And this guy has no right to claim that, "We are your ally." His common people voted the other way a few weeks ago. He needs to catch up on the local news when he gets home.
What exactly does the Crown Prince of Spain do, anyway? Why do they even have one?
Tell me? What does Prince Charles of England do?
It is Europe.. They have a history of Monarchy..
You don't like it? Tough.. It's their country, a sovereign nation, and not liable to the laws of the United States..
Country * Monarch * Type of monarchy
Bahrain* Sheik Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa*Constitutional
Belgium* King Albert II * Constitutional
Bhutan* King Jigme Singye Wangchuck * Constitutional
Brunei* Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah* Constitutional
Cambodia*King Norodom Sihanouk* Constitutional
Denmark * Queen Margrethe II* Constitutional
Japan* Emperor Akihito * Constitutional
Jordan* King Abdullah II* Constitutional
Kuwait*Sheik Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah* Constitutional
Lesotho*King Letsie III*Constitutional
Liechtenstein*Prince Hans Adam II*Constitutional
Luxembourg* Grand Duke Henri* Constitutional
Malaysia* King Syed Sirajuddin* Constitutional
Monaco* Prince Rainier III* Constitutional
Morocco* King Muhammad VI* Constitutional
Nepal* King Gyandendra* Constitutional
Netherlands* Queen Beatrix* Constitutional
Norway* King Harald V* Constitutional
Oman* Sultan Qabus ibn Sa'id* Absolute
Qatar* Emir Sheik Hamad ibn Khalifa al-Thani* Traditional
Samoa *Malietoa Tanumafili II* Constitutional
Saudi Arabia* King Fahd bin 'Abdulaziz *Absolute
Spain* King Juan Carlos I* Parliamentary
Swaziland* King Mswati III* Absolute
Sweden* King Carl XVI Gustaf* Constitutional
Thailand* King Bhumibol Adulyadej* Constitutional
Tonga* King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV* Constitutional
United Kingdom* Queen Elizabeth II(1)* Constitutional(2)
(1.) Queen Elizabeth II is also the Sovereign of 15 countries in the Commonwealth of Nations: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.
(2.) Also parliamentary democracy.
From the official royal website:
Since completing his academic studies in the United States, Prince Felipe has fulfilled his institutional commitments in his capacity as Heir to the Crown, chaired many official events in Spain and participated in key events in different sectors and aspects of Spanish public life.
Since October 1995, he has made a series of official visits to the Spanish Autonomous Communities with a view to gaining in-depth knowledge of Spain and making contact with other Spaniards.
He holds regular meetings with constitutional bodies and the main State institutions in order to keep in touch with their activities. He also attends meetings of the various bodies of the Central Administration and of the Autonomous Communities as required by his national and international institutional activities.
He grants public and private audiences to a large number of people with a view to receiving up-to-date information on national and international affairs. In particular, he holds meetings with people close to his own generation with outstanding careers in political, economic, cultural and media circles.
When HM the King is unable to attend, he presides over the annual presentation of despatches to Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Armed Forces, and participates in military exercises held by the three Services.
He has made many official visits to European countries and to Latin America as well as to countries in the Arab world, the Far East and Australasia. He shows special interest in all matters related to the European Union, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America. Since January 1996, the Prince of Asturias has represented the Spanish State at the swearing-in ceremonies for Latin American Presidents.
He has also played a very active role in the promotion of Spain's economic and commercial interests and of Spanish language and culture in foreign countries. He frequently presides at economic and trade fairs held by Spain abroad (Expotecnia, Expoconsumo and Expohabitat) and is especially interested in promoting the creation of Centres and University Chairs to disseminate the history and current situation of Spain in the main foreign universities.
In addition to his official activities, Prince Felipe is the Honorary President of several Associations and Foundations and collaborates closely with them. The most important of these is the Prince of Asturias Foundation, for which he annually presents the Awards bearing his name that have great international prestige.
Within the framework of these institutions which work towards aims of general interest, he focuses his interest on activities in the fields of development projects, voluntary work, the environment, universities, the integration of young people in the workplace and business, relations between business circles and society and social communication.
On the occasion of the United Nations declaration of 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, named Prince Felipe an "Eminent Person" so that he could contribute on an international level towards enhancing the importance of voluntary workers.
A keen sportsman, he was a member of the Spanish Olympic sailing team in the Soling class in the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, finishing in sixth position and obtaining an Olympic Diploma. During the opening ceremony, he paraded with the Spanish flag at the head of the Spanish team.
Why do they even have one?
Given the answer to your first question above, it really shouldn't be necessary to answer this, but I will anyway. Spain has a crown prince because the monarchy is a vital part of the Spanish national heritage, and most Spaniards are sensible enough to see that it should be retained.