Royalty in the News » Infanta Elena

Spanish Royals Attend Opening of Parliament

Megan M — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:42:18 +0000

On Tuesday, Spain witnessed the opening of the Xth legislature, of democracy or its opening of Parliament. King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia were in attendance for the event.

Click here for more photos at Zimbio

Not in attendance for the first time since 1979 were the King’s two daughters, Infantas Elena and Cristina. Many wondered if their absence was linked to Cristina’s husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, and his ties to a corruption scandal. Urdangarin has been excluded from the royal family because of it.

“They did not accept their invitation (to attend) for different reasons,” a royal palace communications official said. “It is their decision.”

In his speech to the new legislature, King Juan Carlos reiterated what he said during his Christmas Eve speech to the nation – such as its “responsibility to strengthen trust in the institutions” of Spain. He also added that no public figure was above the law, another echo of the previous speech.

His Majesty also spoke about the high unemployment rate. “All of you, deputies and senators, are united in the obligation to contribute with decisiveness and efficacy to getting over this crisis and its negative effects on citizens,” he said.

Sources: AFP, Hoy Mujer

Release of Spanish Christmas Photos

Megan M — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:50:15 +0000

Click here to see the other photos

The three children of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain have released the Christmas photographs of their families. Infanta Elena, Infanta Cristina and Prince Felipe all are showing how much their children have grown up.

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia posed with their two daughters, Infantas Leonor and Sofia. The couple switch each pose each year. One year, their Christmas photo has just their two girls, the next year has their parents with them, and repeat.

Meanwhile, Elena used a photo of her two children, Felipe Frolian and Victoria, without her.

Infanta Cristina used a picture from third son’s Juan’s first communion this year. Some royal fans were disappointed not to see an original photo. However, it should be noted husband Iñaki Urdangarin is in this. Urdangarin is caught up in a scandal that caused him to be removed from the royal family.

Spanish Royal Family Members May Be Reduced

Megan M — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:12:05 +0000

The news agency Europa Press is reporting that the Spanish royal court is looking to reduce the members of the family. They are considering to cut it down to the monarch and spouse, heir and spouse, and the children of the heir. Once the first child of the heir has its own offspring, then its siblings will no longer be part of the royal house.

Click here for more photos of the Spanish royals

This means the two daughters of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia – Infantas Elena and Cristina – may lose their status as members of the royal house. They will still be Infantas, but won’t be receiving money from the government. After all, with Prince Felipe’s two daughters second and third in line to the monarchy, Elena and Cristina have very little chance of succeeding the Spanish throne.

The royal court is hoping Elena and Cristina would model themselves after the King’s two sisters – Infantas Margarita and Pilar. While both have the titles of Infantas, they have no role in the family. They do not take part in such events as National Day or represent the King at any time.

This consideration may have to do with budget issues. The accounts for the financial year of 2011 came to a total of €8.4 million for the King’s House, 5.2 percent less than in 2010. Perhaps the royal court is looking to save money by making the King’s daughters unofficial members of the royal family.

Or it could be looking to modernize the monarchy. This model the Spanish royal court is contemplating is similar to the Norwegian royal house. For example, Princess Martha Louise is a member of the Norwegian royal family, but not the house and very rarely does duties.

EDIT: Zarzuela Palace released a statement saying that while the idea has been around for some time, it is not in the works in the near future. Meaning, the changes won’t be happening for a long time.

Source: Europa Press

Spanish National Day 2011

Megan M — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:31:34 +0000

October 12th marks Spain’s National Day, and Wednesday saw the Spanish royal family take part in the celebrations.

Click here to check out more photos.

At 10am local time, the royals gathered for the traditional military parade. They included King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, Prince Felipe, Princess Letizia, Infanta Elena, and Infanta Cristina along with her husband Iñaki Urdangarin. Not with his mother, but off to the side, was Infanta Elena’s son Felipe Frolian.

During the parade, a chair was placed near King Juan Carlos, who is still recovering from surgery on his Achilles tendon. Although he did not sit down, the King did lean on a cane.

