Spain’s royal family faced scrutiny when Prince Felipe became King Felipe VI in 2014 after his father, King Juan Carlos, abdicated due to scandals, including a corruption probe and a 2012 elephant hunting trip. Felipe, who inherited the throne over his sisters due to male-preference succession (now changed, making his daughter Leonor heir), is highly popular. He studied in Canada, trained in Spain’s military, and earned degrees in Madrid and Georgetown. He sailed in the 1992 Olympics.
Felipe’s wife, Letizia, a prominent journalist with degrees in journalism, anchored Spain’s news. They met through a friend, kept their romance secret until spotted in Mallorca, and got engaged in 2003 despite Juan Carlos’s objections to Letizia’s divorcee status. Felipe was ready to renounce the throne, and his mother warned that blocking the marriage could end the monarchy.
