Photo: Spanish Royal House/Getty
A new king succeeded the Spanish throne less than a decade ago.
In the years since Felipe’s proclamation ceremony, royal watchers have seen the two princesses grow from young girls to teenagers. In March 2023, the Royal House of Spain announced that Princess Leonor, who is first in line to the Spanish throne, was set to beginthree years of military trainingto prepare for her future position as head of state.
“It shows that we will have, when the time comes, a supreme commander who is a woman,” said Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles. “And in recent years, we’ve made a big effort to incorporate women into the armed forces.”
Aside from the current king and queen and their daughters, theSpanish royal familyincludes King Felipe’s two older sisters as well as their six children.
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Here’s everything to know about the current members of the Spanish Royal Family.
King Juan Carlos I
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The formerKing Juan Carlos Iwas born in Rome on Jan. 5, 1938. His family was living in exile in Italy at the time of his birth.
Juan Carlos became king on Nov. 22, 1975. After reigning for 39 years, he abdicated the throne in 2014. In 2019, heretired from public duties.
The following year, he went into aself-imposed exilefrom Spain amid allegations of tax fraud. In response, Feliperenounced his inheritanceand Juan Carlos' pension ended. In 2022, the two reunited when Juan Carlosreturned to Spainfor the first time in two years.
Queen Sofia
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Queen Sofia, who was previously known asPrincess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, was born in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 2, 1938. Her parents were the king and queen of Greece.
Sofia married Juan Carlos on May 14, 1962. They welcomed three children: Princess Elena, Duchess of Lugo; Princess Cristina; and King Felipe VI.
King Felipe VI
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King Felipe VI is the son of Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain. Born on Jan. 30, 1968, he is younger than his two sisters, but he became king due to Spain’s male-preference primogeniture, meaning male heirs take preference over female children of the monarch.
Felipe became king on June 19, 2014, after his father abdicated the throne.
He married Queen Letizia on May 22, 2004. They have two children: Crown Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia.
Queen Letizia
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Letizia, who was born into a middle-class family, is the first Spanish queen to have been a commoner.
Crown Princess Leonor
Felipe and Letizia’s first daughterPrincess Leonorwas born on Oct. 31, 2005. She has been the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne since her father became king in 2014. Being the heir means that she has the title Princess of Asturias; before he became king, Felipe was known as Prince of Asturias.
Leonor is the heir presumptive rather than the heir apparent because Spanish succession law means that if Felipe were to have a son, the son would take Leonor’s place as the heir. Otherwise, Leonor will be the first queen regnant of Spain since the 1800s. (Other queens, like her mother, married into the family.)
Princess Sofia
Leonor’s younger sister,Princess Sofia, was born on April 29, 2007. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Queen Sofia.
Princess Elena
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Princess Elenawas born on Dec. 20, 1963, and is the oldest sister of King Felipe. She is currently third in the line of succession.
During their marriage, Elena and Jaime welcomed two children, Felipe and Victoria. Their divorce was made official in 2010.
Don Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón
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Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón is the son of Princess Elena and her ex-husband Jaime. He was born on July 17, 1998, and is widely known as Froilán. He is fourth in line to the throne.
Doña Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón
Doña Victoria de Marichalar y Borbó Instagram
Elena and Jaime’s daughter, Doña Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón, was born on Sept. 9, 2000. She is fifth in the line of succession.
Victoria’s passion for fashion — and presence at industry events — can be seenon her Instagram. She’s also given interviews to and posed for magazines likeElle EspañaandInStyle España.
Princess Cristina
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Juan Carlos and Sofia’s second child,Princess Cristina, was born on June 13, 1965. She is sixth in the line of succession to the Spanish throne.
Cristina married entrepreneurIñaki Urdangarin Liebaerton Oct. 4, 1997. They had both previously competed in the Olympic games: Iñaki in handball (he had been a professional player) and Cristina in a sailing event. They welcomed four children — Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene — before separating in 2022.
Starting in 2012, the pair were on trial for alleged tax fraud. In 2017, Cristina was acquitted while Iñaki was sentenced to nearly six years in prison. During the trial, Felipe removed their titles of Duke and Duchess of Palma.
Don Juan Valentín Urdangarin y Borbón
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Cristina and Iñaki’s oldest son,Juan Valentín Urdangarin y Borbón, was born on Sept. 29, 1999. He is seventh in line to the throne.
Juan is particularly private. In January 2023,Vanity Fair Españareported that he was known to have gone abroad to volunteer in Cambodia and India. Like his younger siblings, he previously attended school in Geneva where his mother lived.
Don Pablo Nicolás SebastiánUrdangarin y Borbón
The second son of Cristina and Iñaki is Pablo Nicolás Sebastián Undangarin y Borbón, born on Dec. 6, 2000. He is eighth in line to the throne.
Pablo is a professional handball player for FC Barcelona Handbol in the European Handball Federation.
Don Miguel Urdangarin y Borbón
Cristina and Iñaki’s third son is Miguel Urdangarin y Borbón. He was born on April 30, 2002, and is ninth in line to the throne.
In 2022,Vanity Fair Españareported that Miguel was living in London and studying oceanography.
Doña Irene Urdangarin y Borbón
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Cristina and Iñaki’s youngest child is Irene Urdangarin y Borbón, born on June 5, 2005. Irene is 10th in the line of succession. In 2022,Vanity Fair Españareported that Irene was the only child still living with her mother in Geneva.
source: people.com
