The King made Leonor attend his historic speech after 1-O

• 3-10-2017 Speech by King Felipe VI before the independence challenge

• Referendum The story of the riot police sent to Catalonia: "Nobody had ever looked at us with so much hatred"

"We are experiencing very serious moments for our democratic life. And in these circumstances, I want to address all Spaniards directly."

With these words, King Felipe VI began the institutional speech that he delivered on

.

A historic intervention, in which for six minutes and in a single short shot, he claimed the role of the

as a uniting body.

"I end these words addressed to the entire Spanish people to once again underline the firm commitment of the

to the

and with democracy, my dedication to understanding and harmony among Spaniards, and my commitment as King to the unity and permanence of Spain," he concluded.

One of the most difficult moments of the reign of Felipe VI, which also took as a work lesson for the Heiress, Princess Leonor, who was present during the recording of the speech.

Five years have passed since Felipe VI had his particular

, in which he addressed the most complicated message since taking the throne.

But the intervention of the Monarch did not arise after 48 hours of tension in Catalonia, it was the result of years of reflection by those who know and feel the

Catalan that the independentistas appropriated.

His speech was the culmination of decades of knowledge of what was happening with the independence movement, of meetings with separatists and with conservatives, and the words of years of work.

The

is the seat of the Head of State when the King or his family are in Catalonia.

Don Felipe settled there at the age of 24, still being the Prince of Asturias.

He was a young man in full training and he wanted, taking advantage of the year 1992, when Barcelona became the center of the world, to spend a season in Barcelona to weave a network of contacts, soak up Catalan culture and understand its problems and needs.

Since then, and in his life as his heir, his visits to Catalonia were always those of a loved one, who spoke Catalan and did not lose track of what was happening in the autonomous community.

He went to big cities, but he did not neglect the institutional presence in small places, such as

in Gerona or Lleida

.

In those meetings he spoke in Spanish and Catalan, since he dominates both languages ​​and, sticking to what the Statute of Autonomy says, he uses bilingualism.

He did so in his first speech as King, after the Proclamation, which was in Girona on June 26, 2014 and he wanted to talk about "the feelings and thoughts" of the Catalans: "The love of their land, and especially the language and culture that characterizes them, the entrepreneurial and commercial sense, the capacity for initiative, the reflective and critical spirit or the look abroad are qualities, among others, that have characterized the men and women of Catalonia throughout history and for which, in all fairness, they have been respected, admired and loved; and with which they have also contributed so much to the general progress of Spain as a whole", he said, demonstrating his knowledge of the area, which extended beyond the legal.

First Christmas as King

That Christmas, the first as King, coincided with the recently held non-binding consultation of Artur Mas.

Catalonia was one of the three topics that Don Felipe covered in his December 24 speech.

“It hurts me and I am concerned that emotional fractures, disaffection or rejection may occur between families, friends or citizens.

No one in Spain today is anyone's adversary.

Once again, the Crown as a point of union between all and Don Felipe's feeling that, in effect, there were already families broken by political thoughts.

In November 2015, after the elections in which the pro-independence parties achieved the majority of votes, Don Felipe handed over the accreditations to the new Ambassadors of the

and wanted to "transmit a message of serenity and confidence" at the end of his words: "The Constitution will prevail. Let no one doubt it. (...) And I want to convey a message of security in the unity and continuity of our national coexistence project. A project, a collective commitment to our democratic coexistence in which the King, As Head of State, he will always be at the side of all Spaniards," he insisted.

With Catalonia and current Spanish politics always present in his speeches, he continued along the same lines at the delivery of the

in Cuenca in 2017. "To those who stand outside the constitutional and statutory legality and fracture society, I am I am sure that the rights that belong to all Spaniards will be preserved; that the freedoms of all citizens will be guaranteed and protected; and that, as I have already had occasion to affirm, the Constitution will prevail over any breach of that coexistence in democracy that is, has been and will be the basis of our life together in freedom, the foundation of our progress and the essential pillar of our membership in the European Union", he said.

It was September 13.

The illegal referendum

And it came on October 3.

Don Felipe had followed all the events and the celebration of the independence referendum with great concern.

He made the decision to speak for the Spaniards, in his role as King, but given the constitutional mandate he had to do so after the three powers of the State had pronounced themselves.

That morning, he met with the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, in Zarzuela, told him of his idea of ​​addressing the Spanish and handed him the draft with what he wanted to say, which he had personally written.

The then president read the speech and allowed the intervention.

Otherwise the King would not have spoken, it would be unconstitutional and Don Felipe is governed almost obsessively by the Magna Carta.

From Casa Real, the president of Televisión Española was asked to send Zarzuela to the minimum team to record a message from the State.

Everything happened in a few hours, moments in which the Princess of Asturias was aware of everything.

