55 years Reconciliation with his sisters, King Felipe's best birthday present
This February 8 marks
the 55th anniversary of the baptism
of King Felipe, a historic event for which his parents,
Don Juan Carlos
and Doña Sofía chose
Queen Victoria Eugenia as godmother.
Alfonso XIII's widow had not set foot in Spain since
she went into exile on April 14, 1931,
after the Republic was proclaimed.
That day, she had
to be rushed out of the
royal palace through a secret door to protect her from the angry mob that had surrounded the building, chanting against the monarchy and cheering for the republic.
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The queen of Spain who was so insulted when she went into exile as she was cheered on the only day she returned
Drafting: CONSUELO FONT
The queen of Spain who was so insulted when she went into exile as she was cheered on the only day she returned
The ceremony was held
at seven in the evening
at the Zarzuela Palace, and was officiated by the Archbishop of Madrid,
Casimiro Morcillo.
On the historic fountain of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, while he poured
water from the Jordan River
over his head, he gave the neophyte the names
Felipe
, in memory of Felipe V, the first Bourbon to reign in Spain,
Juan
, after his godfather, the Count of Barcelona,
Alfonso
, by his grandfather, King Alfonso XIII,
Trinidad de Todos los Santos.
The little Prince received the sacrament in the arms of his godmother, Victoria Eugenia, who wore an
elegant golden dress
with mink cuffs, a feather hat and adorned with
passing jewels
that Doña Letizia has inherited today.
The
christening prank was carried out by
Infanta Cristina, who was 2 years old, and she began to
play with the tassels of Franco's military sash.
The Infanta Cristina plays with the tassels of Franco's military sash.EFE
After the religious ritual,
an aperitif was held,
but in a separate room a transcendental private meeting
between the queen and Franco took place,
where both were able to talk alone.
Victoria Eugenia
, exiled in Lausanne, was aware that
the dictator had betrayed Alfonso XIII,
refusing to return the throne to him after the end of the civil war, and that, given
his enmity with Don Juan
, his son and legitimate heir, the monarchy was in danger not to return
That's why she snapped at him bluntly.
"General: this is the last time we will see each other
in our lives. I want to ask you one thing: appoint the King of Spain. Now you have three: the father, the son and the grandson. Choose.
Do it while you're alive, otherwise there will be no monarchy".
It seems that the dictator gave him his word and a year later, on July 23, 1969, he
appointed Don Juan Carlos successor
to the title of King, but Victoria Eugenia could not enjoy that moment , since he had
died in April of a liver disease.
Queen Victoria Eugenia, with Don Felipe in her arms.
Behind, Don Juan.GTRES
In return, he took with him an indelible memory of
his four days in Spain
during the baptism of his great-grandson Don Felipe.
Despite the fact that the Francoist bunker had ordered
that her visit not be publicized
to avoid exaltation of the monarchy, an estimated 5,000 people went
to the Barajas airport to receive
her on February 7.
Hundreds of citizens also stationed themselves in the following days in the streets where it circulated, with
3,000 attending the reception
organized by the Duchess of Alba in Liria, where Victoria Eugenia stayed on that trip, to pay her respects.
Something the queen did not expect.
"I can die peacefully,
I have felt that the Spanish loved me",
assured in his departure.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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Francisco Franco Bahamonde
Juan Carlos I
Queen Sofia
Felipe VI