King Felipe VI of Spain

Felipe VI; Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Bourbon Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. He is the third child and only son of the former king, Juan Carlos I, and Queen Sofia. In 2004, Felipe married TV news journalist Letizia Ortiz, with whom he has two daughters, Leonor (his heir presumptive) and Sofia. In accordance with the Spanish Constitution, as monarch, he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed Forces with the military rank of Captain General, and also plays the role of the supreme representation of Spain in international relations.

Felipe ascended the throne on 19 June 2014 upon the abdication of his father. His reign has been marked by his dissolution of the Spanish Parliament in 2016 (so that new elections could be called), strong condemnations of the Catalonian independence referendum that led to the 2017-18 Spanish constitutional crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and moves towards greater transparency in royal affairs. According to a poll conducted in 2020, Felipe has moderately high approval rating.

Early Life and Family

He was born at Our Lady of Loreto Hospital at Madrid, the third child and only son of Infante Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark. He was baptized on 8 February 1968 at the Palace of Zarzuela by the Archbishop of Madrid, Casimiro Morcillo, with water from the Jordan River. His full baptismal name, Felipe Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos, consists of the names of the first Bourbon king of Spain (Felipe VI), his grandfathers (Infante Juan of Spain and King Paul of Greece), his great-grandfather King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and de Todos los Santos (“of all the Saints “) as is customary among the Bourbons. His godparents were his paternal grandfather Juan and his paternal great-grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain. Additionally, he is the third cousin once removed of King Harald V, Queen Margrethe II, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden respectively, and fourth cousin of King Charles III of the United Kingdom.

Shortly after his birth he was styled infante. The dictator Francisco Franco died just over two months before Felipe's eighth birthday, and Felipe's father ascended the throne, as the latter had been appointed as Prince (heir presumptive of Franco) back in 1969. In his first official appearance, Felipe attended his father's proclamation as king on 22 November 1975.

Prince of Asturias (1977-2014)

In 1977, Felipe was formally proclaimed Prince of Asturias. In May, nine-year-old Felipe was made an honorary soldier of the 1st King's Inmemorial Infantry Regiment. The occasion was marked on 28 May and was attended by the king, the prime minister and several other ministers in a ceremony at the infantry's barracks. On 1 November the same year, he was ceremoniously paid homage as Prince of Asturias in Covadonga. In 1981 Felipe received the Collar of the order of the Golden Fleece from his father, the Chief and Sovereign of the Order.

On his 18th birthday on 30 January 1986, Felipe swore allegiance to the Constitution and to the King in the Spanish Parliament as required by the constitution, fully accepting his role as successor to the Crown.

Education and Military Training

Felipe attended school at Santa Maria de los Rosales, which his daughters currently attend. Felipe attended high school at Lakefield College School in Ontario, Canada, and studied at the Autonomous University of Madrid, where he graduated with a degree in law; he also completed several courses in economics. He completed his academic studies by obtaining a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. where he was the roomate of his cousin, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.

Titles

30 January 1968-1 November 1977: His Royal Highness Infante Felipe of Spain

1 November 1977-19 June 2014: His Royal Highness The Prince of Asturias, Prince of Girona, Prince of Viana, Duke of Montblanc, Count of Cervera, Lord of Balaguer

19 June 2014-present: His Majesty The King of Spain

Honors

Spanish Honors

-Spain: 21st Grand Master and 1,182nd Knight of the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece

-Spain: Grand Master and Knight of the Collar of the Order of Charles III

-Spain: Sovereign of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa

-Spain: Grand Master of the Order of Isabella the Catholic

-Spain: Grand Master of the Order of Civil Merit

-Spain: Grand Master of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise

-Spain: Grand Master of the Order of St. Raymond of Penafort

-Spain: Grand Master of the Order of Constitutional Merit

-Spain: Grand Master of the Royal and Military Order of St. Ferdinand

-Grand Master and Knight Grand Cross with White Decoration of the Order of Military Merit

-Grand Master and Knight Grand Cross with White Decoration of the Order of Naval Merit

-Grand Master and Knight Grand Cross with White Decoration of the Order of Aeronautical Merit

-Grand Master of the Royal Military Order of St. Hermenegild

-Grand Master of the Decoration of Merit of Civil Guards

-Grand Master of the Royal Military Order of Calatrava

-Grand Master of the Royal Military Order of Santiago

-Grand Master of the Royal Military Order of Acantara

-Grand Master of the Royal Military Order of Montesa

-Plus Ultra Medal-INI

Foreign Honors

-Angola: Recipient of the Order of Agostinho Neto (7 February 2023)