At the wish of her father, they informed her of her every step and she remained, as Don Felipe did in 1981, by the King's side, as a witness, in a lesson on the work of the Head of State.

Also Doña Letizia and the Infanta Sofía were spectators of the most complicated moment in the reign.

Felipe VI knows the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, the feeling of the Catalans and their language.

For all these reasons, when he is in that autonomous community he sends messages in the co-official languages.

Half of his speeches are in Spanish, the other half in Catalan, a language that he speaks and that his heiress speaks as if it were his mother tongue.

But this was different.

It was a message from the Head of State for all Spaniards, not for the Catalans.

He had to be understood everywhere and done in Spanish.

Make it clear that some politicians were breaking the law and also insist that there are constitutional ways of doing things.

But, above all, claim the constitutional role of the Monarchy.

"Certain authorities of Catalonia [the King did not address the people, but rather the leaders who had broken the law] have been failing to comply with the Constitution and its Statute of Autonomy, which is the Law that recognizes, protects and protects its historical institutions and their self-government". The King continued commenting on the behavior of the authorities: "They have underestimated the affections and feelings of solidarity that have united and will unite all Spaniards (...) they have placed themselves totally outside the law and the democracy"...

Appeal to the "constitutional order"

Next, Don Felipe urged the three powers of the State to "ensure the constitutional order and the normal functioning of the institutions, the validity of the Rule of Law and the self-government of Catalonia, based on the Constitution and its Statute of Autonomy".

It was they, the powers of the State, who had to pronounce on the police charges or the behavior in the demonstrations.

Not the King, who should not come to assess the work of the democratically elected leaders.

Finally, the Monarch wanted to address the citizens.

First, to the Catalans: "For decades we have lived in a democratic state that offers constitutional means so that anyone can defend their ideas while respecting the law (...) in constitutional and democratic Spain, they know well that they have a space of harmony and meeting with all its fellow citizens».

In the end, Don Felipe reminded them that "they are not alone, nor will they be; that they have all the support and solidarity of the rest of the Spanish people and the absolute guarantee of our rule of law in the defense of their freedom and their rights." .

To all the Spaniards, Don Felipe also wanted to convey "a message of calm, confidence and, also, hope."

And the King, who had addressed the entire Spanish territory,

In Zarzuela they received numerous calls from international leaders that night.

And in the street, while some applauded the message, others attacked the King.

Puigdemont, who had treated and knew Felipe VI, pronounced that "not like that".

Two words with which he left the door open that otherwise, maybe yes?

The Royal Family strolling through the gardens of the Albéniz palace, residence in Catalonia.G3

Since then, Casa Real has continued with a unique and constitutional discourse.

Three weeks later, on October 20, at the delivery of the

, Don Felipe insisted that Spain "will resolve through its legitimate democratic institutions, while respecting our Constitution", the "unacceptable attempt at secession ".

In June 2018, at the delivery of the

in his city, Don Felipe wanted to "reaffirm our commitment to the hallmarks and values ​​that have made Catalonia great", and he returned to naming those qualities - that

- that he listed in 2014 and that makes "a Catalonia of all and for all".

Princess Eleanor's first speech

In 2019, the Princess of Asturias and Girona gave her first speech in Catalan, showing that the heiress is on the same path as her father with the territory.

Then, Don Felipe spoke once again of "a Catalonia that is proud of its hallmarks".

«Those values ​​that represent, without a doubt, the best history of Catalonia, should not and cannot be a memory of the past, but rather an effective reality of our present and our future.

A reality in which neither violence nor intolerance nor contempt for the rights and freedoms of others can have a place.

The political consequence of the King's words was the declaration of

in several towns, the usual rudeness of the local authorities when going to acts and that Girona remained as a forbidden territory for the Crown.

It was for a while, because the Kings can only go to institutional activities where they are invited.

But the Princess of Girona Foundation maintains its headquarters in the province.

And five years later there are advances towards democratic normality.

The Princess of Asturias visited Figueres on July 1 and on September 6, Doña Letizia attended an event related to cancer in Lleida.

And so, five years later, still with anomalies, the path that Don Felipe predicted is being followed: "We will succeed. Because we believe in our country and we are proud of what we are. Because our democratic principles are strong, they are solid."

The conviction of a necessary speech

Felipe VI knew after the events of October 1 that he should address the nation, but also that time had to be measured.

First, the three powers of the State should pronounce themselves and then he should speak before the Spaniards to show himself as a point of union.

Felipe VI wrote the speech and that morning he showed it to Mariano Rajoy, who gave him the permission he needed to send an institutional message.

A team from RTVE went to Zarzuela at six in the afternoon and recorded the message.

They were six minutes in a row, without cuts and in a single short shot in which Don Felipe, with a serious tone, emphasized his words with his hands.

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