The reign in Spain is facing its most thunderous forecast yet, as commoner Queen Letizia elbows her mother-in-law, Queen Sofía, aside in an astonishing royal feud pitching the old guard against the new world order. William Langley investigates.
The Zarzuela Palace, an ornate, palm-fringed pile in the hills outside Madrid, is billed as the world’s largest royal residence, but, as things stand, it may not be large enough. Living within it are two queens at war, and the power struggle between them may determine the future of Spain’s embattled monarchy.
In a wing of the main building sits the much loved 79-year-old Queen Sofía, wife of former King Juan Carlos, who abdicated four years ago. Related by blood or marriage to virtually every noble house in Europe, Sofía is devoutly religious and a staunch defender of traditional royal ways.
Down below, in a spacious, terracotta-roofed villa, known as the Prince’s Pavilion, lives her commoner daughter-in-law, Queen Letizia, 45, a vivacious former TV reporter, whose husband, King Felipe VI, took over the throne when his father stepped down.
Letizia has been a divisive figure almost since she arrived on the royal scene 14 years ago. While many Spaniards welcomed her as a breath of fresh air, and admired her smart, energetic style, stories began to circulate – supposedly spread by disenchanted courtiers – of her bossiness, obstinacy and volcanic temper.
Still, there was little to suggest that Sofía was among Letizia’s detractors – until the feud between the pair burst spectacularly into public view.
After an Easter Sunday church service this year on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, Sofía put her arms around her granddaughters, Princess Leonor, 12, and Princess Sofia, 11, to pose for a seemingly innocent photograph. Letizia, the girls’ mother, who had been hovering close by, abruptly stepped in, blocking the shot, and pushing Sofía’s arm off her eldest daughter’s shoulder. An anxious looking King Felipe, 50, then stepped in to calm things down, while Juan Carlos looked on in astonishment.
Denne historien er fra July 2018-utgaven av Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2018-utgaven av Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PRETTY WOMAN
Dial up the joy with a mood-boosting self-care session done in the privacy of your own home. It’s a blissful way to banish the winter blues.
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
The unseen Rovals
Candid, behind the scenes and neverbefore-seen images of the royal family have been released for a new exhibition.
Great read
In novels and life - there's power in the words left unsaid.
Winter dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of budget-concious recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the cold weather blues away.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Former ballerina'sBATTLE with BODY IMAGE
Auckland author Sacha Jones reveals how dancing led her to develop an eating disorder and why she's now on a mission to educate other women.
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START
Responsible for keeping the likes of Jane Fonda and Jamie Lee Curtis in shape, Malin Svensson is on a mission to motivate those in midlife to move more.
