Your Opinions About Felipe and Letizia

[lula]

In the Royal Family each one occupies the place that corresponds to and it is what the society wants, that each one occupies the place that corresponds to. The Queen and the Princess are colitigants, and though they could develop activities, their duty is to be behind the King and the Prince, and not to pass over them. They can dress nice suits, wonderful jewels, can do many charitable acts ... even they can be more intelligent than they and to have many ideas and interesting activities ... but they must be discreet and to try that the interest centres on them. They must be a discreet support and not the protagonists. Of the same way Jaime de Marichalar and Iñaqui Urdangarín, occupy a totally secondary place; they never realize acts in solitarily, only they accompany their wives.

Months ago, after a luncheon with journalists, a journalist was standing out of Letizia, who could help with intelligence her husband... and surely it is what the people want. She can have her way and do things, since with the time the Queen Sofia has done, but the important one is the Prince Felipe, he is the Prince of Asturias and the future King, is his figure the one that must stand out, in whom the people must have confidence ... as nothing it uses that Letizia turns into a very popular figure, which does many things and which drags many people ... if ends up by being a shade on the Prince. The easiest way would be to turn Letizia into an icon and that drags the people; the most difficult way, it is that she occupies the secondary place, and that is an instrument to go on to the Prince to the first plane.

 

[mtbcm]

I was actually referring to her appearance in Oviedo last year where she showed up in a purple dress with those terrible stockings ... When leaving the hospital I thought she actually looked nice both times

I'm sorry I understood you were speaking about her last appearance !

THAT one was reaallllllly... unbelievable?! scary?! well, not even in Halloween I would be caught wearing it . I know someone that usually says those faux-pas are due to pregnacy hormones but I think that excuse doesn't apply such a bad case

 

[royaltywatcher]

Here's what I like about Letizia:

Yes, she was a journalist before she got married, and it's great that she had that success. But when she married into the royal family, she accepted a deal. I like it that she is sticking to the deal; she seems to understand her role, and she is committed to adopting the lifestyle and ways that she had agreed to. She is not trying to change the role to suit herself.

She seems very stable. I get the feeling that she loves the prince and is more committed to creating a family that will (as a unit) serve Spain than she is to creating a persona for herself.

I wasn't sure what to make of her at the beginning. But I like her more and more.

 

[adelaide]

Here's what I like about Letizia:

Yes, she was a journalist before she got married, and it's great that she had that success. But when she married into the royal family, she accepted a deal. I like it that she is sticking to the deal; she seems to understand her role, and she is committed to adopting the lifestyle and ways that she had agreed to. She is not trying to change the role to suit herself.

She seems very stable. I get the feeling that she loves the prince and is more committed to creating a family that will (as a unit) serve Spain than she is to creating a persona for herself.

I wasn't sure what to make of her at the beginning. But I like her more and more.

I appreciate a lot your style of opinion, because it's very fair play. For me you have understand very well the nerve of this topic. The Letizia's role is not to make a show with all she is abble to do and I'm sure that she has a large panel of capacities. Her main and difficult duty is to adapt her at the arcanes of a milenarious job which is being to transform itself to adapt with the situation of today and for that you have to be very clever to avoid to mix up your personnal aspirations and the great purposes that you want to serve. It's so obvious that the true force of Letizia is to have understand that.

 

[Little_star]

I was referring to the "let me finish" and "do you think I look unhappy" incidents at their engagement presentation and at Madrid City Hall shortly after marriage. Some people can now say that she came across as bossy or disregarding protocol but I prefer this attitude as it is authentic.

Oh, I thought you meant actual protocol blunders, as opposed to overblown incidents.

 

[tlg00]

The Letizia's role is not to make a show with all she is abble to do and I'm sure that she has a large panel of capacities.

I think that's the reason why I tend to be fairly neutral in regards to Letizia and Felipe most of the time. I understand that she has no choice but to fit into the role and path laid before her, and I think that's unfortunate because I think she is capable of doing much more than she is allowed.

