Felipe VI

Felipe VI (born 30 January 1968) is the current King of Spain. He has been king since 19 June 2014. He was born in Madrid and is the only son of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark.

Felipe studied law and international relations in Spain and the United States. He also completed training in the Spanish Army, Spanish Navy, and Spanish Air Force.

Felipe met Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, a television journalist, and they married in 2004. They have two daughters, Leonor and Sofía.

Felipe became king after the abdication of his father in 2014. Since then, he has worked to support peace and progress in Spain. His time as king has included important moments such as the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the COVID-19 pandemic. He is seen as a modern and respected leader in Spain.

Early life and family

Felipe VI was born on 30 January 1968 in Madrid. He is the third child and only son of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark. His father later became King Juan Carlos I, and his mother became Queen Sofía of Spain.

Felipe was baptized on 8 February 1968 at the Palace of Zarzuela by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Madrid. His full name is Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos.

Prince of Asturias

In 1977, Felipe was named Prince of Asturias. As a young boy, he joined a special group of soldiers in a ceremony. Later that year, he was officially recognized in a special event. When he turned 18 in 1986, Felipe made a promise to follow Spain’s rules in front of the country’s leaders.

Felipe went to school in Spain and later in Canada. He studied law in Madrid and then trained in the United States. As the future king, Felipe trained in the army, navy, and air force. He learned to fly planes and took part in different military activities.

In 1992, Felipe was part of Spain’s team in the Olympic sailing event in Barcelona. He carried the team’s flag during the opening ceremony, and the team came in sixth place.

Main article: Wedding of Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz

Felipe married Letizia Ortiz in 2004. They have two daughters, Leonor and Sofía.

Felipe took part in many official events in Spain and visited many countries. He helped show Spain’s culture and language around the world.

Felipe also supported many important groups and events, including the Princess of Asturias Awards.

Reign

King Felipe VI has been the ruler of Spain since June 19, 2014. He was named Prince of Asturias in 1977, two years after his father became king, and became the official heir in 1986.

As king, Felipe works to protect Spain's laws. He mainly has a ceremonial role and acts on the advice of the government. His actions need approval from ministers.

Felipe has made changes to improve the monarchy. He and Queen Letizia were the first Spanish monarchs to meet with groups representing the LGBTQ+ community. Felipe also changed rules so people could take an oath without using religious items. He made sure his sisters and their families were no longer part of the official royal family.

Felipe has been involved in Spain's government matters, such as calling new elections when no party could form a government. He has also spoken out on important issues.

Felipe enjoys sports and has attended many events since he was young. As king, many tournaments in Spain are held in his honor, and he supports Spanish sports teams both at home and abroad.

Honours and awards

In 2019, King Felipe received the World Peace & Liberty Award from the World Jurist Association in Madrid. He also holds a Guinness World Record for being the tallest reigning monarch in the world. He is 1.97 metres tall.

Titles, styles and arms

Titles and styles

For a more comprehensive list, see List of titles and honours of Felipe VI and List of titles and honours of the Spanish Crown.

Juan Carlos became King in late November 1975, but Felipe was not given a special title until 1977. That year, he became the Prince of Asturias, a title traditionally held by the heir to the Spanish throne. The royal decree also allowed him to use other historical titles. Felipe began using the Aragonese title of Prince of Girona in 1990 during a trip through Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia, becoming the first Bourbon to use this title.

When Felipe became king, he took on the same titles his father had.

Arms

Main article: Coat of arms of the King of Spain

As heir to the Spanish throne, Felipe’s coat of arms had a special design with a label of three blue points. This design represented different parts of Spain.

When Felipe became king, the label was removed, and the crown changed. The new arms were different from his father’s.