Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, has taken the oath loyal to the kingdom in a ceremony at the Spanish congress, on his 18th birthday last Tuesday. The swearing-in ceremony was witnessed by his parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, his sister, Sofía, and Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. His grandfather Juan Carlos, the exiled former king, was not present.
Quote Reutersthe ceremony in parliament marked Leonor’s coming of age, meaning she would immediately become queen after her father King Felipe VI, who had no sons.
The princess swore to uphold the law, respect the rights of citizens and territories, and be loyal to the king.
 Photo: Princess Leonor. (AP/Manu Fernandez) |
Princess Leonor’s pledge of allegiance to the Spanish Constitution comes 37 years after her father took the same oath on his 18th birthday on January 30, 1986. Felipe ascended the throne in 2014 after his father abdicated amid a plummet in popularity.
Despite this, Princess Leonor’s swearing-in ceremony was met with resistance from left-wing politicians and separatists, highlighting divisions within the monarchy. The acting ministers for equality, social rights and consumer affairs – all three from left-wing junior coalition partner Unidas Podemos – refused to attend, saying an inherited and unelected head of state was undemocratic.
The figure of Princess Leonor
 Photo: Spanish King Felipe sits next to his daughter, Princess Leonor in January 2018 (Juan Medina, Pool Photo, via AP) |
Leonor was born to Felipe and Letizia, then Prince and Princess of Asturias, on 31 October 2005. The princess was born during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King Juan Carlos I. Her birth was announced by the royal family to the press via SMS.
Leonor was originally titled “Her Royal Highness Princess Leonor of Spain”. After her father ascended the throne, she received the title as “Her Royal Highness Princess of Asturias” as heir apparent to the throne.
She also held the titles Princess of Girona, Princess Viana, Duchess of Montblanc, Countess of Cervera, and Lady of Balaguer.
Leonor attended school in Wales, England and began three years of military training in Spain.
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