Leonor will be the protagonist this Tuesday. The swearing in of the Constitution before the Cortes Generales, representatives of popular sovereignty, is not only a symbolic act by which the Princess of Asturias and Girona formally commits to upholding and enforcing the principles of the Magna Carta, it is also a auspicious occasion to bring the Crown closer to new generations. Dynastic continuity and projection into the future and, furthermore, a practical way to test not only popularity, but also the support of citizens, over that of the youngest.
The current challenge of the parliamentary monarchy is, precisely, to ensure the future of Leonor, who is the future of the monarchy. The swearing-in ceremony for the Constitution will be held in Congress, in front of parliamentarians, with the assistance of the Government, in this case in office, but without its direct intervention. The princess, as happened almost 38 years ago when her father, the current King Felipe, was sworn in, will commit herself to the representatives of the citizens, to the legislative power.
Although the absence of King Juan Carlos from institutional events has caused some controversy, his presence would have caused more controversy. His absence, more due to his status as former head of state than as a grandfather, is a consequence of his current situation, not so much that of self-exile, but rather that of being removed from institutional life and, as a consequence, also from the image familiar.
Since the very day of the proclamation of Felipe VI, in which Juan Carlos I, by his own will, was not present, the words spoken by the current head of State – “a renewed monarchy for a new time” – have become dogma of faith. King Juan Carlos himself moved away from the spotlight, although his claim for a peaceful retirement was ruined with the appearance of information (not always adjusted to reality and, at times, clearly aimed at undermining the Crown) that linked him to economic irregularities. and vital disruptions. Political pressure and the reaction of the citizens left no other option for the old former monarch than to leave Spain shortly after his son, Felipe VI, made public a kind of repudiation that was the basis of institutional and family distancing.
In the same way that Juan Carlos I accepted to be proclaimed king after the death of Franco, knowing that with his father, Juan de Borbón, the monarchy would never have been restored, Felipe VI has had to distance himself from his father so that the Crown could continue to live.
The Zarzuela's position of distancing, which causes so much displeasure in King Juan Carlos, has been shown to be the only possible one after the evidence that Felipe VI, despite the family rifts and the incomprehension of some sectors tolerant of the errors of the last years of King Juan Carlos, is managing, as he announced at the beginning of his reign, to renew the monarchy and consolidate his position. Now, Felipe VI and Zarzuela, in general, (that is, those who surround and advise him) have the challenge of bringing the Crown closer to the new generations and Leonor is the key piece.
After years in which his life was limited to the family environment with few and measured public appearances, the coincidence this October of the flag oath at the Zaragoza military academy; his presence at the events of October 12; His attendance at the Princess of Asturias Awards ceremonies (with the invaluable help of Meryl Streep, who has multiplied the media impact), has skyrocketed her popularity and anticipation of the swearing-in ceremony.
This October 31st is the most important event that Leonor will take part in until, in due course, she is proclaimed queen, and it is not a trivial fact that a group of twenty young people from among 18 and 28 years old, from different autonomous communities who have stood out for their careers in different training and professions. Of them, as of Leonor, it is the future and the future of the Crown depends on the Princess being a participant, accomplice and, when appropriate, standard bearer of a society composed mainly of people born this century.
