Celebration mode is on in Spain as Spain’s Princess Leonor is going to celebrate her 18th birthday on 31st October 2023. It is a significant moment for the entire nation as she is the future heir to the throne.
Her birthday festivities will start with a formal ceremony in the Spanish Parliament. During this ceremony, she will take the oath of allegiance to the Constitution and be presented with medals from the Congress and the Senate.
Highlighting the importance of Princess Leonor’s birthday, a grand reception will take place at the Royal Palace in Madrid. It will be followed by a family get-together at the El Pardo palace, located just outside the capital.
Looking at the celebratory moment, the royal family has released some photos of Princess Leonor depicting different life phases, from the FIFA World Cup to a beautiful family picture with her parents.
Life updates of Princess Leonor
Princess Leonor graduated from UWC Atlantic, a boarding school located in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, in May 2023. She completed her studies for the International Baccalaureate. During the graduation ceremony, her passion for learning was applauded by her fellow mates and teachers.
Following her graduation, Princess Leonor completed basic training at an army academy in Zaragoza. She is enrolled in a three-year officer’s course. Apart from academics, she actively participates in extracurricular activities like drill exercises.
Spain is the first country in Western Europe to have an absolutist rule, aspects of which are still in continuation today. With the Princess celebrating her Birthday and transitioning into an adult being, her selection as the future heir is also being debated.
For a better understanding of how the Princess will take over in the Constituional Monarchy of Spain, we have to know about the absolutist rule.
Absolutist or Constitutional Monarchy of Spain
Absolutism was the political belief that one ruler should hold all the power within the boundaries of a country. Talking about absolutism in the present context, let’s discuss Spain. The absolutism in Spain started when Philip II was in power in 1556.
The Spain monarchy, also known as The Crown, is a Constitutional form of government. It consists of a hereditary monarch who is the head of the state, the highest office of Spain. The current monarch is Felipe VI, after his father, King Juan Carlos I.
The current Royal family represents King Felipe VI the Crown, Queen Letizia, their two daughters, the elder one Leonor, and the younger one Infanta Sofia, and the King’s parents, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
With Princess Leonor turning 18 on 31st October 2023, she will be the future heir to the crown.
The Crown consists of the reigning monarch, the royal family, and the royal household, which supports in facilitation of sovereign duties and prerogatives.
With the new Spanish Constitution of 1978 coming into practice, a constitutional monarchy was re-established as the form of government for Spain after the end of the Francoist regime and further restoration of democracy in 1977.
This affirmed the role of the King of Spain, the crown as the living personification and embodiment of the Spanish State and a symbol of Spain’s enduring unity and permanence.
The king became the “arbitrator and the moderator” of Spanish state institutions.
Conclusion
It would be interesting to see the young woman Princess Leonor become the monarch in the future. With the young woman as the crown, Spain would show positive growth and development socially, politically, and economically.
But, in the present time, where democracies are flourishing, it would be interesting to know how long absolutist rule continues in Spain.
With Pedro Sanchez forming a coalition government with Samer’s Party, all Spanish people are waiting to see whether the ongoing political limbo comes to an end or not.
With the new heir to the throne, Princess Leonor turning 18, and the new coalition government coming up, the eyes are on Spain to watch the upcoming socio-political setup.
