Posted on 01/16/2006 2:14:59 AM PST by presidio9
Spain's Princess Leonor, firstborn of Spanish Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, was christened before King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at a ceremony in Madrid's royal Zarzuela Palace.
Leonor, who could become Spain's first female head of state since Isabella II (1833-1868) if Spain proceeds with a mooted constitutional reform to allow a woman to succeed the throne, was baptized Leonor de Todos los Santos (Leonor of all the saints) with water from the River Jordan.
The princess was born on October 31 by Caesarean section to Letizia, a 33-year-old former television news presenter who married Felipe, heir to the Spanish throne, in May 2004.
The royal baby, clad in a cream gown, slept through most of the ceremony, attended by the king and queen's six other grandchildren.
Madrid's cardinal, Archbishop Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, carried out the ceremony, having also presided over the marriage of Leonor's parents at Almudena Cathedral.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero headed a group of political dignatories who included the speakers of parliament and the senate, Manuel Marin and Javier Rojo.
The birth of Leonor, which Felipe said "secures the succession and is a significant event both politically and constitutionally," sharpened the debate on male succession to the throne, restored on the 1975 death of military dictator General Francisco Franco.
Under the present terms of the 1978 constitution, the first son of the monarch becomes the official heir to the throne even if he has an older sister.
This means Felipe, 38, who has two older sisters, will become king on the death of his father.
The current Socialist government has been pushing for constitutional reform to allow a female head of state, something most Spaniards back.
Glad phillipe found a nice spanish girl. I didnt think Eva Sannum was the one for him.
That's one fine-looking family.
I guess. But I still think ceremonial monarchies have run their course. They all should have ended with the 20th century. Now that we have reality TV, they are redundant.
Beautiful family ... but, Leonor???
Monarchies of any stripe have run their course here, but nations that retain even ceremonial monarchies have a right to them. For what they're worth. Some people just can't seem to detach from that royalty theme.
NEVERMORE
Prolly sounds great in Spanish....
Regarding the choice of the baby's name, the Prince said that they settled on the name Leonor "because it has a lot of historical ties and because we liked it." The couple considered a number of possibilities, both boys' and girls' names, and only decided for sure at the last minute.
http://www.pressinterpreter.org/node/230
"It's either Leon or ???" ;-D
< smirk >
Beautiful baby! Lovely family photo. It sure beats John & Jim or Rosie and Polly. LOL! And again, it highlights why gay marriage is just so sterile and worthless.
If I was a prince my family photo would look pretty good too.
Except for me, of course.
Que tengas suerte, nina Leonor. Hope when you grow up you'll be a freeper.
Leni
Feel good bump.
Strange in that socialists everywhere despise royalty because they are so rabidly partisan to the "workers of the world".
Leni
I was thinking about getting into this. But then I realized that I found the whole concept of royalty to ridiculous to care about.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.