Princess Leonor turns 18 next Tuesday, October 31. A historic day in which the heir to the Throne will swear the Constitution before the Cortes Generales in a solemn institutional act from which her grandfather has been removed, who will not be in the Congress of Deputies. Only her parents, King Felipe and Letizia, and Infanta Sofía, Sofía, who is in Madrid taking advantage of a period without classes at the Welsh school, will attend the Cortes to accompany the Princess.
As we anticipated days ago, The Princess of Asturias will celebrate her coming of age after the swearing-in with a private and family party that will take place at the Palacio del Pardo and will be attended by King Juan Carlos and Sofía and Leonor’s aunts, the Infantas Elena and Cristina.
However, the presence of all his cousins is not confirmed; We already pointed out that Froilán, who has lived in Dubai for months and is dedicated to preparing the Climate Summit that will take place in the Emirate at the end of November, could take advantage of his grandfather’s private flight to attend. His sister Victoria Federica, as we feared, has a trip planned with friends. In fact, this young woman travels more than Piquer’s trunk.
As for the Urdangarin Borbón, their cousins Irene and Miguel will be at the Princess’ side on such a special day for her, while Juan and Pablo will try, although at the moment they do not know if their professional commitments will allow it.
The paradox of Lequio: Pujol yes, don Juan Carlos no
But the celebration was not without controversy, since Don Juan Carlos had expressed his desire to attend the swearing-in of the Constitution by Leonor, a very important act for the dynasty because it ensures continuity. The family celebration on the occasion of Leonor’s swearing-in will at least allow Don Juan Carlos to meet with his daughter, Infanta Cristina, who is immersed in the divorce process with Iñaki Urdangarin. Both will set some final parameters, before Cristina and the former Duke of Palma meet with her lawyers, as Doña Elena leaked days ago, perhaps unintentionally, after a private conversation of the Infanta at a public event was leaked.
There are those who claim, like Alessandro Lequio, that the absence of the Emeritus in the Cortes in such an important solemn event for his granddaughter is outrageous. Lequio even said that Juan Carlos even considered traveling to Spain after being ‘forbidden’ to be present in the Congress of Deputies when the Princess swears in the Magna Carta as heir to the throne. And he added that it is inconceivable that the King Felipe can be seen in public with Jordi Pujol (prosecuted for corruption) at the same time he rejects his father’s presence in Congress. The Italian was referring to a photograph of the current monarch greeting the former president of the Generalitat at an event organized by the Godó Group, in Barcelona, days ago.
Juan Carlos I is prohibited from sleeping in La Zarzuela
Juan Carlos I will not only be absent from the Cortes but will not be able to spend the night in Zarzuela on the 31st after the private party at which his presence is expected. It has been said that he will return to Abu Dhabi by plane in the evening immediately after Leonor’s swearing-in celebration. He will not settle in the home of her daughter, Infanta Elena either: she will sleep on the plane back to the United Arab Emirates, as already happened when she met her son in La Zarzuela in 2022.
What does Queen Sofia say?
We asked Queen Sofía about this matter upon her arrival at Madrid’s Atocha station this Wednesday late at night after visiting the Reus Food Bank. Devoted to this charitable cause, the Emeritus demonstrated once again her closest side with some of her volunteers, with whom she chatted with a big smile.
A relaxed attitude that we have also seen in her upon her return to the capital, greeting with politeness and kindness the staff who were waiting for her upon her arrival. However, and true to her discretion, Doña Sofía has preferred to stay away from what has been published about the private celebration of Princess Leonor’s coming of age and has left it up in the air whether we will finally be able to see her at the Congress of the Deputies or not, and whether Don Juan Carlos will travel to Spain to be with his family on such a special day despite his non-institutional presence.