King Felipe VI takes Spanish throne
6/19/2014 9:38:23 AM
King Felipe VI took the Spanish crown Thursday, setting the stage for celebrations in the flag-festooned capital a day after his father quit the throne with tears in his eyes.
The 46-year-old former Olympic yachtsman, who stands nearly two meters (6 feet 6 inches) tall, assumed the crown after an emotional ceremony in the first royal succession of the post-Franco era.
Felipe legally became king at the stroke of midnight (2200 GMT) as an act of parliament signed by his father came into force, formalizing the end of 76-year-old Juan Carlos' 39-year reign.
He faces a formidable challenge.
As king, Felipe must restore the image of the monarchy after his father's reign became bogged down in scandal; inspire a people grappling with a 26 percent unemployment rate; and try to unite the nation even as the northeastern region of Catalonia seeks an independence referendum on November 9.
Thousands of red and yellow Spanish flags fluttered through the city, bedecked with white flowers ready for the royal event, which is being secured by 7,000 police. Shops scrambled to sell t-shirts and fridge magnets commemorating the new generation of royals.
Even some Spaniards who glumly sat in Madrid bars and watched their heroes crash out of the World Cup after losing 2-0 to Chile seemed ready to give the new monarch a chance.
Joaquin Lamas, a 34-year-old salesperson nursing a beer in the city center's Taberna del Gijon bar and bemoaning his misery at Spain's performance, said he believed Felipe's ascension to the throne was good news.
"He is someone who will bring something to Spain. I don't think of the king as a king but as an ambassador who represents Spain and as such I think he is trained and he will contribute," Lamas said.
The 46-year-old former Olympic yachtsman, who stands nearly two meters (6 feet 6 inches) tall, assumed the crown after an emotional ceremony in the first royal succession of the post-Franco era.
Felipe legally became king at the stroke of midnight (2200 GMT) as an act of parliament signed by his father came into force, formalizing the end of 76-year-old Juan Carlos' 39-year reign.
He faces a formidable challenge.
As king, Felipe must restore the image of the monarchy after his father's reign became bogged down in scandal; inspire a people grappling with a 26 percent unemployment rate; and try to unite the nation even as the northeastern region of Catalonia seeks an independence referendum on November 9.
Thousands of red and yellow Spanish flags fluttered through the city, bedecked with white flowers ready for the royal event, which is being secured by 7,000 police. Shops scrambled to sell t-shirts and fridge magnets commemorating the new generation of royals.
Even some Spaniards who glumly sat in Madrid bars and watched their heroes crash out of the World Cup after losing 2-0 to Chile seemed ready to give the new monarch a chance.
Joaquin Lamas, a 34-year-old salesperson nursing a beer in the city center's Taberna del Gijon bar and bemoaning his misery at Spain's performance, said he believed Felipe's ascension to the throne was good news.
"He is someone who will bring something to Spain. I don't think of the king as a king but as an ambassador who represents Spain and as such I think he is trained and he will contribute," Lamas said.