King Felipe VI of Spain


King Felipe VI was born in Madrid on 30th January 1968. He is the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain. When Felipe was born his father was not yet King as General Franco was still ruling Spain. King Felipe has two older sisters Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina. His maternal uncle is King Constantine II of Greece, he is a 5th generation direct descendant of Queen Victoria. In 1975 at the age of seven his father became King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Felipe became Crown Prince Felipe and in 1977 inherited the title of Prince of Asturias.

After completing high school Felipe entered the military. He attended the General Military Academy in Zaragoza. After completing basic training Felipe chose to specialise in The Navy

Felipe attended the Santa Maria de los Rosales school in Madrid. For high school he attended Lakefield College School in Ontario. Upon graduation Felipe returned to Spain and studied at the Autonomous University of Madrid where he studied Law. The prince furthered his education by attending Georgetown University where he obtained a Masters of Science in Foreign Service. During his time at Georgetown he roomed with his cousin Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.

As Crown Prince Felipe has a lot of duties to undertake. He constantly visits Spain's autonomous regions and participates in activities across the spectrum from sports to cultural to political events. He also conducted many overseas tours as Crown Prince. Felipe also has a passion for social work.

In 2014 King Juan Carlos I abdicated and Felipe became King Felipe VI of Spain. Since becoming King, Felipe has been a huge supporter of LGBT rights, he cut his own annual salary by 20% due to economic hardship and brought in the right of return for Spanish Jews who were exiled in the 1740's.

Like many royals, Felipe enjoys sport. He was a member of the Spanish Olympic Sailing team in 1992. He also enjoys Basketball and soccer.

On 22nd May 2004 Felipe married a divorcee, Letizia Oritz Rocasolano. They have two daughters;

1). Leonor, Princess of Asturias (31st October 2005)

2). Infanta Sofia (29th April 2007)

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