MADRID: Spain’s King Felipe VI will celebrate his 50th birthday on Tuesday as the royal house seeks to drum up public support for the monarchy amid a crisis over Catalonia’s separatist push. The festivities will throw the spotlight on the king’s oldest daughter Leonor, the 12-year-old heir to the throne. It was the first time in five centuries that a Spanish king had abdicated in favor of his son. “Unlike other European countries, Spain is not monarchist in its DNA,” Ana Romero, a journalist specializing in Spain’s royal family, told Agence France-Presse. More recently, the king’s short reign has been tested by the ongoing crisis over Catalonia’s breakaway attempt in December.

Source: Manila Times January 30, 2018 04:18 UTC