"Letizia Ortiz: A republican in the Court of Juan Carlos I" by Isidre Cunill, 2010

[Lumutqueen]

Letizia needs to be left alone, she has been penalized for her past and she was accepted by the King and Queen of Spain, so surely everyone else can accept that Felipe loves her for whatever her past is.

 

[Jacknch]

Had there been anything in Letizia's past that was unacceptable to the Spanish Government, the Royal Family and/or the Catholic Church, then she and Felipe would not have been allowed to marry.

If the Catholic Church was happy to marry them, then I would suggest that Priest008 be content with that and accept the Church's authority over the situation.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Had there been anything in Letizia's past that was unacceptable to the Spanish Government, the Royal Family and/or the Catholic Church, then she and Felipe would not have been allowed to marry.

If the Catholic Church was happy to marry them, then I would suggest that Priest008 be content with that and accept the Church's authority over the situation.

And she also met the Pope a few years ago & did not burst into flames,Priest 008 should be ashamed of himself for posting such rubbish .

 

[Australian]

How indecent to start a thread like this. It is mean and cruel.

 

[Monna]

Letizia needs to be left alone, she has been penalized for her past and she was accepted by the King and Queen of Spain, so surely everyone else can accept that Felipe loves her for whatever her past is.

Agree, but what is Letizia`s past? Is there really something Letizia should be ashamed of? Someone spreads a rumour about an abortion and about Letizia`s wild life in Mexico and other terrible things without giving any proofs. Why should it be discussed here? Why should we say that she was accepted "whatever her past is"? I don`t say that she is pure and innocent like a lilium, cause nobody is. But all those terrible things are speculation and I thought speculation is forbidden here
I`m sorry but it drives me crazy that the Princess is blemished and fouled in this way. People are free to not like her, but this is too much.

 

[fandesacs2003]

As per the Italian news channels which today revealed some shocking news and truth about Princess Letizia I !

I do not want to be unpolite towards Italy, but some kind of Italian Press is not well known for its absolute truth!

to every one who wishe to know the real truth behind the future Queen of Spain should know the following:

She was previously married and divorced.

This was already known!! By every one !!!!

.
She fathered a child but killed the child in New York as she could not obtain an abortion in 1990 in Mexico.!

This is just called "an abortion" and discussion about it does not concern this thread. But even if it is true, she won't be the first woman in the world to have done it. Where is the scandal?

She is not of the Catholic faith but agnostic (

We also know it. It has been said since the beginning!

She was involved in several sexual and immoral photographs!

And they have waited SEVEN years to make it public? Where are these famous pictures??

Generally speaking, all this story for me is just a repetition of some old discussions, in form of book! It is meaningless! Her behavior now is perfect, and this is the point.

 

[snowflower]

physically abuses her husband and kids with a belt (WOW, I mean WOW)

Ermm , really this sounds....well. I maen how could a woman Letizia's size actually abuse a man like Felipe? Honestly if she ever raised her hand holding a belt, I am sure that Felipe has the power to catch and stop her in the air. About the kids, although stricly from a physical point of view she could actually hurt them, I don't believe that she would ever be that kind of mother. And besides the author didn't seem to take into account that they are not a family living in an appartment , thery are surrounded by a lot of staff who, if there was the danger that some kind of abuse ever occured (and this only is a theoretical hypothesis by me) , would be instructed by thei kids' father and grandfather to remove them from her sight immediatelyand protect them from an outburst.

 

[Duncan]

Snowflower, the author doesn't claim anything close to that belt thing, that was just a mocking allegation made up by another writer that was commenting on the book (see my previous post above).

The most important claim by the author appears to be that Felipe knew about several potentially controversial facts from Letizia's past and he decided to marry her no matter what. He foresaw his father's opposition, so planned to come out with an ultimatum: either he was allowed to marry her or he would renounce his Crown rights.

So Felipe's parents were forced to accept Letizia, and the House of the King hid all information about her past, made people destroy pictures of her first marriage, etc. in order to present her as some sort of girl next door with just a brilliant career in journalism.

