Felipe VI

Felipe VI has been King of Spain since 19 June 2014, when he acceded to the throne following the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos I. Under Article 56 of the Spanish Constitution he is head of state, "symbol of its unity and permanence", and arbiter and guarantor of the regular functioning of the state's institutions.

The monarchy is largely ceremonial: Felipe is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and Spain's supreme representative in international relations, but exercises no direct governing power under the 1978 constitution. He was Born in Madrid on 30 January 1968, the only son of Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía.

He is married to Queen Letizia, with whom he has two daughters, Leonor and Sofía, the elder now Princess of Asturias and heir to the throne. That line of succession, rather than any single engagement, is what gives the monarchy its long-term institutional weight above day-to-day politics.