WEDDING FLOWERS: Spanish Abdication
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Showing posts with label Spanish Abdication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spanish Abdication. Show all posts

The Spanish Proclamation: The Main Event


Video: A short look above,
or click here for a full replay (I'm not sure if it will be up permanently)
It was a great day for a Proclamation in Spain – the sun was shining, the crowds were cheering, and King Felipe VI is officially on the throne. While I attempt to break my habit of writing “Princess Letizia”, let’s recap the sartorial side of the royal family’s big day.

Felipe has a commanding presence as king, don’t you think? Being dressed to the nines in his army gala uniform with his newly awarded red Captain General sash doesn’t hurt, obviously. He gave a strong speech that received a worthy (and lengthy) standing ovation, and that was just part of the warm welcome the royal family received today.

I felt like yesterday was about Juan Carlos and today was about Felipe, and I think Queen Letizia’s outfit choices have reflected that focus well. Today she chose a sleek white coat and dress with a hint of sparkly embellishment at the collar, needless to say from her favorite designer Felipe Varela. It was more formal than her usual choices, but not a drastic attention-grabbing departure from the style for which she is known. The collar added a patriotic touch with hints of red and yellow in the decoration, but not on a level that would make you wonder if she’d gotten lost on the way home from the World Cup. She avoided big jewelry but did add the small bow decoration of the Order of Charles III as a nod to the formality of the occasion. All in all, she walked a fine line and she walked it well, and unless she drops an enormously fabulous tiara appearance on us in the months to come, this will be a strong contender for her best of the year.

The brand new Princess of Asturias (Leonor) seemed a bit bemused by the extra attention, as did her sister Infanta Sofia, but they were both on their very best behavior. They wore matching outfits in different colors (pink for Leonor, blue for Sofia) with a little bit of fun in the hair department in the form of braids for Leonor and a sparkly dragonfly headband for Sofia. An A+ appearance if there ever was one.

Queen Sofia received her own well-deserved standing ovation during the Proclamation, and she sweetly accepted the affection in a sleek yellow ensemble with pearl and ruby jewelry (the pendant on her necklace belonged to her mother, Queen Frederika). She was supported by Infanta Elena, who wore cream and was spotted dropping a graceful curtsey to her brother. Also present at the Congress, and you can pick them out above, were Juan Carlos’ sisters Infantas Pilar and Margarita, plus Sofia’s siblings Princess Irene and King Constantine (with wife Queen Anne-Marie).

This was the rare day where there were no royal outfit flops to be found. Everyone was appropriate and everyone looked fantastic, and that really allowed the true purpose of the day to shine through. Well played, Spain.

P.S.: We won't have our regular post on Friday. Ascot is still happening over at the Vault, if you haven't checked in there.

Photos: RTVE video

The Spanish Proclamation: The Abdication

Juan Carlos I ended his reign today, as he signed the bill of abdication in the grand Hall of Columns at the Royal Palace. The bill goes into effect (and Felipe becomes king) at midnight. (...and, as an update after my initial posting, it now is past midnight in Spain, so the change is official!)

Video: The abdication
The ceremony was short but moving, and extended applause greeted the King as he symbolically switched chairs with his son after the signing.
The King appeared quite unsteady on his feet and accepted a kiss on the cheek from an elegantly dressed Queen Sofia after the signing, before embracing his son.
It was, as expected, an understated occasion (although as it was pointed out in the live post, you can't help but have a regal event in this setting). In keeping with that, Letizia wore a repeated dress from Felipe Varela.
She did, however, use the diamond earrings she wore on her wedding day. They were a gift from the King and Queen, so it's not only a nice upgrade for a special occasion, but a nice nod to her in-laws.
Rounding out the family party, a pair of slightly squirmy infantas (judging by their mother's reactions, that is) sat to the side with Infanta Elena. Behind them sat the King's two sisters, Infanta Pilar and Infanta Margarita.

Stay tuned for updates from Thursday's proclamation! If you'd like to watch live, you can comment here on the open post.

