Today King Felipe VI turns 54: this is the Guardian of the Monarchy

El martes 30 de enero de 1968 amaneció muy frío, casi gélido. A las ocho de la mañana, dos coches se acercaron rápidamente a la clínica Loreto de Madrid. Al volante de uno de ellos iba el príncipeJuan Carlos de Borbón, nieto de aquel Alfonso XIII que tuvo que exiliarse tras la proclamación de la Segunda República. A su lado estaba su esposa, la princesa Sofía, hija de los Reyes de Grecia, que tenía el semblante serio y preocupado. Había pasado muy mala noche pensando que sus peores pronósticos se podrían cumplir: dar a luz a otra niña. El matrimonio ya tenía dos, Elena y Cristina, y necesitaban un varón. Hacía tan sólo tres años, en 1965, cuandoJuan Carlos le anunció que «Dios nos ha dado otra hija», Sofía estalló a llorar. Esta vez no podía pasar lo mismo. Llevaba meses preguntando a su ginecólogo, el docto Manuel María Mendizábal, sobre el sexo del bebé. Pero aún no existían las ecografías, por lo que solo se podía especular.

As soon as he arrived at the clinic, Sofia settled in the same always suite, the 605, and after a few hours, it was on his own foot to the paritor.No shirts: she wore a pajamas shirt from her husband.To be more comfortable, he said years later to his biographer, Pilar Urbano.It was a fast and uncomplicated childbirth and, at half past twelve more or less, the long -awaited child was born.A man finally!He weighed four kilos and three hundred grams and measured fifty -five centimeters.His father was so euphoric that he began to hug everyone.

A few minutes later,Juan Carlos telephoned the Pardo:

- Is he macho? - Franco asked with his usual military tone.

- Yes, my general, Machote as his father.

Franco smiled slightly.That birth was what I was waiting to take a transcendental step that would change the course of the history of Spain.

Succession

The little infant, as he was known at the time, received the names of FelipeJuan Pablo Alfonso de Todos Los Santos.Felipe by Felipe V, the creator of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain;Juan for his paternal grandfather;Paul for maternal grandfather;Alfonso for his great -grandfather, Alfonso XIII.All Saints was a tradition of the Spanish monarchy.

In his first press conference, two days after being born, Felipe appeared as a blond and blue -eyed baby, more similar to his mother than his father.Without him knowing it, his presence in the world has allowed to unleashed a historical question.Franco, who until that time had not ruled on his succession, takes advantage of the fact that PrinceJuan Carlos is already 30 years old and a male son, indispensable requirements according to the law of the moment, to appoint him a few months later, “his successor in his way ofKing".It would be he who would assume the Head of the State once the dictator died, something for which there was no longer so much.

Felipe, of course, did not know anything about all this, but continued starring historical moments in his first months of life.His baptism, without going any further, was an event that allowed her grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenia, to step on Spanish soil again after having left the exile on April 15, 1931.His godfather was his paternal grandfather,Juan de Borbón, whom at that time many considered the real king of Spain and headed to him as Majesty andJuan III.

Beyond these iconic moments, however, the childhood of the "infant Felipe" was of relative normality.He grew up in the zarzuela with his sisters and surrounded by cousins and friends.His contacts with the outside world were counted and, although he assured that he was an ordinary child, in his circle all were aristocrats, of royalty, or people with enough rank.The children of the kings of Bulgaria in exile and their cousins, the princes of Greece, were some of the closest.

His mother was responsible for personally caring for everything he could, but also had English Nannies: Ann Bell, Pamela Wallace and, later, Monica Walls.When Princess Sofia had to start traveling often, she hired Mercedes Soriano as Governess and, sometimes punctual, she arrived from GreeceJoanna Ravani, whom Doña Sofía knew of her years as a child nurse in Athens.

When his mother was with him, yes, he dedicated himself to pampering everything he could, with what Felipe became a very capricious, spoiled and quite rude child."A little Napoleon," their sisters complained, and they didn't lack reason.That bad character was dragged by all childhood, adolescence and reached adulthood.It was quite a bad student as a child, he did what he wanted, he fell asleep late and nobody seemed to set limits.As a young man was quite pijo, he surrounded himself with not always recommended friends and enjoyed a life of travel and luxuries that were, of course, denied the public.The passage through military academies was needed and sent to Canada the equivalent of the COU (today, second of Baccalaureate) to straighten him a little, although it was not until Letizia appeared in his life and, above all, when he had to face thecoup of abdication, which matured at all and left behind its most hedonistic, superficial and somewhat superb facet.