In keeping with austerity, both Queen Sofia and Infanta Elena wore suits they had worn previously.

After the parade, a reception was held at Zarzuela Palace starting at 1pm. In the throne room, the representatives from various government fields came and had their hands shook one by one by the Spanish royals. The number of representatives? One thousand.

Once again, the King leaned on his cane during the entire reception.

Source: Diez Minutos, ABC.es

Spanish Royals Welcome Pope for World Youth Day

Megan M — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:16:06 +0000

Pope Benedict XIV is in Spain for the next few days to preside over World Youth Day, a Roman Catholic event which young people celebrate their faith. His Holiness was welcomed to Madrid by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia before heading off to begin his busy schedule.

Click here for more photos at Daylife.com

But the pontiff still had time to meet other members of Spanish royalty. Some time after his arrival, the Pope went to Zarzuela Palace where he met with Prince Felipe, Princess Letizia and their two daughters, Infantas Leonor and Sofia, and Infanta Elena and her two children, Forlian Felipe and Victoria.

During the photo op, the royals lined up alongside the Pope so the media could photograph them. However, 4 year old Infanta Sofia got a little antsy during the session and was caught yawning a few times. Her big sister, Leonor, was well behaved and got a big kiss from her father.

1.5 million Catholics are in Madrid for World Youth Day. This is the pontiff”s third trip to Spain, having done a state visit just last year. The country has sparked the ire of the Catholic church by allowing gay marriage and loosening up on abortion and divorce, three issues the church is staunchly conservative on.

Source: Huffington Post, Hello!

Spanish Royals Distribute Sports Awards

Megan M — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:20:50 +0000

On Monday, members of the Spanish royal family were at El Pardo Palace to give out the National Sports Awards 2010. The award recognizes the athletes, sports associations and other entities that have most highlighted in competition or in supporting the promotion of sports throughout last year.

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, Prince Felipe, Princess Letizia and Infanta Elena personally handed the large trophies to the winners. Some of the awards were named after the royals themselves.

For example, the Reina Sofia award goes to the Spanish athlete who has distinguished his or herself over the year in their sporting performance, both nationally and internationally. For 2010, it was mountaineer Edurne Pasaban Lizarribar.

Other awards named after the royals included the Premio Don Felipe de Borbon, Princess of Asturias National Prize, the Award of HRH Doña Elena, and the Award of HRH Doña Cristina.

13 trophies were given out to various athletes, including the Spanish football team which won the 2010 World Cup, riders Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez, the Andalusian Federation of Football, athlete Eusebio Cáceres, hockey player Luciana Aymar, the Foundation for Sport Equestrian Championships International Open ATP Spain Castilla y León “El Espinar, the City of Leganés, Universidad Camilo Jose Cela, the advertising agency Villar-Rosàs and tennis player Manolo Santana.

After delivery, His Majesty King Juan Carlos gave “a very special and warm congratulations” to the winners in 2010, “the most brilliant years of the history of Spanish sports.”

“Sport, in its most noble and extensive expression must muster the effort and cooperation of all” and “not only in the disciplines of equipment and more popular,” in which Spain is now the first country in the world, but also in the individual and the less widespread. ”

Source: Casa Real

Infanta Elena Receives Book on Grandmother

Megan M — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:38:47 +0000

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

On Thursday, Spain’s Infanta Elena attended a ceremony at the Royal Academy of History that reflected on her paternal grandmother, Maria de las Mercedes. The Spanish royal family has been remembering the mother of King Juan Carlos since December because it has been 100 years since her birth.

At the Academy, Elena happily received the first copy of Doña María, 100 years, a commemorative book that covers the entire life of her grandmother and collects the views of many personalities who had the honor of maintaining a close relationship with her, as is the case of the Duchess of Alba, the Cardinal Archbishop Carlos Amigo Vallejo, the bullfighter Curro Romero, writer and journalist Luis María Anson, and the mayor of Seville, Alfredo Sanchez Monteseirín, plus many others.

