For many centuries, Spain has been a monarchy. The history of the kingdom would be several decades longer if not for the turbulent twentieth century. One revolution and two generals in the history of Italy of the last century was replaced by the next heir to the Bourbons and the Habsburgs - the young Juan Carlos Alfonso Victor Maria de Bourbon-i-Bourbon - the grandfather of the current Spanish king Phillip VI.
Early years and education
The boy, who was destined to become a modern monarch by fate, was born in the capital of Spain in 1968. He became the third child in the family of the heir to the Spanish throne - thirty-year-old Juan Carlos I - and Sophia the Greek. At the time of the birth of Philip, his parents already had two daughters - the five-year-old infante Elena and the three-year-old infante Christina.
At birth, Philip also received the title of infant. So in Portugal and Spain are called princes and princesses, heirs and heirs to the throne. The boy was baptized in the Catholic faith in the palace of Zarzuela near Madrid. His godparents were the grandfather of Philippe Juan, Count of Barcelona, who never managed to take the throne, and all his life he was considered only the heir (as a result, his son Juan Carlos I, the father of Philip became the king), and great-grandmother Victoria Eugene.
When Philip was seven years old, his father became the Spanish king, and the boy himself became the heir to the throne of the first stage. When the future monarch became an adult, he took the oath and swore allegiance to the Constitution and the king, which ultimately accepted the role of heir to the crown.
Until twenty-seven years old, the infante studied tirelessly. First, he graduated from high school in Madrid, then went to a Canadian school for a year. From 1985 to 1988, the future king of Spain, Philip 6, studied at the military academy, the school of the naval forces and the academy of the air forces. Later, the young man studied law and economics at the University of Madrid. In 1995, Philip received a master's degree from Georgetown University, located in Washington, USA.
Olympic Games
The heir to the throne grew under the scrutiny of the press, so he was forced to actively participate in society. However, he himself was an active young man, so that journalists and high title annoyed him a little.
In 1992, at the age of 24, the future king of Spain, Philip 6, participated in the Olympic Games in Barcelona. He was a member of the Spanish sailing team and participated in the opening ceremony of the Olympics. In competitions, Philip took sixth place.
Interestingly, participation in the Olympic Games is a family tradition of the Spanish monarchs. Philippe's father and mother also once took part in competitions in the same sport. Participated in the Olympics and his sister Princess Christina. True, it was the future king of Spain, Philip 6, who achieved the highest success in the family.
High titles and awards
After Philip's father became king, the infante received the status of heir to the throne. The boy began to be called His Royal Majesty the Infant. At the age of nine, Philip also became the prince of Girona, Viana, and Asturias. In the period from 1977 to 2014, Philip also became the Duke of Mont Blanc, Earl of Severus and Senor Blacer. After ascending the throne, the heir began to be called His Royal Majesty.
The current king of Spain has been honored with many awards. He received the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Royal Military Order of Saint-Fernando, the Order of Calatrava, Santiago, Montessa, Alcantara and so on. Philip VI was awarded high awards in other countries. For example, he is the holder of the Grand Cross in the Netherlands, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, Belgium, El Salvador, Panama, Norway, Ecuador and many other countries.
Military service
Having received a military education, Philip could not go to the service. He became lieutenant colonel of the ground forces and air force, captain of the second rank. Philip VI can pilot a helicopter. Before taking the throne, the heir became the captain-general of the army, navy and air force.
Ascension to the throne
"Long live the king!" - solemnly proclaimed in Spain, when the 46-year-old Philip VI ascended the throne. His father voluntarily abandoned the throne in favor of his son - this happened for the first time in the history of the Spanish monarchy. The eleventh king of the Bourbon dynasty received the crown on June 2, 2017.
King of Spain Philip 6 became the youngest king in the Old World. The Dutch monarch Willem-Alexander is only nine months older than him.
Even before the 46-year-old heir to the crown sat on the throne, he had already visited many countries of the world as an official representative of the Corps of Spain. Philip specialized in relations with the Middle East, North Africa and South America. In February 2002 and June 2003 he made an official visit to Russia.
Credentials
Formally, the king of Spain has very broad powers. He is loudly called the guardian of the Constitution, also the monarch - the commander in chief of the Armed Forces and the head of the executive branch, but, of course, he is primarily assigned a representative and ceremonial role.
At the coronation ceremony, Philip VI promised to take into account the interests of all Spanish regions, honestly fulfill his duties, respect the rights of subjects, comply with all laws and the Constitution. When the economic crisis struck, the king cut back a fifth of his annual salary. In the situation with Catalonia, Philip VI condemned the referendum and drew attention to the fact that the actions of regional authorities could jeopardize economic and social stability in the country.
Family of Philip VI
King of Spain Philip 6 and his wife ascended the throne together. The wife of the king - Letizia, nee Ortiz Rocasolano - a famous media person in the past. Philip met his future wife ten years before becoming a monarch. An enviable groom (the height of the King of Spain, Philip 6 is almost two meters, he is handsome and the heir to the throne) married a simple girl from the people a year after meeting.
The first daughter of the then prince was born in 2005, in 2007 a second girl was born to the couple. The children of King Philip 6 of Spain received the names Leonor and Sofia. The eldest girl ranks first in the line of succession to the throne of Spain, the youngest Sofia is second. The girls are now twelve and ten years old, both of them go to school, where their father once studied.