 

[snowflower]

oh I get it now (English is not my first language and I got confused readng the topic a little fast ). Well , I too believe that Felipe's parents were far from concidering her as an ideal bride - however, it doens't seem to me that she has so many hidden secrets behind her as this book claims. Afterall , before marrying Felipe she had lived in this world for more than 30 years as a common person , so how could she have hidden so many controversial facts before her marriage? I believe that someone would have known and would have speak.

 

[MAfan]

I do not want to be unpolite towards Italy, but some kind of Italian Press is not well known for its absolute truth!

It's very sad, but you're right...

Btw, what the Italian press (I've checked several newspapers and websites) just reported is that this biography will be published, and revealed some of the containts of the book: that Letizia, accorting to the author, was arrested for being in possession of drug, that in 1995 she moved to Mexico where she became close friend of painter Saavedra who portrayed her half-naked, in the same period she had an abortion, and that, talking to friends and colleagues, she often remarked to be republican and socialist and that she didn't like both the King and Prince Felipe.

 

[Monna]

The most important claim by the author appears to be that Felipe knew about several potentially controversial facts from Letizia's past and he decided to marry her no matter what. He foresaw his father's opposition, so planned to come out with an ultimatum: either he was allowed to marry her or he would renounce his Crown rights.

How does the author know that Felipe gave this ultimatum to his parents? Does he know the royal family? Well, if Felipe really did it, it was a wise decision, because it turned out (and Felipe probably knew it) that Letizia was a very good choice. Educated, sociable, a good mother and so on. Yes, she is not noble. Yes, she`s divorced. So what?
It`s not an "important claim"...

 

[Duncan]

Sorry, by "important claim" I was referring to the general idea the House of the King went to great lengths to hide information and make up cover stories. At least for me this is much more important than any trivia about Letizia.

Concerning the ultimatum, this is nothing new, it has been published several times, for example in the book "You Will Be My Queen". To put more pressure on his parents, Felipe refused to be present in the 12th October National Day parade, where he had been every year before next to his father. He and Letizia flew to New York instead. Two weeks later the news about their story was leaked.

That the king was upset has also been published before, and the sentence he uttered when he learned that the engagement was being made public is now famous.

 

[ClaudiaE]

Well...Good for you Felipe
I change my opinion on him when I heard that he fought for his love.

 

[Halcon]

A journalist to be completely unknown to making gold with free advertising and that the book is just gossip and some falsehoods. Who is behind this campaign against the princess?

 

[donnaK]

The most important claim by the author appears to be that Felipe knew about several potentially controversial facts from Letizia's past and he decided to marry her no matter what. He foresaw his father's opposition, so planned to come out with an ultimatum: either he was allowed to marry her or he would renounce his Crown rights.

What else can the author say ? The date of the so called CNI report was on June 2003. Sofia said in her book that she only knew her son's new girlfriend during the summer in mallorca, she and the King met Letizia after the summer holiday. So very likely CNI was right about not having this report unless the King was 'spying' on every single girlfriend of his son, very unlike to me.

The main purpose of the book is not only attacking Letizia, also Felipe, thus the future of the crown. The author talked about his long list of girlfriends one followed by another one, also the love child with a German tennis player called Marie. The author said the boy was born before Felipe met Letizia, so Felipe has always been faithful to his wife. This story was from the most yellow German tabloid, how could he talk about it like a fact without any proof ?

Sorry, by "important claim" I was referring to the general idea the House of the King went to great lengths to hide information and make up cover stories. At least for me this is much more important than any trivia about Letizia.

What informations did they hide or cover stories did they make up ? Any proof for that ? Zarzuela had never lied about Letizia's divorce, that was even in her official cv. What's the problem of not seeing more personal pictures of Letizia with her ex (there were already a few out there ) ? Her ex is not a public figure. we don't get to see pictures of Maxima, Mary with their former living-in boyfriends either.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

The Count of Barcelona will now be rotating in his grave because his worst nightmare has come true. He once urged his grandson to marry a woman whose past doesnt turn out to be a surprise bag, with other men being able to claim that they have slept with the future Queen of Spain.

