Prince William’s Spanish relative comes of age in boost for monarchy

Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish crown, will swear loyalty to the constitution on Tuesday on her 18th birthday.

Madrid city hall will set up giant screens in the central Puerta del Sol square for the public to watch the ceremony, held during a special session of parliament, and will decorate the streets with images of the queen-in-waiting.

After taking the oath, Princess Leonor can legally succeed her father, King Felipe VI, and automatically becomes head of state in the event of the monarch´s absence.

“I very well understand and am aware of what my duty is and what my responsibilities entail,” she said earlier this month during a ceremony awarding the prestigious Princess of Asturias awards, named after her official title as heiress to the throne.

Her grandfather Juan Carlos took the oath in 1969 when dictator General Francisco Franco named him as his successor, and her father Felipe followed in 1986.

Juan Carlos came to the throne in 1975 after Franco´s death and was widely respected for his role in helping guide Spain from dictatorship to democracy.

But a steady flow of embarrassing media stories about his love life and personal wealth eroded his standing in his twilight years.

He abdicated in 2014, dogged by scandals and health problems, and in 2020 went into self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi amid investigations into his financial affairs.

The probes have since been shelved as the activities fell outside of the statute of limitations, and because he would have had constitutional immunity as a monarch at the time.

Prince William and King Felipe are great-great-grandchildren of King George of the Hellenes.

King Felipe was recently invited into the Royal Box at Wimbledon, to watch the final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, in which Carlos unexpectedly scooped the win.

He chatted with the Wales kids for a while, bending to get close to their level, showcasing their cute bond.

The king was also pictured with Kate Middleton during the Wimbledon final.