Photos: CasaRealTV/Felipe Varela
The Spanish Proclamation: Event Details

The Spanish Proclamation: Event Details

I've made a few updates to my last information post on the handover between Juan Carlos and Felipe in Spain, but here's the schedule for those that want to watch live. (RTVE.es streams live, and I'm sure there will be other options as well if the events aren't on television in your country.)

All times below are local. Here's a timezone converter.
  • Wednesday, June 18th, 6:00 P.M.: King Juan Carlos signs the bill of abdication.
  • Thursday, June 19th:
    • 9:30 A.M.: King Juan Carlos bestows the sash of Captain General on his son, now Felipe VI.
    • 10:00: The new King and Queen and their two daughters, the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia, depart from the palace.
    • 10:30: They arrive at the Congress. After military honors, the Proclamation begins. The ceremony is followed by a speech from King Felipe and then a military parade. Queen Sofia, Infanta Elena, Infanta Pilar, and Infanta Margarita will be present; King Juan Carlos will stay away so as not to detract attention from the new king. Infanta Cristina won't be there either.
    • 11:30: The royal family departs, returning to the palace where they will appear on the balcony and later hold a reception.
We will have an open post here for those that want to watch live. I'll post it just before the abdication gets started on Wednesday, so if you're planning on watching, stay tuned!

Royal News Update (with Bonus Royal Outfit) of the Day: June 6

Royal News Update (with Bonus Royal Outfit) of the Day: June 6

The week began with Juan Carlos announcing his intent to abdicate the Spanish throne in favor of his son Felipe, and as it draws to a close, we still don’t have a lot of exact details on just how that transition will occur. There hasn’t been a succession (by abdication or otherwise) since the restoration of the monarchy after General Franco (when Juan Carlos became king) or since the constitution was put in place in 1978, so this is a first. The government needs to fast-track some legislation to make this happen.

Juan Carlos’ legacy as a key part of the transition to democracy from dictatorship in Spain will hold in the history books, but at the moment, scandals like the corruption investigation into his son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarín’s business (and daughter Infanta Cristina’s role in it) and the king’s own troubles (getting caught on an elephant hunting trip with his alleged mistress, for example) are grabbing the headlines. Add in things happening outside the monarchy (such as massive unemployment rates, or the coming vote on independence for Catalonia) and you get one very sticky situation. Thousands met the news of the abdication by protesting for a republic.

I mention all of this because I’ve seen a lot of comparisons to last year’s Dutch and Belgian abdications, and it must be acknowledged that the circumstances are very different. Spain’s power switch is shaping up to be very low key from what we know so far, much lower key than in the Netherlands and perhaps even more so than what we saw in Belgium.

Here’s a bit of what we know so far, on just a couple of hot topics (note that things are constantly changing, so there are no guarantees):

Felipe VI’s Proclamation. Currently there are reports that the Palace has confirmed the dates as follows: Juan Carlos will sign the abdication act at the Royal Palace on June 18. Then, on June 19, the proclamation will take place in front of the Cortes Generales. (Updated to add: these dates have been confirmed.) (I should note that many are using the term “coronation” for this event, but know that there’s no actual crowning or anointing going on here.) A video of what this looked like in 1975:

As you can see, at that time Queen Sofia was in a long court dress with sash. The ladies' dress code for what’s to come is unknown at this time. I hope that even if it is an “everyday” dress code, she’ll still have Felipe Varela make her something a little bit special.

There will be no foreign royals at the proclamation, according to the Palace. It remains to be seen how much of the Spanish royal family will be in attendance. (Updated to add: Queen Sofia, Infanta Elena, Infanta Pilar, and Infanta Margarita will be present at the proclamation in addition to the new King and Queen and their two daughters.)

Several days after the proclamation of Juan Carlos, a mass was held and some foreign royals were in attendance. Initial speculation was that Felipe would have something similar, perhaps in July, but it is now being reported that Palace says there will be no such service. As I said, it looks like they’re going an extremely low key route – make the switch and get back to work. And given the current climate that could be the best way to go. (…Yes, even if it disappoints those of us that love the pageantry.)

