Education and Preparation of the Next Royal Generation


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Leonor doesn't make speeches only. She also gives awards and engages with the winners (as seen last year during the ceremony of Felipe's 5th anniversary as a monarch).


Moreover, the visits to exemplary villages such as Asiegu and Somao, shows Leonor engaging with the people. This summer at Mallorca, Leonor and Sofia participated in two acts, one of them with young people. They are seen interacting with the teenagers at the event. So, not that very different from what Amalia does at King's day (which by the way, it's the only time in a whole year, on which she engages with the dutch people, since Lech and the Summer photosession are just for photos).


Don't get me wrong. I love Amalia and the sisters. I've been following them for a long long time. We are just discussing the appearances of the young heirs in an official manner, which to me, shows that Amalia lacks in that department. I do respect WA and Maxima's choice to let their girls focus on school only. But I do believe Amalia will get a harder time, or maybe a longer time, in learning the official aspects required for her role as crown princess.


It's the same as learning a language. If you learn it as child, you will learn it faster. But, if you learn it as an adult, it's possible but it will take a longer time to perfect it. This is what I mean. And I don't doubt that Amalia will be a great Queen too, but her education as crown princess with be harder for her than it is/has been for Elisabeth and Leonor.
 
I don't think Amalia's preparation is perfect. The part I like about her preparation is that she is allowed to fully explore who she is and make mistakes in the process. The expectation for some heirs, and especially Leonor, seems to be that they are perfect. I don't think that is a healthy approach.

That's why I said they were on the opposite ends of the spectrum: I think that Leonor would benefit from an approach in which she can more freely express herself and learn who she truly is (although I also understand the more precarious situation in Spain which might make that a little harder) while I agree that it wouldn't hurt if Amalia started to do some more royal engagements - although I haven't seen any issues in that respect with the limited engagements that we've seen her participate in. From very early on, she has shown to be confident in her own skin and professional/diplomatic in her approach. Her private visit to Parliament also shows that she is fully aware of her position and is preparing herself, although less so with public engagements (and no public speeches).
 
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This thread has been re-opened. Please keep in mind that we are talking about minors.

Those who can not keep their demons under control and feel the need to insult and attack children will see their account suspended.
 
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Oh those videos. So lovely! Thank you for sharing. In fact, I watched those footages when they came out, but watching them together feels quite different.


The voices of our young royals. Leonor has a huskey voice, very breathy (and very different from Sofia's voice). Elisabeth has that serene, calm and soothing voice that makes me feel at peace. Ingrid Alexandra has a strong voice, and she seems to speak quite fast (maybe it was the nerves?). Amalia has that young woman voice, very romantic. Estelle has a deep voice like her mother's voice, she is so young and she has already such a mature voice.


I bet Christian's voice is not the same now, since he grew so much in the last year.
 
Is it just me, or does Amalia speak (Dutch) with what almost sounds like an American accent? ?

I don't know enough to say if the time/class/accent gap between her and her grandmother is equivalent to the one between Queen Elizabeth and William, or why it would take that particular tone. I suppose it would be partly solved by hearing her speak English, but that's yet to happen.
 
Leonor's preparation IS NOT reading speeches. The preparation of Leonor is aimed at what will be her role: the public function in all its facets.
Her father told Leanor when he imposed the Golden Fleece on her: "Because your actions -all- should be guided by the greatest sense of dignity and exemplarity, by honesty and integrity, by the capacity for renunciation and sacrifice, by the permanent spirit of improvement, and for your dedication without reservation to your country and your people ". "You must respect others, their ideas and beliefs; and you will love culture, arts and sciences, because they give us the best human dimension to be better and help our society progress."
Her presence at important events since she was very young is part of her training in the public function that will correspond to her. Knowing what protocol, sacrifice, and standing in dignity mean when necessary. Her childhood plot or private, take place off-camera. I think it will definitely be the best prepared, although that will tell the future. Spain is always demanding with its monarchs and Leonor will meet our expectations. I am convinced.
I sincerely hope that she doesn't crumble under the enormous pressure she is put under.

It is very logical to think that Elizabeth from Belgium is better prepared right now. He is four years older than Leonor. Leonor is 14 and Elizabeth 19. Leonor is a girl and Elizabeth is a woman.
The closest comparison would be Elizabeth with Amalia. And honestly, Amalia has not done any preparation except controlled poses and highly retouched photos distributed by her parents.
Elisabeth seems to be prepared very well indeed. Just like Spain the monarchy is more at risk than in some other countries, so it is a great asset to have someone like Elisabeth.

