King Felipe of Spain celebrates his 47th birthday on 30 January. The handsome royal, who will be marking his first birthday as Spain's king, is expected to spend the birthday with his wife Queen Letizia and daughters Leonor and Sofia. To honour the occasion, HELLO! Online presents ten facts you may not have known about the popular monarch.
King Felipe is Europe's youngest monarch
1. Born in Madrid on 30 January 1968, Felipe was the youngest child of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, who already had daughters Infantas Elena and Cristina. At the time of his birth, Felipe was not heir-apparent, as his father had not yet become king. 2. Like many royals, Prince Felipe has competed in the Olympics. The athletic royal was a member of the Spanish sailing team in 1992 at the Barcelona Games like his father King Juan Carlos two decades before. 3. On 2 June 2014, Felipe's father announced he would be abdicating in favour of his son, and several weeks later on 19 June, Felipe ascended the throne with celebrations being marked across Spain.
When Felipe was born his father Juan Carlos was not yet Spain's king
4. Felipe's coronation was relatively low-key due to the timing and the new king’s determination to renew faith in the Spanish monarchy after several years of negative press. Speaking on the day, Felipe said he would be committed to his country and be a "a loyal head of state who is ready to listen and understand, warn and advise as well as to defend the public interest at all times". 5. At 47, Felipe is the youngest monarch in Europe.
Felipe and Letizia have been together since 2003
6. During his life, the handsome royal has held many titles, being born as Infante Felipe of Spain, before becoming first-in-line as the Prince Asturias and then finally his current title of His Majesty The King of Spain. 7. In May 2004, the popular prince married former CNN journalist Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano at the Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de le Almudena in Madrid. The stunning ceremony was watched by 25 million in Spain alone and attended by royals from around the world.
The couple on their wedding day in 2004
8. As a modern royal, Felipe is already winning the hearts of his country and has won praise for becoming the first Spanish monarch to invite LGBT representatives to the palace for official events. 9. Felipe and Letizia have two daughters, Leonor, Princess of Asturias, nine, and Infanta Sofía of Spain, seven.
Felipe and Letizia with their daughters Leonor (left) and Sofia
10. The prince is godfather to Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary's third child, Prince Vincent of Denmark and Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, who is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