The book aims “to bequeath to future generations love the example of Spain which has always offered Doña Maria”. The first copy was given to King Juan Carlos at the end of the religious ceremony held last December 23 in the Chapel of the Royal Palace, attended by all members of the Spanish Royal Family.

Doña Maria died in 2000 at the age 89.

Source: ¡Hola!

Spanish Royals Mark 100 Years Since Birth of King’s Mother

Megan M — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:14:07 +0000

Thursday marked the 100 years since the birth of the mother of King Juan Carlos. The entire Spanish royal family, including Juan Carlos’ sisters and grandchildren, gathered at the chapel in the royal palace for the mass commemorating Doña Maria de las Mercedes de Borbon y Orleans.

REUTERS/Borja/Pool

Born in Madrid on December 23, 1910, Maria was the third of four children of Prince Charles of Bourbon (widow of the Infanta Maria de las Mercedes, eldest daughter of Alfonso XII), and Princess Louise of Orleans, daughter of the Count of Paris.

She married Don Juan de Borbón, Count of Barcelona, with whom she had four children: Infanta Pilar, Infanta Margarita, the Infante Alfonso, who died accidentally in Estoril in 1956, and Prince Juan Carlos, now the King of Spain.

Maria died on January 2nd 2000, at the age of 89, while spending Christmas with her family at the residence of La Mareta, Lanzarote.

REUTERS/Borja/Pool

For Thursday’s mass, in the rarely used palace chapel, military archbishop Juan del Rio officiated the service. The national anthem was played before the ceremony began.

REUTERS/Borja/Pool

Over a hundred people attended today’s service, including those who worked for the late Doña Maria and those who head her charity foundation.

After the service, the Spanish royals held a reception in which glasses of wine were toasted.

Source: EFE, Europa Press

Spanish Royals’ Annual Christmas Cards

Megan M — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 20:57:37 +0000

It’s the time of year where the Spanish royal family distribute their Christmas cards, featuring the photos of the eight grandchildren of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. And here they are…

Casa de Su Majestad el Rey de Espana

Felipe and Letizia’s two daughters, Infantas Leonor and Sofia, did a similar pose to the one they did two years ago. Only this time, the girls are now five and three, and are as happy as ever!

Casa de Su Majestad el Rey de Espana

Infanta Elena posed with her two children, Felipe and Victoria, outside of the Cathedral of Santiago, which has been the site of pilgrimage for the the Spanish royals in 2010. The Infanta Elena is divorced from her children’s father, Jaime de Marichalar.

Casa de su Majestad el Rey de Espana

Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene – the four children of Infanta Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin, obviously had their Christmas photo done over the summer. The family lives in Washington, DC because of Inaki’s work with a Spanish company.

European Royals Gather for Greek Royal Wedding

Megan M — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:29:29 +0000

Crowds and media on the Greek island of Spetses turned out in droves to get a glimpse of one of the biggest royal events of the year: the marriage of Greek Prince Nikolaos and Tatiana Blatnik.

Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Though the wedding is Wednesday, the pre-wedding reception took place the night before at the Grace Poseidon Hotel. Royals from all over Europe gave the people a chance to see them as they arrived for the dinner.

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Although the monarchy was abolished in Greece in the 1970s, its exiled royal family are allowed to come back for major events such as this wedding. Prince Nikolaos is the second son of King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie.

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Many of the royal coming to this wedding are their relatives. For example, the children of King Juan Carlos of Spain are o Spetses. That is because their mother, Queen Sofia, is Constantine’s sister.

Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Also related to the Greek royal family are the Danish royals. Queen Anne-Marie is sister to Queen Margrethe II, and therefore is aunt to Crown Prince Frederik and Princes Joachim. Frederik’s wife, Crown Princess Mary, is representing him at the wedding, while Joachim and his wife Princess Marie are also there.

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Also in attendance are newlyweds Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, along with the Netherlands’ Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima, and Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon.

Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Though there is much media attention surrounding this wedding, Nikolaos and Tatiana hope the press would keep their distance Wednesday.

“The couple’s wish is to celebrate their wedding with close family and friends in as much a discreet and calm way as possible,” King Constantine’s office said in a statement.

Source: AFP, Getty Images