However, you seem to be unaware of King's day and Amalia's participation in it. Both she and Alexia did a great job even during the pandemic interacting with the public via video calls (although Máxima had a hard time not interrupting her second daughter).

Christian is just a child that we usually see a lot but it is not that he has a serious side or of political preparation, but it seems that the Danes do not care about that, which makes me quite sad. Their crown prince barely has any acts, he lives on permanent vacations and that yes, posing for photos is great. That would be a horror for Spain, but apparently it works in Denmark. He's just not well prepared, neither his parents nor Christian, but apparently it doesn't matter. Ingrid is in a middle way.
Again, this is a very uncharitable look into the Danish royal family (the evidence doesn't point to the family being on vacation permanently): Frederick regularly is appointed regent and has his official agenda as crownprince as well. Christian has been going on official trips with his family for many years now and started accompanying his father to several engagements in the last 2 years. He also studied abroad earlier this year for a few months. He seems a very caring older brother to his siblings; so I'd say his parents are doing a great job (as well as Christian himself!). He is growing into a well rounded young man.

From my personal opinion, what you reveal is irrelevant. You only have a childhood, adolescence and youth to learn. It is in those moments of life when you have to assume roles that will serve you for a lifetime. If any of them is not heir or heir until they are 50 years old, will they start training at that age? I do not think so.
I would sincerely hope that the royals don't stop learning when they are adults; that would be the worst of all. And don't worry: all heirs are being prepared from early on; the emphasis is just on different aspects of the role - depending on their parents own experiences and preferences and the country they are to be the sovereign of.
 
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Is it just me, or does Amalia speak (Dutch) with what almost sounds like an American accent? ?

I don't know enough to say if the time/class/accent gap between her and her grandmother is equivalent to the one between Queen Elizabeth and William, or why it would take that particular tone. I suppose it would be partly solved by hearing her speak English, but that's yet to happen.

I wouldn't say that she has an American accent; she has somewhat of a posh accent (but different than her grandmother's generation) with a pretty strong 'r'.

Interestingly, in this video the king exactly describes his philosophy in raising a heir: you first need to learn who you yourself are before you can serve the public good.
 
I wouldn't say that she has an American accent; she has somewhat of a posh accent (but different than her grandmother's generation) with a pretty strong 'r'.

Interestingly, in this video the king exactly describes his philosophy in raising a heir: you first need to learn who you yourself are before you can serve the public good.

The rhotic accent might be exactly why she does sound "American"; that's one of the major distinguishing features from British English.
 
Just to be correct: Elisabeth’s name is with an s, not with a z.
I also saw her name written with an accent on the E which is also incorrect. Never an accent on a capital letter.
 
From my personal opinion, what you reveal is irrelevant. You only have a childhood, adolescence and youth to learn. It is in those moments of life when you have to assume roles that will serve you for a lifetime. If any of them is not heir or heir until they are 50 years old, will they start training at that age? I do not think so.

What I was trying to say and should have explained better is that these 3 in particular are the direct heirs their training IMO is of greater importance. As for instance they could find themselves the Monarch a lot quicker than planned.

The other child future heirs (Christian, Ingrid, Estelle, George etc) can learn from their parents and grandparents and the experience might be different and more relaxed
 
I tend to be skeptical of royal families who claim that they want their children, especially heirs, to have "normal teenage lives". The truth is, however, that a future king/queen is not "normal" and never will be. Whereas it is positive that royal heirs now go to "normal" schools rather than being educated by palace tutors, special preparation is still required for their future role. I am afraid that might be being overlooked in Amalia's and her sisters' case. And since Amalia is only two years away from receiving a hefty annual income from the Dutch taxpayers (unlike Élisabeth for example), I think it is high time she and her parents took her preparation for her future role more seriously.

We don't really know what Amalia is being taught in private. Maybe she could/should be shown to be doing more but I can't blame her parents for not throwing her into a whirl of official speeches and events either.

Whilst she's not "normal" treating her like she's different and special from a young age doesn't necessarily produce a well balanced individual who's well prepared for their role emotionally or someone who knows when NOT to demand to be treated like the cat's bathmat at all possible times and comes across as vain, self important and that the world owes them something ( see various royals). Now is the time for them to experience things a bit without too much "for the good of X" so that they're actual well rounded people who are confident in who they are with friends who know and like them for who they are as people.

