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ROYAL FAMILY

What do Spaniards think of their royal family?

As Spain's Princess Leonor turns 18 this week and takes on an increased public role, The Local takes a look at what Spaniards think of their royal family.

What do Spaniards think of their royal family?
Spanish Crown Princess of Asturias Leonor (L) and Spain's King Felipe VI preside the 2023 Princess of Asturias award ceremony at the Campoamor theatre in Oviedo on October 20, 2023. Photo: MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP.

Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish crown, will formally swear loyalty to the Spanish constitution on her 18th birthday this week, a milestone that many in Spain say is helping the royal family move on from the scandal-tainted reign of her grandfather, Juan Carlos.

At Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in London in 2022, Leonor’s father and current King of Spain, Felipe VI, and Juan Carlos, were seen together publicly for the first time since the latter moved to the United Arab Emirates in disgrace in 2020 following a string of financial scandals that damaged his reputation. Since then he has returned discreetly to Spain for several boating events.

Once revered for his role in easing Spain’s transition to democracy following decades of dictatorship, financial scandal forced Juan Carlos to abdicate in 2014, after nearly 40 years on the throne, and then to leave the country.

READ MORE: Spain’s ex king and son side by side at Elizabeth II’s funeral

The public meeting of the King and (disgraced) former King caused a media frenzy in Spain, and the fact Spanish media outlet ran 24/7 coverage of events in London shows that the Spanish public (or Spanish journalists and TV producers) are interested in monarchy. It makes good TV, at least.

But with Princess Leonor now coming of age and able to formally take over the throne when the time comes, is she altering perceptions of the royal family in Spain?

And what do Spaniards think about their royal family? Are they for or against the idea of monarchy? Who are the most (and least) popular royals? Is it a political issue like it is in the United Kingdom, for example?

Monarchy or republic?

According to Spanish social research firm GAD3, data from 2021 shows that 55.3 percent of Spaniards polled prefer a parliamentary monarchy compared with 36.9 percent who would prefer a republic. 

Just 4.4 percent of respondents were indifferent.

READ MORE: Spanish King seen with disgraced father for first time in two years

The numbers

Figures from El Confidencial show that 56 percent of Spaniards polled positively view King Felipe, and that almost half (49.5 percent) approve of his reign since taking over from his father.

27.1 percent of those polled disapproved of the Spanish King, and of respondents asked how their opinion of Felipe VI had changed over time, between 2019 and 2021 46.9 percent said their opinion was unchanged; 28.2 percent said it had improved; and 24.9 percent it had worsened. 

Asked how they rated Felipe’s performance as King since his reign began, 49.5 percent said they approved, 27.1 percent disapproved, and 22.2 percent were indifferent. 

Though the personal approval ratings are relatively positive for Felipe VI, public opinion on the state of the monarchy more broadly isn’t as healthy. Of respondents polled by IMOP, 70.9 percent of Spaniards believed that the monarchy is in a weaker position now that it was seven years ago.

Queen Letizia, the former journalist and news anchor who married the King when he was Prince of Asturias, scored a 54 percent approval rating – the second lowest of the royal household but an improvement on her 2019 score of 48 percent.

The former Queen, Sofía, who was on the throne between 1975 and 2014 as the wife of King Juan Carlos I, enjoys the same 64 percent approval rating as her son and has managed to remain relatively untarnished by the scandals of her husband.

Finally, in no great surprise to anyone, the disgraced former King Juan Carlos scored a 35 percent approval rating.

‘Leonormania’

Leading up to the Princess’ birthday, Spain has been gripped by ‘Leonormania’ and she has been given a greater public profile in recent months.

READ ALSO: Leonor turns 18: What you need to know about Spain’s crown princess

Leonor officiated at Spain’s national day ceremony for the first time recently, alongside King Felipe. The princess offers a “counter image” to her disgraced  grandfather, Jose Antonio Zarzalejos, former editor of the royalist daily newspaper ABC, told AFP. “She has no baggage, no history, her story is a normal one, of family and studies.”

Juan Carlos’ “son restored the reputation of the monarchy and his granddaughter will give it continuity,” he added.

This PR campaign seems to be working, and Leonor’s increased public profile seems to be helping public perception of the monarchy in Spain. According to polling from El Mundo, 63 percent of Spaniards believe she will make a good head of state. She is already the highest rated member of the Spanish royal family according to approval rating data, surpassing her father.

Spaniards polled gave the heiress to the throne a remarkably high 8.2 score, compared to the 7.3 for the King.

The demographics

The data for sentiment towards the monarchy along political demographics largely reflects the statistics in other constitutional democracies. In general terms, the more left-wing respondents were, the more supportive of republicanism they were. This was also true for age – the younger the respondent the less likely they are to be monarchists.

Right-wing voters over 45 are the group most likely support the monarchy.

Felipe VI scored 75 percent approval rating among respondents over 65 years old, but but just 54 percent among respondents between the ages of 25 and 34.