"The preparation"

His education was a matter of state, although the nickname of "the preparation" that has accompanied him for so many years - Carrera and Master!And he speaks English! - serves today to insult him than to exalt him.The truth is that he had a correct training, but not as extraordinary as they have made us believe.

His early years spent them at the Los Rosales College, where their daughters have also studied.The center had been created in 1952 by a group of outstanding people and its board of directors gathered, among others, the Duke of the Infantado andJaime Carvajal Urquijo.The enrollment was not exactly cheap (they were among the fifteen more expensive schools in Madrid) and the type of students, although it was insisted again that all were "normal", it was far from coming from humble families.Rather the complete opposite.

It was decided to study the last year before the University in Canada, at the Lakefield College.At that time it was argued that a "cosmopolitan" and bilingual, in English and French training could be good, although the bad tongues ensure that their parents' marriage was already completely broken by then,Juan Carlos did not stop doing his own and, not to contaminate the son with the worst vices of the father, Sofia decided to put land and an entire ocean in between.

Then came the passage through the three academies and, later, the university, where he studied law, more by imposition than for his own will.It is known that Felipe is passionate about astronomy - his maternal grandmother, Queen Federica, bought a telescope when he was eleven years old to observe the stars - and, if he could have chosen, he would surely have opted for astrophysics or some engineering.But the reason for the State was imposed and ended in law (with a few subjects of economics).Then he studied a Master in International Relations at Georgetown University, in Washington.

While he licensed, the brilliant historian Carmen Iglesias was going to see him a few times a week to show her story.They must have been very enriching and stimulating lessons - Carmen Iglesias, today president of the Royal Academy of History, is exquisite elegance and erudition - and Felipe since then loves matter.It is also said that he knows some art and there are those who assure that Dalí's work is interested.

A stranger

But everything is assumptions, of course, because practically nothing is known about him.When, in 1989, just the day before his 21st birthday, he granted an interview with Lola Molinero, there was no way to get anything.Musical tastes?Of everything a little, he said.Gastronomic preferences?"I like everything without great preferences or great rejections".

It was impossible to get him out of the institutional role, of pure millimeter correction, although the image he gave was that of someone who does not opt for anything and who is horrified to make decisions.They say that this pathological disability to decide is precisely one of its main characteristics.For some it is a sign of prudence and good judgment;For others, symptom of a soda, gray and quite boring personality.

Be that as it was, Felipe has always appeared to the Spaniards: someone who does not leave a millimeter of the script.It is a pity that Zarzuela's communication policy - then and now - wanted to introduce ourselves to a prince enthusiated and somewhat bland.He believed - formerly - that he gave an impolute image, when the only thing they have achieved is blurred.

Nothing happens to suggest what it really is (in fact, it would make him win points): Felipe is not even an intellectual, books are not theirs and classical music does not like much.Before meeting Letizia I never saw cinema that was not commercial.His tastes, in fact, are what they are now called mainstream, totally away from hipsterism where his wife moves.In his youth he listened to Mecano and was passionate aboutJodo de Troya deJ.J.Benítez about esotericism, UFOs and style issues.It is known that, above all, he likes sport and that's where he takes out his competitive side.Of course: despite being very high, basketball has never been good and, although it has always been said that he is an Atleti follower, the truth is that football does not like.His is the candle, tennis and skiing.Also pilot helicopters and driving high -end cars.They say he has a wine cellar at home, that when he leaves at night a gin-tonic and that he is a good dancer.

Letizia

Felipe's sentimental life, of course, has been followed and analyzed to the millimeter, for his total misfortune.His youth loves with Isabel Sartorius ran rivers of ink and her courtships with the American Gigi Howard or with actress Gwyneth Paltrow generated angry debates.His relationship with the Norwegian model Eva Sannum, however, was the one that would uncover the most.A lingerie model!And of divorced parents!And above foreigner!Media Spain took his hands to the head when he thought that that Nordic beauty that walked with an excessively low and provocative suit at the wedding of Prince Haakon of Norway and Mette-Marit could one day strain the crown. Felipe intentó por todos los medios convencer a la opinión pública de que estaba enamorado, pero fue en vano: se orquestó tal campaña mediática en contra (se dice que instigada por el propioJuan Carlos) que no hubo nada que hacer.Spain did not want to hear about such a link.The phrase "the prince can marry whoever wants but not with anyone" was repeated until satiety.