Title and status changes. Felipe will reign as Felipe VI. His oldest daughter, Infanta Leonor, will automatically become the Princess of Asturias when her father becomes king. It’s not yet known for sure what titles Juan Carlos and Sofia will assume after the abdication. (Updated to add: it has been confirmed that they will retain the titles of King and Queen.) On another note, the King will lose the legal immunity he enjoyed as sovereign. This could have interesting implications; a couple of paternity lawsuits were dismissed a few years ago because of his immunity. (Updated to add: it seems the government might be exploring some form of immunity for the King after abdication after all.)

Infantas Elena and Cristina, the daughters of Juan Carlos, will no longer be members of the official royal family, meaning they won’t partake in official engagements. (This pertains to official business only, not personal family relationships.) This is nothing new (the two sisters of Juan Carlos have a similar status now) and nothing unique (other royal houses, such as the Dutch, also limit the size of the royal house by degree of relationship to the monarch). Infanta Cristina has basically been removed from all of this already due to the corruption scandal.

Introductory visits. As we've seen with the other new sovereign couples, Felipe and Letizia will be making short visits abroad after the transition - France, Morocco, and Portugal are on tap for this summer. They'll also be present in Belgium in August for the World War I centenary commemoration.

Jewels. As you've gathered by now, these transitional events will not be opportunities for big jewelry. But the future of the Spanish jewelry collection is interesting to ponder; Queen Victoria Eugenia designated some jewels to be passed down and worn by future queens, including the big Fleur de Lys Tiara and some other important pieces. We can assume these will be given to Letizia for her use (though when, or if, she would wear something like the big tiara is a different question). But many of the tiaras used regularly by the Spanish ladies were gifts to Queen Sofia and are, as far as we know, still her personal property (including the Floral Tiara, the Mellerio Shell, and the Prussian Diamond, plus the Niarchos rubies). There might not be a change here, but it will be interesting how this is dealt with in the future.


So there you go, just a few points of interest. With that information (or lack of information) out of the way, let’s have an outfit to look at, shall we?
The Prince and Princess of Asturias attended an awards presentation in Navarra this week.
This was the couple’s first joint appearance after the big news. I might have picked a different style for the jacket, since this one’s a little formal for a tropical print, but I love that Letizia went with something happy and bright. Even if nothing else is cheery, dang it, her dress will be! That’s the spirit.


P.S.: 88-year-old QEII is on a mission to show us all up in the energy department during her state visit to France, and you can head over to the Jewel Vault for complete coverage of that. You can also head over there to discuss any royal appearances at the D-Day services today!
Royal Outfits (and Royal News Updates) of the Day: June 2

Royal Outfits (and Royal News Updates) of the Day: June 2

When it rains (reigns, sorry) it pours in the world of royal news! This weekend's bookends were two major announcements from two countries. Two recent outfits from ladies at the center of the breaking news for our Monday then...

First up: Princess Charlene is pregnant! The long-awaited announcement came on Friday. Congrats to them! Charlene was due to accompany Albert on an official visit to the Netherlands this week, but Albert will be flying solo now. So we'll adapt and drop back to cover one of the big annual Monaco events that we haven't touched on yet, the Grand Prix.
The princely family attended the Grand Prix de Monaco on May 25th.
It's hard to go wrong with a strong, simple silhouettes, especially for Charlene. And she's even added a little extra something to her Akris dress with a red racing stripe down the center.
I see what you did there, Char. Well played.

I wasn't as enamored with her one-sleeve wonder (also by Akris, naturally) at the gala (click here for a gallery), though I am by default a fan of her in a big color. Also, I continue to want most of what's in Beatrice Borromeo's closet, so there's that.

Second: King Juan Carlos is to abdicate! The Spanish king announced Monday that he will be stepping down in favor of his son, Felipe. (Here's a BBC article.) Juan Carlos has been plagued by scandal and his own ill health in recent years, so you can count me among those that thought he might join in on the recent abdication trend. We await more details. In the Spanish spirit, here's a recent Letizia outfit...
Princess Letizia attended a language seminar on May 28th.
...and, well, they can't all be interesting. Spain may not really do the hats-n-gloves level of royal dressing (for engagements at home, at least), but what will be interesting to see is if Letizia sticks to her businesslike standard with her coming elevation to queen, or if she ups her sartorial game too. We shall wait and see...

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