would not be understood that girls, especially Leonor, were available for "funny" activities, but not for important ones. For example, the presence of Leonor at the Princess of Asturias Awards has been claimed for years, and her parents have decided to wait until she was 14 years old and more mature. And some even think that she should be a soldier of honor as was her father being much younger.

It is not the same to be the grandchildren of a king, to be the direct heir to the Crown. Also in Belgium they have introduced Elizabeth since childhood in very formal events, and her first words in public were in a very serious event.

Maybe in some monarchies use cute children, their games and mischief works ... in Spain no. The press and the people are brutal, the life of Froilán has been marked for life by his pranks as a child, and Leonor paid dearly for what happened in Palma. On the day she turned 18, Victoria has become a constant target of the press. They are children of royalty, who have the facilities that other children do not have ... and people do not expect them to behave like normal children, but to have a perfect public behavior. Probably it is cruel, because they are only children, but the reality is that in Spain errors in public are paid dearly, and the best way to protect them is to show the most neutral image possible.

Felipe fulfilled serious official obligations from a very young age, Juan Carlos was removed from his family to study in Spain, Alfonso XIII was born being king ... and Leonor and Sofia are very young, but they are the daughters of the King ...
Click to expand...

Thank you for responding from a Spanish perspective, lula. The Spanish press does indeed seem to be particularly brutal and young royals aren't exempt from their attacks (remember when Victoria Federica went through a phase where she carried socks with her as a young child and the press criticised her for it?).
The Scandinavian monarchies seem to be some of the more "informal" and laid-back RFs in Europe, and take a different approach when it comes to raising young heirs and heiresses to the throne.
 
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