If a direct heir becomes monarch when still very young there will be more things to deal with than how many speeches they made, occasions they've hosted, how much constitutional law they know or if they've attended military training yet. Even Princess Elisabeth would certainly struggle. Hell, even former Princess Elizabeth struggled at 25 when she was an adult who had been in training for years but was still shocked by how soon it happened.

It's also possible that on younger heirs putting too much focus on their life long, inescapable position too soon could create burn out on royal duties and massive resentment before they get anywhere near the throne.

On a slightly different note because they're so young and not direct heirs, William has talked about finding out he will be King in an unpleasant way he wasn't prepared for and how that fuelled his determination to make sure he is the one that can talk to George about it and explain things when he's old enough to understand. I doubt we'll see the little Cambridges carry out official engagements/speeches in their teenage years, at least beyond appearances at family events, but they have been more visible lately whilst still seeming very much regular children growing up happily.
 
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We don't really know what Amalia is being taught in private. Maybe she could/should be shown to be doing more but I can't blame her parents for not throwing her into a whirl of official speeches and events either.

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On a slightly different note because they're so young and not direct heirs, William has talked about finding out he will be King in an unpleasant way he wasn't prepared for and how that fuelled his determination to make sure he is the one that can talk to George about it and explain things when he's old enough to understand. I doubt we'll see the little Cambridges carry out official engagements/speeches in their teenage years, at least beyond appearances at family events, but they have been more visible lately whilst still seeming very much regular children growing up happily.

William didn't do much at all till he had finished his education, as I recall...
 
William didn't do much at all till he had finished his education, as I recall...


William is not the heir though. He was only second in line and still is.


In any case, the British Royal Family is no example in my opinion when it comes to the education of their princes, including heirs.
 
I sincerely hope that she doesn't crumble under the enormous pressure she is put under

In Spain, the normal thing is that their monarchs have a serious and strict education (some kings were criticized for not having taken this path to which we are not used, such as Isabel II who was educated to "manipulate", that is, it was very ignorant), whatever the circumstances.
[...]

What I was trying to say and should have explained better is that these 3 in particular are the direct heirs their training IMO is of greater importance. As for instance they could find themselves the Monarch a lot quicker than planned.

The other child future heirs (Christian, Ingrid, Estelle, George etc) can learn from their parents and grandparents and the experience might be different and more relaxed

I am sure that you have explained yourself very well, but perhaps many nuances are lost when translating (I) because it is not my first language.: flores:: flores:: flores:: flores:: flores:
 
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Please note the title change to this thread.

Further to the previous Mod note and being additionally sensitive to the fact that we are discussing young royals, could posters please also apply that concept to the way in which they interact with one another.

Posts attacking other members with aggressive tones have been edited as there is no need for it.
 
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Interesting to see how the gender of monarchs will change after most countries have abolished the male prerogative (except Spain):


GB: from female to male (QEII to Charles/William/George)
DK: from female to male (QM to Frederik/Christian)
NO: from male to female (Harald/Haakon to IA)
SE: from male to female (CG to Victoria/Estelle)
BE: from male to female (Philippe to Elisabeth)
NL: from male to female (WA to Amalia)
ES: from male to female (Felipe to Leonor)

Soon in the majority, I hope the future female monarchs will have a close network to help and support each other, because the burden will be a lot heavier, they will not only be monarchs but have to find suitable husbands and become mothers, it might be an easier task for a female consort who does not have the top job herself.
 
Interesting to see how the gender of monarchs will change after most countries have abolished the male prerogative (except Spain):

That is not the case, unfortunately. Most countries outside of Europe permit only male monarchs, and those which allow female monarchs give preference to males.

Europe is the exception and not the rule.


Soon in the majority, I hope the future female monarchs will have a close network to help and support each other, because the burden will be a lot heavier, they will not only be monarchs but have to find suitable husbands and become mothers, it might be an easier task for a female consort who does not have the top job herself.

Even in Europe, female monarchs will not be in the majority in the foreseeable future. There are no future female monarchs in five of the ten hereditary European monarchies (Great Britain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Liechtenstein). Note that Monaco practices male-preference and Liechtenstein practices male-only succession.
 
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That is not the case, unfortunately. Most countries outside of Europe permit only male monarchs, and those which allow female monarchs give preference to males.