I also think the whole submissive thing is a front. Letizia knows the media, and I think she knows that the minute it seems like she starts to assert a little more control and act more confident in public, the media will jump on her and she'll get that label of bossy all over again. Unfortunately, I think she has gone to the opposite end of the spectrum, and I don't think it's genuine. I think it's how she acts in public because she can't risk getting the criticism for appearing to come on strong.

Even though I know that Felipe and Letizia really can't do anything about the position that she's in and that she's just being the person that I think she's being told to be, it doesn't stop me from feeling like all of those skills that she supposedly has are being wasted. She and her husband don't have any control over that, but it still doesn't stop me from feeling neutral and ambivalent in regards to the two of them. Even though she does a lot of acts with her husband, I guess I'd probably prefer to see her do less acts but to know she has some kind of freedom and say in the ones that she does. It'd be more of a return to the independent, confident, and intelligent woman that she seemed to be at the time of the engagement. Right now, all I'm seeing is a woman who is doing what she is told to do because she doesn't have a choice.

I guess my criticism is less of Letizia and more of the role that she and (to a lesser extent) Felipe are forced to be in. Just because it's "the way the Spanish royal family works"," it doesn't mean it can't be criticized.

That's just my opinion.

 

[Larzen]

They must be a discreet support and not the protagonists. Of the same way Jaime de Marichalar and Iñaqui Urdangarín, occupy a totally secondary place; they never realize acts in solitarily, only they accompany their wives.

you can hardly compare the wife of the heir to the wifes of the Infantas, this is the same in many other countrues, you never see Claire, Lorentz and Ari do duties themsleves either. And in the Netherlands and Denmark, even if the wifes gets most attention, gets the most covers, there are no doubt as to who is the heir, who is going to be Head of state and who is going to be consort.

Felipe and Letizia had never announced to the press their private family visits. If the press spotted them in Asturias and had a few photos, good for them, if not, bad luck.

Really, so all the press just accidentally happen to be waiting at the disney show when Leonor showed up dolled to the nines, and all the press just happened to show up in the fauna park? Good for the press indeed They need to expand their net of soruces in Asturias then.

 

[planetcher]

Really, so all the press just accidentally happen to be waiting at the disney show when Leonor showed up dolled to the nines, and all the press just happened to show up in the fauna park? Good for the press indeed They need to expand their net of soruces in Asturias then.

You're mistaken. I don't know if you really follow this family, but a lot of the press were pissed during the Disney thing because Zarzuela didn't announce that Leonor would be there. It was in the talk shows and print. That's why there were only maybe three to five pix of them going in the theater and that's when word got out and waited for them after the show. The same thing happened at the Fauna according to articles I've read. Someone also alerted the press to go there and since it's in Madrid I bet they're just all over the place. The press (one is Barrientos I remember) criticized that Zarzuela should announce if Leonor would be going out so that the people can see her, meaning so they can take photos. With the exception of Holland of course, do other Royal Houses announce the young princes' public outings?

 

[donnaK]

Really, so all the press just accidentally happen to be waiting at the disney show when Leonor showed up dolled to the nines, and all the press just happened to show up in the fauna park? Good for the press indeed They need to expand their net of soruces in Asturias then.

It should not be a surprise that a couple of paparazzis were waiting outside the disney show or the circus show to see if they had any luck spotting any famous people. The SRF certainly didn't let the press know Leonor would attend the show. Very few pictures were taken at the entrance of the show, and she walked in with messy hair (pictures without the brown coat). Most of the pictures and the video were taken when they came out of the show. Grandma obviously knew that they would be photographed again, thus combed Leonor's hair.
About the fauna park visit, only EFE photographers were there first. The photographers from other agencies came later since they had been in the park for a few hours. If they did, it was about the only time and they did it to compensate the absense in Mallorca for the Easter holidays.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Felipe & Letizia have to play the give and take game with the press to a certain degree and they do. Leonor has not been shown often in the past and I think that's ok because she's quite small. But when a certain point of no show has been reached they have to give in as people want to see Leonor from time to time - quite understandably, at least for spanish taxpayers . If they did not show her, the result would be critizism and gossip and Felipe & Letizia cannot afford to make the press or the people really angry. Missing the Easter mass was such a point and I am very sure showing up with Leonor was kind of a duty to make the press and people happy. If they informed the press formally or informally doesn't really matter - when they went to Fauna as a family they were ready for a photosession.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I think that's the reason why I tend to be fairly neutral in regards to Letizia and Felipe most of the time. I understand that she has no choice but to fit into the role and path laid before her, and I think that's unfortunate because I think she is capable of doing much more than she is allowed.

