The Princess of Asturias reaches the age of majority this Tuesday and, as prescribed by article 61 of the Constitution, swears in the Magna Carta in a solemn act before the Cortes in the Congress of Deputies, where she arrived shortly after 11 a.m. a Rolls Royce with her sister Sofía and escorted by the Royal Guard Squadron. The vehicle was preceded by another that carried King Felipe and Queen Letizia.
Hundreds of people cheered the heiress in the streets of Madrid before arriving at Congress. There the royal family was received by the acting President of the Government and after a few volleys the national anthem was played and the head of State reviewed the Honors Battalion made up of more than 500 soldiers.
Without shouts or whistles, as happened in the parade on October 12, Pedro Sánchez, president of the acting government, greeted the royal family before the doors of Congress.
Leonor, dressed in a white suit, custom-made by the same tailoring shop that made Felipe VI's attire for his swearing-in, was received with the rest of the Royal Family under a 1902 canopy, used in the swearing-in of Alfonso's Constitution. XIII, by the presidents of the Congress and the Senate, Francina Armengol and Pedro Rollán, respectively.
“I swear to faithfully carry out my duties, to keep and ensure that the Constitution and the laws are kept and to respect the rights of citizens and the autonomous communities and fidelity to the king,” was the formula he used to swear the Constitution, an act with which Leonor has become heir to the Crown.
A crowd of citizens took to the streets of Madrid to receive the royal procession, escorted by the cavalry unit of the Royal Guard, which crossed the streets of Madrid among Spanish flags, and shouts of 'long live the princess' and ' Long live the king',
The Congress has dressed up for the occasion, with the Tribune replaced by a platform with the same tapestry and carpet from the swearing-in of Felipe VI in 1986. The 350 seats in the chamber have been replaced by smaller red velvet chairs to accommodate to the attendees.
In the guest gallery of the Congress were the former presidents of the Government José María Aznar, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Mariano Rajoy and Felipe González, along with the mayor of Madrid, José Luís Martínez Almeida. Also Miquel Roca, father of the Constitution and former spokesperson for the Catalan minority in Congress along with the former presidents of the Senate José Ignacio Barrero and Juna José Lucas.
Among the prominent personalities in the guest gallery, the former Secretary General of NATO, Javier Solana, spoke with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs of the EU, Josep Borrell.
Yolanda Díaz was the only minister from Unidas Podemos, along with Joan Subirats, from the Commons, who attended the swearing-in of the Constitution by Princess Leonor.
The event comes in the midst of negotiations to establish the acting Government, with the absence of just over fifty deputies at the event, on behalf of ERC, Junts, PNV, Bildu, BNG, Podemos as well as Sumar.
Nor have the emeritus kings Juan Carlos I and Doña Sofía attended the event, nor the princess's maternal grandparents.
Yes, the 122 deputies of the PSOE, the 136 of the PP, the 33 of Vox and the UPN and the CC were present.
The presidents of the Autonomous Communities have also attended the ceremony, except for the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonés, the Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu and the Cantabrian president, María José Sáenz de Buruaga (PP) who was scheduled to approve the budgets of her community .
Francina Armengol made reference, in her speech, to the former president of Congress Gregorio Peces Barba, who accompanied Felipe VI in his swearing-in to the Constitution.
The attendees applauded the Princess of Asturias and the King for almost five minutes straight after Leonor swore in the Constitution.
The people of Madrid have followed the swearing-in ceremony of the Constitution through the screens installed in different parts of the capital. Sweets with the Spanish flag have also been distributed to attendees.
Princess Leonor received the Gold Medals of the Cortes Generales, of both chambers, from Francina Armengol and Pedro Rollán. Both distinctions of an honorary nature, in recognition of actions or services considered meritorious, are granted to civilians by the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
The Royal delegation has moved back to the Royal Palace, after the ceremony in Congress and the military parade in front of the Cortes building. There, the king has imposed on the princess the Collar of the Royal Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, the highest civil recognition granted by the Government, and the second highest in the State after the Golden Fleece, a decoration that the princess has held since 2015.
The Princess of Asturias recalled in her speech that the power of the State resides in the people, whom she has asked for their trust; "I ask you to trust me, as I have all my trust in our future, in the future of Spain."
The award ceremony took place for the first time in the Chamber of Charles III where the founder of the Order died in 1988. Subsequently, they moved to the Throne Room to begin the hand-kissing.
