From Triumph To Turmoil: Secrets Of The Spanish Crown

From the headlines made by the British royal family to the recent scandals of the Norwegian crown, it’s hard to keep track of all the European royals. While most of the monarchies that still exist are (or at least try to be) manicured hallmarks of stability and unity, the political turbulence, scandal and unusually transparent image of the Spanish monarchy has marked it as an exception to the rule.

Spanish royalty can be traced back to the 15th century, but has had a wobbly existence, falling a total of three times. Today, the Spanish royal family boasts broad respect and popularity, but some less than positive sentiments linger on. Between daring political moves, headline-making scandals and palace drama, Spain’s monarchy remains one of the most intriguing on the European stage. 

Your Guide To The Spanish Royal Family

Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain

The Throne Meets Politics

In 1931, the unpopular King Alfonso was swept aside, making way for a Republican government. The 1930s saw mounting social tensions, eventually culminating in the Spanish Civil War. Victory fell to the Nationalists, and so began the tyranny of Spain’s lengthy dictatorship under Francisco Franco in 1939. Spanish society was tightly reined in, living under the shadow of repression, and it wasn’t until Franco’s death in 1975 that the Spaniards were finally unleashed from his severe regime. Before his death, Franco had anointed Juan Carlos I as his successor, trusting him to continue the severe Francoist values. But the dictator shot himself in the foot with this decision, as King Juan Carlos turned out to be the unlikely hero of Spain’s rebirth, approving the 1978 constitution and steering the country towards democracy. 

A Royal Rise and Fall

By allowing Spanish society the freedom and equality that had been lost for so many years, Juan Carlos was inevitably hugely popular in his early years as King. However, these glory days didn’t last forever and soon his reputation slowly began to crumble. Despite his marriage to Sofía and their three children, whispers of several extramarital affairs and three illegitimate children trailed him through palace corridors and into the glare of public scrutiny. His sovereign immunity meant the filing of paternity suits was left unanswered, though perhaps the fact that female hormones were administered to dampen his libido speaks for itself… 

King Juan Carlos repeatedly ruffled feathers in the world of conservation, casting him as a man with old-fashioned values. First, it was his bear hunts – specifically his trip to Romania in 2004 where he killed nine – that ignited public fury. Later, even more controversy was stirred in 2012 when the King went on a hunting safari in Botswana with his infamous mistress Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. The extravagance of this €44,000 trip was hugely frowned upon by the Spanish public and he was consequently sacked from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), leaving many to question his commitment to the very causes he once championed.

King Juan Carlos was also embroiled in a web of financial wrongdoings: the most notable of these was when he stashed €65 million, linked to a train contract in the Middle East, in offshore accounts and never declared it. And the family drama doesn’t stop there; his daughter, Infanta Cristina, followed closely in his footsteps, becoming involved in a high-profile fraud and money laundering scandal that only added to the monarchy’s tabloid-worthy reputation. 

With all of this outrage, King Juan Carlos eventually tired, abdicating the throne in 2014 and going into exile in the United Arab Emirates. However, new light might be shed on all of this scandal with the release of his memoir Reconciliation, set to be published in November. Will public opinion shift, or just spiral further?

The Modern Monarch

After the abdication of his father, it was King Felipe who ascended the throne. Even though he was the youngest of his three siblings, he nonetheless inherited the crown as Spain’s royal succession still follows the old tradition of male-preference primogeniture. Tall, dark and handsome, Felipe couldn’t escape the label of a royal heartthrob and before his marriage reportedly became affiliated with a Norwegian model, a Liechtensteiner princess and even American model Gigi Hadid. But it was TV presenter and divorcée Letizia Ortiz who would capture his heart – and the public’s attention. Her mighty 16-carat diamond ring blinded any remaining heart-eyed girls. Though rumours suggest that this royal commitment was flaky, as Letizia allegedly had a long love affair with Spanish politician Jaime Del Burgo, outlined in his book Letizia y Yo (Letizia and I). This scandal once again set fire to the persistent debate over the relevance and existence of Spain’s monarchy. Their affair supposedly lasted up until 2011, and then, to make matters even more eyebrow-raising, Del Burgo married her sister, Telma, just a year later. As exes turned siblings-in-law, family matters were left in a terribly awkward state. 

King Felipe seemed determined to rewrite the family script. Learning from his father’s financial controversies, he renounced any inheritance and dutifully paid tax on all of his earnings. Today, his assets total a modest €2.6 million, in sharp contrast to Juan Carlos’s €1.8 billion fortune. This humility has clearly resonated, earning King Felipe widespread admiration from the Spanish public, particularly when measured against the stormy legacy of his father.

The Crown’s Next Chapter

Princess Leonor is the eldest of King Felipe’s two daughters and on her 18th birthday was officially declared as the direct heir to the throne. With this historic announcement, she is poised to become Spain’s first queen in over a century, a symbol of both continuity and modernity for the monarchy. Princess Leonor represents a new generation of royalty – one that must navigate the weight of centuries-old traditions in a country that has seen its monarchy rise, fall, and reinvent itself time and time again. As she steps into her future role, all eyes are on her: a young woman destined to shape the next chapter of Spain’s royal story.