I also think the whole submissive thing is a front. Letizia knows the media, and I think she knows that the minute it seems like she starts to assert a little more control and act more confident in public, the media will jump on her and she'll get that label of bossy all over again. Unfortunately, I think she has gone to the opposite end of the spectrum, and I don't think it's genuine. I think it's how she acts in public because she can't risk getting the criticism for appearing to come on strong.

Even though I know that Felipe and Letizia really can't do anything about the position that she's in and that she's just being the person that I think she's being told to be, it doesn't stop me from feeling like all of those skills that she supposedly has are being wasted. She and her husband don't have any control over that, but it still doesn't stop me from feeling neutral and ambivalent in regards to the two of them. Even though she does a lot of acts with her husband, I guess I'd probably prefer to see her do less acts but to know she has some kind of freedom and say in the ones that she does. It'd be more of a return to the independent, confident, and intelligent woman that she seemed to be at the time of the engagement. Right now, all I'm seeing is a woman who is doing what she is told to do because she doesn't have a choice.

I guess my criticism is less of Letizia and more of the role that she and (to a lesser extent) Felipe are forced to be in. Just because it's "the way the Spanish royal family works"," it doesn't mean it can't be criticized.

That's just my opinion.

That pretty much covers it IMO. I hope for a change and that it doesn't go the same old circle as it did after Leonor like back to work but no own acts and I what I honestly really do hope for is that she will keep a few pregnancy pounds and that there won't be a new thread called "Letizia's weight".

 

[RaniaRocks]

And of course now the press, even the Letizia's followers, have being critizing her because she have being absent to a couple of important acts such the Constitution Day and such, because of the lactancy but she obviously can go to this "kind of secret" dinner, I think they should start to do things normal, as Mary and Maxima goes to some places even though the three of them gave birth with days of difference, because if somebody have all the facilities in the world to go to a two hours act are the royals, is not that Sofia will need to be feed every hour and even though there are milk extractors, that's why people are cabreados=mad with those kind of things, and now the press is crazy because they had to knew about the pictures, they had to new about Letizia's whereabouts "thanks to the internet forums or blogs" (tv program sic), this is to laugh.

The image they are projecting dosn't help her at all, is like she's the only one whith the worses pregnancies, her daugher is the most demanding girl in the world, she's a weak person and so on, even if she's not that's unfortunatelly what they are doing of her, she cannot go to any oficial activity but it was reported in press that she went to the movies with some friends, people recognized her and she also went to a dinner also, meaning Sofia dosn't need of her every moment, when I had my kids I wasn't with them all the time for obvious reasons, and she have the right to go to whatever she please because she's a human being but when you add this to the fact that she couldn't go to the Constitution Day and any other act in where Felipe have being inside Zarzuela and now she goes to this dinner but Zarzuela decided that nobody needs to know about it, do your math, and why not? what is to be hide?, if they are going to have an dental job so to speak this is private, a dinner with other King, with photojournalists inside is not completely private, is like when Zarzuela says: the baptism will be a private activity, OK, but everybody knows is gonna be reported, bottom line people: the Royal House is making a big fuss for nothing and Letizia have the ability to brings the polemic with her werever she goes.