In terms of education, it seems the more educated someone is the less likely they are to approve of the monarchy. Respondents with just a primary education gave the King a 74 percent rating, secondary 63 percent, and university educated respondents just 60 percent. 

The politics

The demographics of monarchists and republicans largely bears out in Spain’s politics.

According to a GAD3 study for Spanish media outlet ABC, public opinion on the monarchy reflects the political polarisation in the country, and partisan alignment is a strong indicator of support for or against it.

The only political party where voters are torn on the monarchy vs. republic debate is PSOE. When polled, 44 percent of PSOE voters (from the 2019 general election) said they preferred a monarchy to a republic, but 47 percent said they wanted a republic.

Though PSOE’s base is split down the middle on the issue of monarchy, for voters of Spain’s other political parties public opinion is much more monolithic.

95 percent of PP – Spain’s centre right party – support a monarchy, matched only by far-right Vox with 94 percent.

Centrist Ciudadanos voters preferred monarchy by 76 percent to 16, and just 14 percent of far-left Unidas Podemos voters prefer monarchy, with 84 percent wanting a republic. 

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MONARCHY

IN IMAGES: King Felipe VI marks 10 tough years on Spain’s throne

King Felipe VI on Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of his accession to the Spanish throne, putting the spotlight on a decade of efforts to restore the image of the monarchy following scandals that led his father Juan Carlos to abdicate.

IN IMAGES: King Felipe VI marks 10 tough years on Spain's throne

“During these years of service, commitment and duty have been the pillars of my action as king,” he said during a ceremony at Madrid’s Royal Palace.

Felipe, then 46, was sworn in at Spain’s lower house of parliament on June 19th, 2014, just 17 days after his father announced he would step down following scandals regarding his finances and love life that led many Spaniards to question the role of the monarchy.

The aerobatic team “Patrulla Aguila” (Eagle Patrol) of the Spanish Air and Space Force flies above the Royal Palace. (Photo by Juan Medina / POOL / AFP)

“The king our era needed,” El Mundo newspaper headlined on its front page on Wednesday, adding that the first ten years of his reign had “restored prestige to the Crown”.

READ ALSO: Could Spain ever dethrone King Felipe and become a republic?

In his first speech after becoming king, Felipe promised “a renewed monarchy for a new era”. He promptly ordered an audit of the royal household accounts and issued a “code of conduct” for its members.

King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their daughters on the balcony of the Palacio de Oriente or Royal Palace. (Photo by Juan Medina / POOL / AFP)

The following year he stripped his elder sister, Princess Cristina, of her title as Duchess of Palma de Mallorca after she was indicted as part of a probe money laundering and fraud probe into her husband, Iñaki Urdangarín.

In 2016, she became the first member of the Spanish royal family to stand trial since the monarch was restored in 1975.

The princess was ordered to pay a fine and Urdangarín was convicted and served a jail term of five years and ten months. The couple have since separated.

Spain’s royal family and several politicians pose for photographs with 17 people decorated for civil merit during the commemorations. (Photo by Juan Medina / POOL / AFP)

The best system?

In 2020, Felipe renounced any future personal inheritance he might receive from his father and stripped him of his annual allowance after fresh details of his allegedly shady dealings emerged.

Even though investigations of Juan Carlos’s finances in Spain and Switzerland have since been dropped, Felipe has continued to keep his distance from his father, who left Spain for Abu Dhabi in 2020.

Juan Carlos came to the throne in 1975 after the death of long-time dictator Francisco Franco. He earned respect for his role in guiding Spain’s transition to democracy.

The wife of Spain’s Prime Minister, Begoña Gómez, attended the commemorations despite the corruption scandals she is currently embroiled in. (Photo by Juan Medina / POOL / AFP)

But the money and sex scandals eroded his standing. Spaniards appear divided over Felipe’s efforts to restore the image of the monarchy.

While 47.4 percent of Spaniards feel he has kept his promise of creating a monarchy “renovated for a new era”, 45.1 percent disagreed, according to a poll published Sunday in El Mundo.

Some 49.6 percent believe a constitutional monarchy is “the best system” for Spain, while 40.4 percent disagreed, according to the poll.

Spanish King Felipe VI talks with Spanish Crown Princess of Asturias Leonor. (Photo by Juan Medina / POOL / AFP)

‘Serving everyone’

Since Felipe’s eldest daughter Leonor turned 18 on October 31st last year, the heir to the Spanish throne has had an increasingly public role.

She swore loyalty to the Spanish constitution that day in a ceremony in parliament, a necessary step for her to be able to succeed to the crown.

READ MORE: Leonor turns 18 – What you need to know about Spain’s crown princess

Felipe, wearing a navy suit and patterned tie, appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace on Wednesday with his wife Letizia, a former TV journalist, and their daughters, Leonor and Sofia, as part of a ceremony marking his accession to the throne. The royal family waved to crowds gathered below.

During a gala lunch at the palace, Princess Leonor and her sister led guests in a toast to their parents.

“Because since we were born, we have been taught the value of this institution, of the Crown, its usefulness to our society and its purpose of serving everyone,” Leonor said

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