Europe is the exception and not the rule.




Even in Europe, female monarchs will not be in the majority in the foreseeable future. There are no future female monarchs in five of the ten hereditary European monarchies (Great Britain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Liechtenstein). Note that Monaco practices male-preference and Liechtenstein practices male-only succession.


I was only referring to the seven kingdoms mentioned in this thread earlier but thanks for pointing out that world wide there is still a lot of male preference.

And yes, we can add Monaco. Jacques is only a small boy but Albert 62 already, it's likely that he will become a young regent, earlier than some of his European counterparts.
 
I was only referring to the seven kingdoms mentioned in this thread earlier but thanks for pointing out that world wide there is still a lot of male preference.

Thank you for the clarification. :flowers: I was using the changed title of the thread (which removed the reference to the seven kingdoms) as a basis.

You made a good point that, even in the few countries which have eliminated male preference from the succession to the throne, male preference persists in their monarchies, not only in terms of unofficial expectations such as your examples of female monarchs being expected to have higher standards for "suitable" spouses and bearing the burden of childcare, but even in official protocol such as titles, family names, orders of precedence, decorations and uniforms.
 
Interesting to see how the gender of monarchs will change after most countries have abolished the male prerogative (except Spain):


GB: from female to male (QEII to Charles/William/George)
DK: from female to male (QM to Frederik/Christian)
NO: from male to female (Harald/Haakon to IA)
SE: from male to female (CG to Victoria/Estelle)
BE: from male to female (Philippe to Elisabeth)
NL: from male to female (WA to Amalia)
ES: from male to female (Felipe to Leonor)

Soon in the majority, I hope the future female monarchs will have a close network to help and support each other, because the burden will be a lot heavier, they will not only be monarchs but have to find suitable husbands and become mothers, it might be an easier task for a female consort who does not have the top job herself.
In the Netherlands Willem-Alexander has been the exception: he is the one male monarch in a line of 5; the three prior and the one after him are all female. So far, the change of succession law in practice has not made any difference.
 
In the Netherlands Willem-Alexander has been the exception: he is the one male monarch in a line of 5; the three prior and the one after him are all female. So far, the change of succession law in practice has not made any difference.


It would be very funny indeed if later in life Amalia had three boys ;)
 
Are there any Constitutional Monarchies other than Japan and Lesotho outside of Europe? Can't think of any.
 
It would be very funny indeed if later in life Amalia had three boys ;)

Either only boys or only girls...

The last time a royal couple in the Netherlands had both sons and daughters was king Willem II - with their youngest (the only daughter) being born in 1824; so in a few years it will have been 200 years...

Willem I & Wilhelmina: 3 sons (2 surviving) & 2 daughters (youngest 2)
Willem II & Anna: 4 sons & 1 daughter (youngest)
Willem III & Sophie: 3 sons
Willem III & Emma: 1 daughter
Wilhelmina & Hendrik: 1 daughter
Juliana & Bernhard: 4 daughters
Beatrix & Claus: 3 sons
Willem-Alexander & Máxima: 3 daughters
 
Haha ok, but they don't have their own royal houses and have to abide by the British constitution.

No separate monarchy, yes.
Have to abide by the British constitution, no. In fact, very much have own separate constitutions.
But only the former matters for the purposes of this question.
 
Haha ok, but they don't have their own royal houses and have to abide by the British constitution.


Each of them has its own constitution. Australia and Canada for example are federal states, whereas the UK is unitary. Canada also has a constitutionally entrenched Charter of Rights and Freedoms , which the UK obviously lacks.

There are, however, other constitutional monarchies outside Europe whose monarch is not QEII, for example Japan and Malaysia.
 
Isn't King Mohammed of Morocco a constitutional monarch? I know he has some power, for example, electing the prime minister, but he is not absolute monarch like Sultan Hassanal of Brunei.


Moreover, I read somewhere that Thailand also allows female succession, but in case there is no male heir. So they practice male preference.


Isn't Bhutan a constitutional monarchy too? King Jigme Khesar became King under a new constitution, which I believe made the country more open to the world (and the King lost some power too with that constituition). Sorry if I'm writing this wrong, I never read deeply about the new constitution of Bhutan (was it in 2008?).
 
:previous:
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, but the King has more power than other monarchs in constitutional monarchies.
Bhutan and Thailand are also constitutional monarchies.
 
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