Juan Carlos and Sofia knew that he was right and desperately tried to find a bride a la Tatiana of Liechtenstein, where there is no point at digging deep for hidden embarrassments. Well, after the Eva Sannum desaster Felipe was in the position to enforce an engagement with the woman he loved but who obviously doesnt exactly help lifting the institution safely into the next generation. Now everybody has to live with the consequences; times have changed, while the King's own skeletons in the closet are not instrumentalized against him (death of his brother, infidelities etc etc) the position as future Queen doesnt seem to be enough protection against slandering.

I agree with Duncan that Zarzuela (like any other Royal House by the way, maybe except Norway, it was too obvious there) focused to present the new daughter in law with an erased past, yesterday TV journalist, today re-invented as Princess of Asturias. There are lots of rumours that during the short period when the courtship was unknown to the public but already approved by the King Letizia's past was "cleaned up" and her image / profile being raised, eg by making her co-anchor for the evening news.

 

[fergalicious]

The book is so unfair. Poor Letizia.

 

[donnaK]

Duke, a young Catholic virginal royal bride like Tatiana of Liechtenstein might not have a past, but as long as she is worthy for the news, money, political agenda, rumors and lies can also be invented about her present life, for example, marital crisis, infidelities, not being able to adjust to live in Spain and etc. We have seen enough that the press wouldn't even leave the dead women alone as long as they could still squeeze out $$$$.

The infantas are not spared either. According to the author, they leaked the past and present life of Letizia (including where she was about for holiday) to the press. Did the author try to hint that one of the infantas might be the one who stole the CNI report from Daddy's safe LOL LOL .

The book is so unfair. Poor Letizia.

The book is beyond ridiculous. We shouldn't spend so much time on it.

 

[Chimene]

The Windsors got their virginal bride and we all know how well that turned out. I'm sure Letizia must be happy with her husband and kids, but she must be wondering WTH did I give up my future for...

 

[nascarlucy]

Anyone can make something up. Usually when they do it's things that are difficult to prove.

 

[Commonconsort]

IMO a divorced journalist is not suitable to be a Queen

 

[COUNTESS]

All of this is nonsense. Leitizia is smart, lovely and they seem to have a wonderful marriage, adorable children. That being said her past is just that, her past. You know what the Bible says, "he without sin........ As for who is good enough to be queen, oh come on. Who cares. It is just a word. We are long past thinking that royalty is chosen by God or are, really, special in any way, but their good fortune.

 

[nascarlucy]

Letizia needs to be left alone but some people just have it keep at it. If Letizia was not married to Prince Phillip, it would be some other woman that they would find some type of fault with regardless of the woman's sexual history. You can make Snow White look bad if you wanted to.

 

[Katrianna]

You mean Prince Felipe. I've read much over the years about Felipe and his past girlfriends and, yes, it has to be taken with a grain of salt. I've read that the main person Felipe has had to contend with was Queen Sofia. It was Sofia who gave the yea or nay to girlfriends.
Tatiana was a hopeful wife, the King and Queen liked her, but the two didn't hit it off and Tatiana has been quoted as saying she didn't like Felipe, so that was that. Eva Sannum was definitely out, the press and people seemed to like her, but she was a model and her father was a taxi driver which was iffy, but I suspect her gown at the wedding in Norway was the final dagger in the Queen's eyes. I forgot that at one time it was hoped that Felipe and Maria-Carolina of Bourbon-Parma might be a match, but no spark ever came out of it.
Royal parents are like any other parents in that they want their children to marry for the best, but it doesn't always turn out that way.
I think the Queen and to a lesser extent the King accepted Letizia as well as the people. The only ones having a problem with her are the press.
This book is nothing more than another smear campaign against her and why I don't know. I do think that the press has always felt they were slighted when the Prince and Letizia announced their engagement to the surprise of all and the press was left out in the cold and didn't have a chance to chase the couple and pester them when they were seeing each before they decided to reveal their relationship and engagement.

