King Felipe of Spain
Birth
Felipe was born at Our Lady of Loreto Hospital at Madrid on 30 January 1968, as the third child and only son of Infante Juan Carlos and Princess Sofía of Greece and Denmark.
He was baptised on 8 February 1968 at the Palace of Zarzuela by the Archbishop of Madrid, Casimiro Morcillo, with water from the Jordan River.
His full baptismal name is:
Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos, it consists of the names of the first Bourbon king
of Spain (Felipe V),
Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos, it consists of the names of the first Bourbon king
of Spain (Felipe V),
* his grandfathers (Infante Juan of Spain and
King Paul of Greece),
* his great-grandfather King Alfonso XIII of Spain,
and
King Paul of Greece),
* his great-grandfather King Alfonso XIII of Spain,
and
*de Todos los Santos ("of all the Saints") as is customary
among the Bourbons.
among the Bourbons.
His godparents were his paternal grandfather Juan and his paternal great-grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain.
Additionally, he is the third cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II, King Harald V, Queen Margrethe II, and King Carl XVI Gustav.
Source picture: Wikipedia
Titles
In 1977, Felipe was formally proclaimed Prince of Asturias. In May, nine-year-old Felipe was made an honorary soldier of the 1st King's Inmemorial Infantry Regiment.The occasion was marked on 28 May and was attended by the king, the prime minister and several other ministers in a ceremony at the infantry's barracks.
On 1 November the same year, he was ceremoniously paid homage as Prince of Asturias in Covadonga.
In 1981 Felipe received the Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece from his father, the Chief and Sovereign of the Order.
On his 18th birthday on 30 January 1986, Felipe swore allegiance to the Constitution and to the King in the Spanish Parliament as required by the constitution, fully accepting his role as successor to the Crown.
Education
Felipe attended school at Santa María de los Rosales,which his daughters also attended. Felipe attended high school at Lakefield College School in Ontario, Canada, and studied at the Autonomous University of Madrid, where he graduated with a degree in law; he also completed several courses in economics.
He completed his academic studies by obtaining a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he was the roommate of his cousin, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.
Military training
As the heir to the throne, a carefully regulated and structured plan was laid out for Felipe's military training. In August 1985, a Royal Decree named Felipe as officer at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza.
He began his military training there in September. He completed the first phase of his formation in October. In July 1986, he was promoted to Cadet 2nd Lieutenant. He was also named as Midshipman.
In September 1986, he began his naval training at the Escuela Naval Militar in Marin (Pontevedra), joining the Third Brigade.
In January 1987, he continued his naval training on board the training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano.
Further promotions in 2000 were commandant in the Army, corvette captain in the Navy, and commandant in the Air Force.
Promotions in 2009 were lieutenant colonel in the Army, frigate captain in the Navy, and lieutenant colonel in the Air Force.
Since 19 June 2014, after his ascension to the throne, he acquired the rank of Capitán General (Commander-in-chief) of all the Spanish armies (Land, Navy and Air Force).
Olympic Games
Felipe was a member of the Spanish Olympic sailing team at the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona. Felipe took part in the opening ceremony as the Spanish team's flag bearer. The Spanish crew finished in sixth place in the Soling class and obtained an Olympic diploma.
He is an honorary member of the International Soling Association. Both his mother and uncle, King Konstantínos II of the Hellenes, were on the Greek sailing team at the 1960 Summer Olympics in
Rome (his mother as a substitute), and Felipe's father and sister were also Olympic sailors for Spain.
Rome (his mother as a substitute), and Felipe's father and sister were also Olympic sailors for Spain.
Felipe has been a supporter of Atlético Madrid since watching them win the 1976 Copa del Generalísimo Final.
He is also the club's honorary president since 2003.
Later, as king, Felipe also attended the Spanish national rugby union team's final home rugby union match in the 2018 Rugby Europe. Championship.
Love and marriage
Felipe's bachelor years were a source of interest to the Spanish press for several years. His name was linked with several eligible women, but only two notable girlfriends: Spanish noblewoman Isabel Sartorius, around 1989 to 1991, daughter of the Marquess of Mariño, who was viewed unfavourably
by the Royal Family due to her mother's cocaine addiction.
by the Royal Family due to her mother's cocaine addiction.
He also had a relation with Norwegian model Eva Sannum, who modelled underwear.
When Felipe finally began a serious relationship, nothing was suspected before the official announcement of the Prince's engagement on 1 November 2003 to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano,
a television journalist who had been married previously.
a television journalist who had been married previously.
The couple were married on a rainy morning of 22 May 2004 in the Almudena Cathedral, Madrid, with representatives of royal families from all over the world and most heads of state from Latin America present.
Felipe and Letizia have two daughters:
* Leonor, Princess of Asturias (born 31 October 2005)
* Infanta Sofía (born 29 April 2007).
* Infanta Sofía (born 29 April 2007).
Both were born at Ruber International Hospital in Madrid.
Own picture of the Royal Palace of Madrid (taken in 2022)
More about the Palace on this link
Rule
On 2 June 2014, King Juan Carlos announced his intent to abdicate in Felipe's favor.
As required by the Constitution of Spain, the Spanish Cabinet began deliberations the following day on an organic law to give effect to the abdication.
Felipe ascended the throne at the stroke of midnight on 19 June; his father had given his sanction to the organic law effecting his abdication just hours earlier.
The next morning, after receiving the Captain General's sash from his father, he was formally sworn in and proclaimed king in a low-key ceremony held in the Cortes.
He swore to uphold the Constitution before formally being proclaimed king by Posada.
Upon his accession, he became the youngest monarch in Europe, being nine months younger than King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
State visit to the United Kingdom
From July 12 to 14, 2017, the King and Queen of Spain made a state visit to the United Kingdom, which had been postponed twice: the first in March 2016, due to the political crisis in Spain and the
second in May 2017, due to the advancement of the British elections .
second in May 2017, due to the advancement of the British elections .
Troubles
On 15 March 2020, following the revelation in The Telegraph that Felipe VI appeared as second beneficiary (after his father) of the Lucus Foundation, the entity on the receiving end of a €65 million
donation by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, King of Saudi Arabia, the Royal Household issued a statement declaring (a) that Felipe VI would renounce any inheritance from his father to which he could be
donation by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, King of Saudi Arabia, the Royal Household issued a statement declaring (a) that Felipe VI would renounce any inheritance from his father to which he could be
entitled, and (b) that Juan Carlos would lose his public stipend from the part of the State's General Budget dedicated to the Royal Household.
On 25 April 2022, in a move towards greater transparency, Felipe VI made public his personal assets for the first time, revealing them to be valued at 2.6 million euros ($2.8 million). The Spanish royal palace
stated that his wealth is in savings, current accounts and securities, as well as art, antiques and jewellery; and that he has no real estate or financial dealings abroad.
stated that his wealth is in savings, current accounts and securities, as well as art, antiques and jewellery; and that he has no real estate or financial dealings abroad.
It also noted that Felipe VI had paid tax on all his financial earnings. This amount makes him one of the "poorest" monarchs in the world.
During a visit of the Town Hall of Alicante I saw this portrait of King Felipe II.
On the portrait King Felipe of Spain wears a grey suit with a Burgundy tie.
The Coat of Arms of the King of Spain:
Source picture: Wikipedia
Source picture: Wikipedia
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