King Felipe VI has been crowned as Spain’s new king in a ceremony that was low-key. Spain has seen conflict over economic conditions, as well as a division over the future of the monarchy.
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The new king and his wife, Queen Letizia, stood on the Royal Palace’s balcony in order to greet many Spaniards who came to see the king’s accession to the throne, The Telegraph reported.
The King and Queen have two daughters, eight-year-old Princess Leonore and seven-year-old Princess Sofia. The royal family has seen a drop in popularity due to many scandals. The ceremony where he was sworn in occurred Thursday morning and he vowed that as King, he would be “willing to listen and advise.”
The new King faces many challenges ahead, such as an economic crisis, and his speech to the people vowed he would remain open to the people and he understood what they wanted to see when it came to ethical and moral standards.
The Wall Street Journal reported the King as saying, “Today more than ever, the citizens demand that moral and ethical principles inspire our public life.” He understood that his new role meant he needed to hold to these standards.
His father, King Juan Carlos, announced his abdication on June 2 in order to allow the younger generation to take care of the country.