- Joined
- Jun 30, 2009
- Messages
- 43,530
- City
- An Iarmhí
- Country
- Ireland
Hasn't King Juan Carlos a villa in Lanzarote,perfect place for retirement!
Hasn't King Juan Carlos a villa in Lanzarote,perfect place for retirement!
"La Mareta" is property of the National Heritage, no private property of the king.
It was private property at one stage wasn't it and the King handed it over to the National Heritage?
I don't know much about this lovely aunt,is she an attention seeker like the cousin who wrote that awful book?
I can easily believe that Sofia was only informed about JC stepping down, not involved in the decision.
I am curious on how the couple JC and Sofia move forward. Will JC remain behind the scenes or will he keep out, spending a lot of time abroad, possibly with Corinna???
Sofia has good chances to keep her standing as Queen, albeit 'senior queen' but still, the respect is hers, Letizia will still not dare stepping on her toes, Felipe is a mama's boy, he won't do anything that upsets or downgrades his mother, she'll be keeping all her perks if she wants to. F&L need an additional hard worker to cover events, that would be Sofia.
I wonder if she keeps her secretary and staff since I believe she has moved quite independently within Zarzuela without JC controlling her every step.
Probably a disappointed aunt who thought that having the (future) Queen of Spain as family was a guarantee for wealth and privileges and found very little of that.
For an example, I can imagine that Máxima has helped her siblings and her parents. Not only her formidable finances but also her network will undoubtedly open doors for them. Máxima did the same for her best friends. She introduced them to the high society and some of them are even married into Dutch aristocracy. In Letizia's case her family and friends seem to have no any gain or profit like in Máxima's case. Just my personal guess.
Good choice of Letizia!!! If she had done favors for her family and friends, she will be caught up in the scandals surrounding the king and her sister-in-law! Not saying that she would do something illegal...but in the present climate, it would look bad if her family and friends had become wealthy based on their connections to her!!Probably a disappointed aunt who thought that having the (future) Queen of Spain as family was a guarantee for wealth and privileges and found very little of that.
For an example, I can imagine that Máxima has helped her siblings and her parents. Not only her formidable finances but also her network will undoubtedly open doors for them. Máxima did the same for her best friends. She introduced them to the high society and some of them are even married into Dutch aristocracy. In Letizia's case her family and friends seem to have no any gain or profit like in Máxima's case. Just my personal guess.
I am so glad that Felipe stood his ground. His family happiness and stability has contributed to him being elevated to King today!Don Felipe stood under intense pressure of the King, the royal family, the establishment and the aristocracy to marry within his standing. Yet he came up with a TV-presenter and made her the future Queen of Spain, withstanding all storms and disapproval which came over him and his choice. The Prince has the ability to remain absolutely stonefaced and stoïc when he is whistled and booed by the public. The Prince has the quality to endure the most stupid and sometimes even insulting questions from media and public with sphinx-like answers. Don Felipe is much stronger than your portraying as "mana's boy" seems to hint. If it is neccessary for his postion, or the position of his spouse, or in the interest of the dynasty, to displease mama, he will do so.
I am so glad that Felipe stood his ground. His family happiness and stability has contributed to him being elevated to King today!
And let's face it...his father married a royal princess....looked how that turned out! l
The Prince has the ability to remain absolutely stonefaced and stoïc when he is whistled and booed by the public. The Prince has the quality to endure the most stupid and sometimes even insulting questions from media and public with sphinx-like answers.
I am so glad that Felipe stood his ground. His family happiness and stability has contributed to him being elevated to King today!
And let's face it...his father married a royal princess....looked how that turned out! l
I have a question, and I have wondered if King JC abdicated and proclaimed his son King, had a date set for the turnover, would that have prevented any of the most recent problems with the Spanish public? I asked this out of my own ignorance, as I have no idea what the laws of succession are in Spain. I know that Franco opened the door for JC
The King's ill-judged decision to go on safari with Ms Corinna Larsen formerly Princess zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and even to shoot a majestic animal as an elephant would have outraged the Spaniards, no matter there was an abdication set. The Spaniards, faced with the worst economic recession imagineable, had every right to be furious on their King, the more because Don Juan Carlos publically stated that "he could not sleep a minute" because of the worries his fellow citizens have to endure. The contrast between his words and deeds could not have been bigger. This would have been a fierce riot in any monarchy. Remember that before the economic downfall, the King was on the top of his approval, heading Spain's remarkable transition and following unbelievable economic boom.
Probably a disappointed aunt who thought that having the (future) Queen of Spain as family was a guarantee for wealth and privileges and found very little of that.
For an example, I can imagine that Máxima has helped her siblings and her parents. Not only her formidable finances but also her network will undoubtedly open doors for them. Máxima did the same for her best friends. She introduced them to the high society and some of them are even married into Dutch aristocracy. In Letizia's case her family and friends seem to have no any gain or profit like in Máxima's case. Just my personal guess.
I am aware of all that, but I am just speaking of the succession. Could he have said, I shall abdicate on...and proclaim my son Filipe my successor, long live King Filipe?
That sounds like the DM taking a chance to attack Charles to me.
Can you tell us the names of Maxima's friends who married into the Dutch aristocracy?
I have a real hard time believing this story on many fronts. It just doesn't seem to be the King's style or his personal mode. Sounds nice but I still believe health problems and scandals played the big part in him stepping down. Spain would be smart if they waited 2 or 3 years [after viewing the performance of Felipe as their King] and then have a proper legal referendum on the saving of the monarchy. The transition would then be so much smoother for the Spanish people. A general election of candidates would give the Spanish people the right to vote and not just have someone step into the leader of a country. The present advisers would then be let-go entirely. A clean sweep. I really don't see that happening as I truly believe Felipe will do a good and proper job. I also see Queen Sofia coming into her own as a trusted helper to Felipe and his family. I can actually see her becoming extremely important to the Spanish way of life. JMHO
No, you missed my point or I express it incorrectly. I meant that if the monarchy was voted out, then a proper running of many politicians would be placed for a vote. We all know Kings and Queens are not voted in, but politicians certainly are if the monarchy no longer exists.You don't vote on your head of state in a monarchy, nor do monarchies come up for "voter approval" periodically. It defeats the purpose of the entire concept of a monarchy, being above politics, the whims of the electorate and providing continuity. Good, bad or in-between each country gets a new monarch eventually. "Voting" is not the solution to everything. Do you let your children vote about being allowed to play in the road?