Felipe became sad and desolate.But soon healed his wounds: an Asturian journalist named Letizia Ortiz who fell in love with the marrow appeared in his life.Felipe, who had learned the lesson, played this time his letters very well and, from what is told, he came to put an ultimatum on the table: either Letizia or the throne. AJuan Carlos y Sofía no les quedó más remedio que aceptar, aunque la relación fue tensa y desconfiada desde el principio.

Letizia never liked her in -laws and her surroundings: that if she was divorced from her first husband, that if she did not have a pedigree (many came to call her "jolines" or, directly, the "chacha"), that if he had a personalityLittle suitable for the monarchy, that if in its past there were too many men and the occasional controversial matter, and so on.But Letizia ended up imposing.

Of course, the price he paid was gigantic.They put mosquadillas, received it with nails and teeth, his life was impossible.Letizia thought she was starring in a fairy tale but ran into an unstructured, completely broken family, who only lived from appearances for the gallery.The atmosphere - as a great degree - of many events should be unbearable.That she had such a controlling, maniacating and perfectionist personality, did not help or serve to bring it closer to the people, which has always seen it with a mixture of disdain, displeasure and total disinterest.

The only good thing is that Letizia was key to giving Felipe a family life from which he had always lacked.According to everyone who knows him well, Felipe is a padrazo and dirties for his daughters, Leonor and Sofia.

Highlight always

Felipe and Letizia have had matrimonial ups and downs and even a strong crisis that made many in zarzuela feared a divorce.From what is said, Corinna's crisis and all the scandals that whipped the crown served to unite them and, since they are on the throne, their relationship has improved substantially.Now they can be themselves, without being in the shadow of anyone.

The problems, yes, have not stopped stalking them.Since he is king, Felipe has had to face numerous political problems (the repetition of elections, for example, which had never happened before, the situation in Catalonia, etc..Juan Carlos no ha parado de darle disgustos y, últimamente, cuando ya parecía que todo empezaba a calmarse, la situación de su hermana Cristina con Iñaki Urdangarín ha resucitado viejos fantasmas.

The new monarch proposed an impossible task: refloat the monarchy, an institution that became in clinical death."A renewed monarchy for a new time," he promised in his speech before the Cortes, and he has delivered.Gone were the fake years "Campechance": Felipe has a more martial, serious and Prussian air, more inspired by his mother's and, above all, in his grandfather's, King Pablo of Greece of Greece.There is no charism or great emotions, but there are no failures, or there are no excess.

A king who needs to be defined

The big problem is that, during all these years that has been on the throne, Felipe has tried.He has sinned excessive prudence and lack of claw, so to speak with fineness, and many now blame him for a lack of personality and character.The king is boring, they assure.His critics say he is an insecure guy, unable to make a decision and with a pachorra point.A man who fails to make a place between two personalities as strong as that of his father and his wife.A calzonazos, go, at the orders of Letizia, a woman without a doubt of order and command.

Some criticisms are excessive, but others carry some really: Felipe appears too much uncovered.It confuses institutionality with supine boredom and does not understand that the only thing that generates this is the total detachment, disinterest and indifference.And from indifference to irrelevance there is a very small step.

Felipe needs to learn to communicate better and leave behind harmful habits (half of the acts that stars are anachronistic, soporiferous and excessively caspose).The transparency policy of the Royal House has to improve.You have to learn to better connect with people's real problems and stop so much audience with associations of which virtually no one has heard.You have to go out more (earn a lot when you are with people), surround themselves with young.

The King, in short, should go to action, if they allow me the pyelleral expression.Those who know him say that, despite his defects, Felipe is in the background a good guy.Shy, very reserved, but very good people.In that they all agree, from the most staunch monarchists to the most recalcitrant Republicans who have treated him.That has a good background and wants to do it well.

And that he is willing to strive to achieve it.