 

[donnaK]

I think the Queen and to a lesser extent the King accepted Letizia as well as the people. The only ones having a problem with her are the press.
This book is nothing more than another smear campaign against her and why I don't know. I do think that the press has always felt they were slighted when the Prince and Letizia announced their engagement to the surprise of all and the press was left out in the cold and didn't have a chance to chase the couple and pester them when they were seeing each before they decided to reveal their relationship and engagement.

Maybe for a few pink press journalists, but they are not that important IMO. The more powerful ultra right sector of the press has a much bigger political agenda. They haven't liked the King who has been accused of being closer to PSOE. They don't like Letizia, since with Letizia's background, they probably think Zarzuela would remain pro PSOE or even further left when Felipe becomes King. With the illness of the King, the succession talk has been real the first time, 'the knives are out for Letizia and Felipe' is not surprising at all. The book on the surface is attacking Letizia since that's about the only way to attract media/public attention, actually it's also gunning at Felipe too. I'm not exactly sure if their goal is for republicanism or to give Felipe and Letizia a warning to stay neutral politically, if the later, I actually think Felipe would be a more fair king politically (neither left nor right) than his father IMO.

 

[Halcon]

IMO a divorced journalist is not suitable to be a Queen

It is the best result for the monarchy was a sweet virgin as Lady Diana Spencer?. A real disaster. I think, the Queen of GB has yet to be fully recovered.

 

[nascarlucy]

It almost looks like some people seem to be posturing for power at this point. Sadly it looks like they are using the royal couple as a pawn in this power posturing.

 

[Lorette]

"Sweet" is certanly the word I would associate with Diana on her wedding day. And I believe that it might well have been her example that made royal parents around Europe be a bit more tolerant when it comes to accept the decisions of their offspring. Diana showed well that a person is not necessary stable enough to endure an unhappy marriage just because she was virgin and of good family. It also showed that in todays world the lifestyle of commoners, that is to have relationships based on love and not on family or state reason has influenced the wishes and morals of royal offspring as well. Better a love relationship than unhappy royal husband and wifes who seek consolation elsewhere and include the press in their battle to make their point. At least, when the couple loves each other one knows who fathered the kids.

 

[snowflower]

Duke, a young Catholic virginal royal bride like Tatiana of Liechtenstein might not have a past, but as long as she is worthy for the news, money, political agenda, rumors and lies can also be invented about her present life, for example, marital crisis, infidelities, not being able to adjust to live in Spain and etc. We have seen enough that the press wouldn't even leave the dead women alone as long as they could still squeeze out $$$$.

But we must also thing that , even if Tatiana had a past like Letizia, since she is coming from a reigning house, her family and her country's goverment would have done their best to hide it and protect it. Also, exactly because she is a Princess in a reigning house, she is careful with her public image from Day 1. That was her biggest advantage as a potential bride IMO and one of the main reason she would be approved by the King and Queen.

 

[fandesacs2003]

But we must also thing that , even if Tatiana had a past like Letizia, since she is coming from a reigning house, her family and her country's goverment would have done their best to hide it and protect it. Also, exactly because she is a Princess in a reigning house, she is careful with her public image from Day 1. That was her biggest advantage as a potential bride IMO and one of the main reason she would be approved by the King and Queen.

Exactly! The main default of a non royal bride is that she lives her pre-royal life like an uknown commoner. Such a person, unless she maries at the age of 14 (!!!) is unavoidable to have a past. Not especially a "problematic" past like MM in Norway, but most of women 20-30y old worldwide have some boyfriends, you can find a pic of them in small biquini at the beach or with a glass of tequila, or in a University "revolutionnary" group, or a hot love letter. They never pay attention to these "proofs" because they don't have any idea that one day they would become famous. And when these women became famous, these thinks appear, difficult to hide.