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Spain

King Felipe’s nephew involved in anti-government protest in Madrid

Spanish media report that the 20-year-old nephew of the Spanish King, Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón, has been in involved in the ongoing protest against the Spanish government in Madrid.

Don Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón is the elder child and only son of Infanta Elena of Spain and Don Jaime de Marichalar. Felipe is fourth in the line of succession to the Spanish throne, after his mother.

Don Felipe was active in the protest and hid his face during the demonstrations. The 20-year-old member of the Royal Family protested alongside tens of thousands of Spaniards against the government. He was spotted during the demonstration, shouting “Pedro Sanchez must go” as well as “Puigdemont in prison”.

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Last week, it became clear that Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, called for a new general election on 28 April this year. This will be the third election in Spain in less than four years after his draft budget was rejected in parliament over the Catalan secession crisis. Sanchez took power just over eight months ago after he ousted his conservative rival in a dramatic parliamentary no-confidence vote.

The personal coat of arms of Don Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón. Photo: Heralder via Wikimedia Commons.

According to some local media reports, the nephew of King Felipe VI was authorised by the King, his own uncle, to participate in the rally. The allegation, however, has been denied by Casa Real according to other newspapers that specify that Casa Real had not been warned of his presence at the demonstration.

Some newspapers in Spain also claim that Don Felipe y Borbón may have close ties to the far-right Vox movement. This has not been confirmed by any credible source. Vox is a political party and movement in Spain founded in 2013, by former members of the People’s Party. The party is described variously as right wing, right-wing populist, or far right.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.