Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne, took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution yesterday, Tuesday, upon turning 18. This is a necessary step for her to one day succeed her father, King Felipe VI, as head of state. In the presence of her parents, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as well as her younger sister Sofia, the princess made her pledge during a joint session of the Parliament held in an extraordinary meeting. This solemn act mirrors that of her grandfather, King Juan Carlos I, in 1969 under Franco's dictatorship, and her father's in 1986 during democracy.
Leonor, wearing an elegant white formal suit, swore on the same version of the Constitution that her father swore on 37 years ago, in the presence of the queen and the President of the Congress, Francina Armengol. She said, "I swear to perform my duties loyally, to protect and guarantee the Constitution and laws, to respect the rights of citizens and autonomous regions, and to be loyal to the king."
With this oath, Leonor can now succeed Felipe, becoming the head of state automatically in the king's absence.
