Princess Leonor swears allegiance to Spanish constitution on her 18th birthday

Princess Leonor of Spain, the eldest daughter of King Felipe VI, has complied with the tradition of swearing allegiance to the Spanish constitution as she reached adulthood on Tuesday.

After the ceremony, the Princess of Asturias stressed that the crown symbolizes "the unity and stability" of Spain and asked the country to trust in her. 

"I have acquired a great responsibility to Spain in Congress that I hope to fulfill with dignity and the best example," she said. 

The ceremony began on Tuesday morning with Leonor's arrival in Congress, where she was welcomed by Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the Chief of the Defense Staff (JEMAD) Teodoro Esteban López Calderón.  

Accompanied by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia, Leonor received military honors at the ceremony and watched over a parade which included Spain's army, naval and air forces. 

The swearing-in ceremony began with a speech by Congressional Speaker Francina Armengol, who stressed that the day shows the "commitment" to democratic institutions and to the "sovereign people."

After the speech, Leonor took the floor to pledge allegiance to the Spanish constitution, followed by a long ovation from the ministers. The king, dressed in a simple suit and tie, later signed Congress' book of honor. 

Tuesday's ceremony follows the structure set by King Felip VI, who on 30 January 1986 reaffirmed his loyalty to the constitution and the rights of autonomous communities and, 28 years later, was proclaimed king by the Lower House.

Catalan pro-independence leaders absent 

The day, however, was marked by some striking absences. Among them, Leonor's grandfather, former king Juan Carlos I, who has been living in Abu Dhabi since 2020 after becoming embroiled in a series of scandals. 

Several ministers were also absent. That includes many from left-wing Podemos and republicans IU, as well as representatives from Catalan pro-independence parties ERC and Junts, and Basque nationalists PNB, who wanted to show their disapproval of the crown.  

Catalan Government spokesperson Patrícia Plaja has reacted to Princess Leonor's oath, saying the ceremony attempts to "recognize an illegitimate and outdated monarchy." 

Plaja has emphasized that the current Catalan government is "republican and pro-independence," and that they "do not feel any connection" with the Crown.  

"The monarchy is obsolete and does not contribute anything positive to the country," she added.  

Most Catalans in favor of a republic 

The snub by Catalan pro-independence leaders aligns with the findings of an investigation by the Catalan News Agency (ACN) regarding the Catalan public's opinion of the Crown.

Using a 10-point scale, Catalans have consistently given the Spanish monarchy a 2 since autumn of 2017, according to figures by several CEO polls, the Catalan government-owned survey agency.

The polls also asked about the degree of trust that the Crown deserves, and the 2,000 people surveyed gave the institution an average of 1.7 points. 

The figure has fluctuated between 1.7 and 1.8 in the five times the question has been asked over the past six years. 

The survey also shows that around 75% of Catalans are in favor of a republic.