 

[mapian]

You make a mistake Rania, the celebration was: "30 aniversario de las elecciones" and if it is very important, why the infantas and their husbands aren't presents? because: is 30 anniversary, not 25, 30 is less important.

I think the spanihs pink press is crazy, they can't live without the princess and make controversial with any thing abaut her. Princess isn't guilty. It's a problem from spanish gossip tv programs and press.

The official acts are her work and she is in maternal permission, private acts are private acts, not official.

 

[Elsa M.]

when I had my kids I wasn't with them all the time for obvious reasons

When you gave birth to your children, you also had several months of maternity leave... why should a Princess have less rights than any other citizen?
Some people say that royalty is all about privileages, but it's seems it's not, after all...

 

[RaniaRocks]

Like in the years of the Francoism
Jaime Peñafiel

What have being happened these days, concretely this week, in the occasion of the official visit of tyran King of Saudi Arabia, Abdalá bin Abdelaziz (to its side Fidel Castro is a soul of the charity), has remembered, journalistically speaking to us, the years of the Francoism.
Then, the sad and censured Spanish press used to found out what was happening in our country through the foreing newspapers and agencies. Those who dared to becoming in an echo of the published abroad, did it knowing of the problems that they were going to have with the most superpowerful Minister of Censorship Manuel Fraga and its cancerber, Jiménez Quílez. It was always a very expensive price to pay.

Forty years later, the newspapers, the agencies, the radio and the televisions find out by the German press that consort Letizia, missing since it gave birth to her daughter Sofía, not only does exists but that was one of the guests, next to the royal family, to the dinner that King Juan Carlos offered in honor to the Saudi sovereign in the palace of the Zarzuela.

Such presence would not have have the minor or greater importance if the Real House had offered information. But after so prolonged absence of the wife of Prince Felipe and his scandalous absence in the solemn institutional act in the Congress of the Deputies, in the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the first general elections, frontispiece of the democracies, its reappearance was an important news.

Once again, as in those sad years of censorship, the Spaniards have found out that Letizia still "exists", according to the photography published in the German press of which is author the photographer of the King of Arabia. Why that night wasn't even allowed the presence of Efe agency at least?, the Agency whose president is so friend with Letizia that owns her his position. Saying goes that Zarzuela is displeased with the publication of that image. I do not understand why. As I do not understand that, being on maternity leave, out of maternal lactancy or in a postpartum depression a dinner is attended in honor of whom not only distributes valuable gold clocks but million of dollars as well, and not to an institutional act like the one of the Congress. The Spanish press very is mad, yes sir, by the lack of transparency. With all their reason.

 

[mapian]

he's Peñafiel, off course!! wath sourprise!! he talk bad abaut Letizia and SRF, with absurd arguments: 1 & 1/2 absence's months is a terrible absence, etc.... For me, the press exagerate and isn't respectful with the princess and her decisions, publics and privates, the SRH has the last word, not Peñafiel. He's unpresentable and a bad man.

Sorry, my English is poor.

 

[Ferrara]

Who is Penafiel kidding about the lack of transparency? If the press had been 'muzzled' like in the years of Franco, would his stuff or the many other half-truths, lies and speculations about the Princes of Asturias, Leonor and Letizia's family be published in the media? If anything, the pink press has tremendous freedom to say whatever the heck they want to say without having to uphold standards of truth and ethics.

 

[Roxsteve]

Let's remember that it was the Royal House (Spanish) that apparently got upset at the picture and made a big deal of all this. Peñafiel's comments do make sense, at least to me.

 

[Roxsteve]

http://www.spa.gov.sa/galupload/normal/15250_W68.jpg


She looks so out of place. Maybe that's why they did not want the pictures to be published. She probably loves the attention. I really don't know what the big deal is........