-Argentina: Grand Cross of the Order of May of Military Merit, Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin

-Austria: Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria

-Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold

-Brazil: Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross

-Chile: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit

-Colombia: Grand Collar of the Order of Boyaca

-Dominican Republic: Collar of the Order of Christopher Columbus (24 April 1987)

-Ecuador: Grand Cross of the National Order of San Lorenzo

-El Salvador: Grand Cross with Gold Star of the Order of Jose Matias Delgado

-Estonia: Member 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana

-France: Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour

-Germany: Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (17 October 2022), Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (11 November 2002)

-Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer

-Honduras: Grand Cross of the Order of Francisco Morazan

-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary

-Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (25 October 2021), Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

-Japan: Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum

-Jordan: Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance

-Latvia: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars

-Lebanon: Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit

-Luxembourg: Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau

-Mexico: Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (26 June 2015), Sash of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (25 January 1996)

-Morocco: Member Special Class of the Order of Muhammad

-Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order-Nassau, Recipient of the King Willem-Alexander Inauguration Medal

-Norway: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav

-Panama: Grand Cross Extraordinary of the Order of Vasco Nunez Balboa

-Peru: Grand Cross with Diamonds of the Order of the Sun of Peru (7 July 2015), Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service (12 November 2018)

-Philippines: Grand Cross of the Order of Lakandula (3 December 2007), Grand Cross of the Order of Sikatuna (2 April 1995)

-Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (24 September 2003)

-Portugal: Grand Collar of the Order of the Tower and Sword (28 November 2016), Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword (25 September 2006), Grand Officer of the Order of the Tower and Sword (23 May 1996), Grand Cross of the order of Christ (13 October 1988), Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz (22 April 1991), Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Liberty (15 April 2018)

-Romania: Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (26 November 2007)

-Saudi Arabia: Collar of the Order of King Abdulaziz (15 January 2017)

-South Korea: Grand Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit (12 February 2007), Recipient of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa (15 June 2021)

-Sweden: Knight Collar of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (17 December 1991; 24 November 2021), Recipient of the 50th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (30 April 1996)

-United Kingdom: Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (17 October 1988), Stranger Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (12 July 2017)

-Holy See: Knight of the Collar of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (1 April 2022), North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Serge Lazareff Prize (2 May 2018)

Honorific Eponyms

Spain

-Caceres: Estadio Principe Felipe (Prince Felipe Stadium)

-Oviedo: Auditorio-Palacio de Congresos de Oviedo Principe Felipe (Prince Felipe Auditorium and Congress Palace of Oviedo)

-Valencia: Prince Felipe Museum of Sciences

-Valencia: Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe, CIPF (Prince Felipe Research Centre)

-Zaragoza: Prince Felipe Arena

-Spanish aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias (R-11) (Spanish aircraft carrier Prince of Asturias)

USA

-Washington, D.C.: Prince of Asturias Chair in Spanish Studies in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

-World Peace & Liberty Award

-New York City: Foreign Policy Association Medal

Other Honours

Holy See

-Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore: Protocanon (ex officio) 19 June 2014-present

-Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura: Protocanon (ex officio) 19 June 2014-present

-International Olympic Committee: Recipient of the Gold Olympic Order (18 December 2013)

Scholastic

Spanish Royal Academics

-Spanish Royal Academics Board: High Patron (ex officio) 19 June 2014-present

Military Ranks

-1 August 1985-7 July 1986: Officer Cadet, Spanish Army

-7 July 1986-7 July 1989: Cadet 2nd Lieutenant, Spanish Army

-10 July 1986-7 July 1989: Midshipman, Spanish Navy

-10 July 1987-7 July 1989: Cadet 2nd Lieutenant, Spanish Air Force

-7 July 1989-1 December 2000: Lieutenant, Spanish Army

-7 July 1989-1 December 2000: Ensign, Spanish Navy

-7 July 1989-1 December 2000: Lieutenant, Spanish Air Force

-18 March 1996-26 June 1996: Qualified Helicopter Pilot, 402 Training Squadron, Spanish Air Force

-1 December 2000-3 July 2009: Commandant, Spanish Army

-1 December 2000-3 July 2009: Corvette Captain, Spanish Navy

-1 December 2000-3 July 2009: Commandant, Spanish Air Force

-3 July 2009-19 June 2014: Lieutenant Colonel, Spanish Army

-3 July 2009-19 June 2014: Frigate Captain, Spanish Navy

- 3 July 2009-19 June 2014: Lieutenant Colonel, Spanish Air Force

-19 June 2014-present: Captain General of the Spanish Armed Forces

House: Bourbon-Anjou

Religion: Roman Catholic

(https://en.wikipedia.org)