Journalist becomes commoner queen

A divorced former journalist, Letizia Ortiz, became Spain's first commoner queen on Thursday when her husband, Felipe VI, was sworn in as king.

With a background contrasting deeply with the royal privileges of her husband, many see in the 41-year-old former TV anchor the survival of the monarchy because of her down-to-earth middle-class roots.

Ortiz, daughter of a journalist and a nurse and the granddaughter of a taxi driver, dated Felipe in secret before their engagement was announced in November 2003. They met at a dinner organized by a journalist friend.

Spain's most conservative factions expressed opposition to the prince's choice, underlining her lineage as a commoner, or one outside the nobility.

But others saw a possible regeneration of the monarchy's archaic ways for a new era.

"I think (their marriage) was a very positive thing," said historian Charles Powell. "What she brings to the marriage is basically that she grounds him. She makes him aware of everyday issues, everyday problems."

Reuters

(China Daily 06/20/2014 page10)