 

[planetcher]

Why are the people getting hot and bothered about Letizia's break? Isn't she allowed to have a three-month maternity leave like everyone else, commoner or not? Let's not single out Letizia because other crown princesses (I believe with the exception of Mary) also took a few months off after giving birth with all their children without appearing in public at all until they were ready to go back to work, but no one in their respective countries made a big deal out of it. Maternity leave means no work yet, but you could have leisure time with your family and friends and that should also apply to princesses. It's just 3 months and after that she's going back to work. Besides she did the same thing with Leonor. On the other hand, I just don't get the "old gray men" of Zarzuela. Why would they have a secret dinner? I don't understand why they were mad that these photos got out.

 

[adelaide]

As usual different levels of discussions, some bred for everybody but always the same topic : Letizia, I dream when I am reading this poor Peñafiel, some brain trubbles???

The subject of this thread was the official visit of the king of Saudi Arabia, I beleived?
Only for the little story, it exist a lot of differencies for a woman between a private but quite protocolar dinner and an officiel gala dinner, the main one is the gown!!! As you know for a woman it's not exactly the same time to wear a gown than to wear a coktail dress or simple but elegant dress for a private dinner!!! A suggestion for the gown designer : a special one for mother breastfeeding: very original and fashion! problem for the sash!!!

 

[lula]

Two things.
First, it was not a dinner but a luncheon.
Second, since already I have written and some of them seem not to want to read. It is habitual that the Royal Spanish House in this type of meeting does photographies with their private photographer. Like the photographer was of the Royal Spanish House there was the photographer of the Royal Saudi House. And not and sla the first time, since already I have put two examples previously, that the agency of another State does public photos of meetings that here are considered to be private and that are done inside palace. I believe that the Royal Spanish House has been wrong on having followed the game to a press that wants it wants it ... and for that the acts of the Royal House only exist while could speak or criticize Letizia. Because hear to certain journalists, that they are supposed informers of to RoyalHouse, to say that since Letizia is not they do not have anything that to count, when the Kings and the Prince do not stop, is absurd and sad ... though or it stops demonstrating a reality, of whom they are interested in and provides business to them.

On the other hand, it would be necessary to say to Peñafiel, through which since already we do not live in epoch of Franco, he does not enjoy hunts the Chief of the State, and does not enter in the Zarzuela like he was entering the Pardo. He does not have benefits and it is what hurts him, not to be he who receives the sole rights and the favors. Also it is necessary to say to him that due to the fact that Franco is dead, the women in Spain we are free and have rights. Already we do not depend of men for everything ... and as mothers the law gives us rights.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I find that Zarzuela has been acting very unfortunate not only in this case and I agree that lack of transparency is one of the reasons why the press is annoyed, quite understandably, IMO. Of course Letizia is entitled to her maternity leave but why "hiding" her completely while being aware that people and media want to see her from time to time? After all she's one of the most popular members of the SRF and Zarzuela has to respond to that in a certain way. And if there is a reason why she does not appear in public like - as Penafiel suggested - suffering from post natal depressions Zarzuela should name it and everybody will understand, as she would not be the first woman on earth who deals with difficulties after giving birth. As mentioned before, no baby needs 24/7 attention and why not having a picture taken at a suitable event - so they could have avoided the pressure being build up by the media.

Thanks to their strategy they now have a lose lose situation with snubbing the Royal House of Saud and annoying the Spanish Press on the one hand and incoming critizism on Letizia on the other hand. And instead of a nice pic at some nice event the first pic after birth shows her now a bit out of place and uncomfortable next to the Saudi King at some mysterious private dinner. Well done! And as Lula stated that private pics have been circulated before by foreign countries, Zarzuela should have been even more careful in this matter.

Once again Letizia is in the center of controversy beyond her responsibilities, as all the discussions about her role and Zarzuela's strategy behind it. I wonder when Zarzuela will begin to understand.

 

[lula]

Duke, Letizia is not hidden, has had some private exits, and some journalists have could admit that they have not come in time to obtain the photographies. The day of their anniversary, the journalists who were in an act of the King, could see the Princes with the girls in The Zarzuela. Already I have listened in two occasions that the paparazzi had found out late about Letizia's exits. In an occasion when were the Princes with the girls to a lunch in house of the father of Letizia, and in other one when letizia went out to do a few buys.

What happens is that in Spain there is a certain press, which always protests. The press knows perfectly that now the summer comes, and that are going to have many photos. Last year they were weeks protesting because there were no Leonor's photos, and when the summer came and the family was to Majorca and was in the ditches there was too many Leonor's photos and they were boring. They are never satisfied, and they it are not, because the critique and the gossip is essential part of their work.

But it hadn´t happened this, many they had not even found out that the King of Saudi Arabia was in Spain.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Duke, Letizia is not hidden, has had some private exits, and some journalists have could admit that they have not come in time to obtain the photographies. The day of their anniversary, the journalists who were in an act of the King, could see the Princes with the girls in The Zarzuela. Already I have listened in two occasions that the paparazzi had found out late about Letizia's exits. In an occasion when were the Princes with the girls to a lunch in house of the father of Letizia, and in other one when letizia went out to do a few buys.

What happens is that in Spain there is a certain press, which always protests. The press knows perfectly that now the summer comes, and that are going to have many photos. Last year they were weeks protesting because there were no Leonor's photos, and when the summer came and the family was to Majorca and was in the ditches there was too many Leonor's photos and they were boring. They are never satisfied, and they it are not, because the critique and the gossip is essential part of their work.

But it hadn´t happened this, many they had not even found out that the King of Saudi Arabia was in Spain.

With "hiding" I mean not giving the press the opportunity to take a picture at a kind of official event that suited her daily schedule. The whole situation was much easier and relaxed if she went to a suitable event, where the press was present and had a picture taken. The big advantage is that she's in control of the happening in terms of her appearance or the time she spends there. Not going anywhere near the press for over two months means that pressure is building up as people want to see her so media wants to print her picture. This will never go away and they won't change it with their handling.

If the press had seen her on one or two occasions during the past two months nobody would now make a fuss about two pictures being taken at a private dinner.

IMO the PoAs haven't found their balance with the media yet, still a long way to go and behaviour like this won't help. Obviously there is a lack of respect or silent understanding and they should start working on this relationship now, otherwise they will have to fasten their seatbelts once the old man has gone.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

http://www.spa.gov.sa/galupload/normal/15250_W68.jpg


She looks so out of place. Maybe that's why they did not want the pictures to be published. She probably loves the attention. I really don't know what the big deal is........

She looks out of place but not like she loves the attention, rather the opposite that she wants to be somewhere else. She looks a bit desperate between the Kind and his delegation. What would you discuss with a King from a country that doesn't even allow women to drive their own car?

 

[dazzling]

Why are the people getting hot and bothered about Letizia's break?

I think its due to people wanting to see her. The other CP's have been out on unofficial events & a photoshoot. Many expect to see the same with Letizia, but everybody has different agendas. Letizia does have the right for her full leave without appearing in public & the events she attend's i think is her own choice & not the palace.

 

[dazzling]

She looks out of place but not like she loves the attention, rather the opposite that she wants to be somewhere else. She looks a bit desperate between the Kind and his delegation. What would you discuss with a King from a country that doesn't even allow women to drive their own car?

for her attending the saudi private lunch,it might look out of place for her sitting next to the Saudi king, but it shouldve been an honor imo, not only that but has anyone thought of the Saudi king asking for Letizia to be seated beside him?!

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

for her attending the saudi private lunch,it might look out of place for her sitting next to the Saudi king, but it shouldve been an honor imo, not only that but has anyone thought of the Saudi king asking for Letizia to be seated beside him?!

Haha, good point. Maybe she attended the whole thing on his personal request

I am sure she is seated according to protocol and it's an honour indeed. But she does not look happy at all or somehow involved in a conversation. But again it's just one shot and maybe before or after they were sharing some really funny royal jokes, who knows

 

[infanteleonor]

video

http://www.antena3.com/a3noticias/s...3n/noticia/noticia.jsp&sidicom=si&id=12748413