Granddaughter, 21, of embattled former king Juan Carlos says he’s a ‘dedicated’ man and hopes his legacy will be ‘esteemed’ as she poses for Elle Spain after being hailed the new ‘It girl’
The granddaughter of Spain‘s former king Juan Carlos, Victoria Federica de Marichalar, spoke of her disgraced grandfather in her first ever interview.
Victoria, 21, who is fifth in line to the Spanish throne, is the younger child and only daughter of King Felipe’s older sister, Infanta Elena, 58 and her ex-husband Jaime de Marichalar, 58.
The business student appears on the cover of the current issue of Spanish Elle, which features a candid interview with the royal as well as a series of stunning images, which show fashionista Victoria styled in designer and high street clothing, including a Prada dress, chiffon Valentino shirt, and Levi’s jeans.
Speaking to Elle, Victoria defended her grandfather, former Spanish King Juan Carlos, who has been living in Abu Dhabi since summer 2020 after becoming the target of several probes in Spain over his financial dealings.
Spain shelved all three of its financial investigations into the former king earlier this month.
Victoria Federica de Marichalar, 21, was interviewed by Spanish Elle, which accompanied its article with this series of stunning photographs. Here she is pictured wearing a dress by Prada
21-year-old Victoria, seen here in pictures taken by Spanish Elle, has been hailed as Spain’s next ‘It girl’ – but despite having a substantial social media following, with 139,000 Instagram followers, she says she isn’t interested in fame
During the Spanish Elle interview (pictured) Victoria, who is fifth in line to the Spanish throne, spoke about her admiration for her grandfather, former Spanish king Juan Carlos
Juan Carlos I reigned as king of Spain from November 1975 until his abdication in June 2014
Victoria, who is the niece of reigning King Felipe VI, said she has always admired her grandfather and said she hopes his legacy is ‘esteemed.’
The royal, who’s been hailed the next Spanish It Girl, said she wanted to show people who she really is, and added that she does not care about the controversy surrounded her candid Instagram account where she shares glimpse of her life.
Victoria, who attended a gala in Madrid earlier this week, praised her grandfather as a ‘dedicated’ man.
‘I have always seen him as a dedicated man and I hope that all the work and effort that she has made of her throughout her life is recognised and esteemed,’ she said.
She added she sees Juan Carlos as a second father figure and speaks to him regularly in spite of the distance.
Speaking to Spanish Elle, she took the defense of former Spanish King Juan Carlos, who has been living in Abu Dhabi since summer 2020 after becoming the target of several probes in Spain over his financial dealings.
The royal said the former king is a big source of inspiration for her and that one of her tattoos was modelled on the last boat he sailed on before he left the country in disgrace in 2020.
Victoria, who described herself as a practicing catholic, said she could tell when people approach her under false pretences, and that she has learned to trust a close-knit network of friends.
She said she is also very close to her grandmother Queen Sofia, and cherishes the memory of her paternal grandmother Concepción Sáenz de Tejada.
Victoria, who is the niece of reigning king Felipe VI, said she has always admired her grandfather and said she hopes his legacy is ‘esteemed.’ (pictured attending a Moet & Chandon party in Madrid in December 2021)
She also talked of her strong bond with her family, revealing how her interest in fashion stemmed from her father’s career.
Jaime de Marichalar works as an advisor at the LVMH group in Spain and has access to all established brands like Loew as well as the upcoming designers making waves in the Mediterranean.
The royal, who is currently finishing her studies in business administration and management at College for International Studies (CIS), in Madrid, wants to follow into her dad’s footsteps and work in fashion.
The jet-setter (pictured), who is fifth in line to the Spanish throne, is the younger child and only daughter of King Felipe’s older sister, Infanta Elena, 58 and her ex-husband Jaime de Marichalar, 58
Victoria (pictured in November 2021) reportedly went to a boarding school in Sussex during her teenage years before enrolling at the College for International Studies (CIS), in Madrid, to study business administration and management
Earlier this year, she made waves at Paris Fashion Week, where she sat in the front row of several shows and rubbed elbows with Rihanna at the Dior show.
She added that the thing she values the most in life is quality time with her family.
However, the young royal said she’s learned to live with a public profile, saying she was not phased by the attention she’s gathered in recent years.
She said Juan Carlos taught her to be herself ‘in everything that I do’ and for that reason, the young royal has been keeping a candid Instagram account, sharing snaps of the glitzy she has been invited to in recent years.
She said she does not care that her Instagram account has gathered controversy over what royals should and should not share.
Victoria, pictured with Rihanna at Paris Fashion Week, said her social presence gives people the opportunity to see who she really is, however, she said she has no interest in oversharing on social media
She argued that as part of a generation where people her age have strong digital presences, she could not fathom not being on social media.
She added her social presence gives people the opportunity to see who she really is, however, she said she has no interest in oversharing on social media.
While she has little interest in fame, Victoria, who counts 139,000 followers on Instagram said she wouldn’t hesitate to use her public platform to advocate for charitable causes.
The young royal said she has the same concerns as any girl her age, but still acknowledged she is privileged.
Victoria went public on Instagram in 2019, aged 18, and has since amassed 139,000 followers thanks to the glimpses she gives of her glamorous life.
The royal, who was is known to be a fan of bull-fighting, often spotted attending shows at the Las Ventas bullring in Spain’s capital city, made her first red carpet appearance at the ELLE Style Awards in October last year.
Who is Spain’s former king, Juan Carlos I?
Juan Carlos I reigned as king of Spain from November 1975 until his abdication in June 2014.
He was a popular monarch for most of his four-decade reign who played a critical role in the country’s transition to democracy.
He is the grandson of Alfonso XIII, the last king of Spain before the abolition of the monarchy in 1931 and the subsequent declaration of the Second Spanish Republic.
Juan Carlos was born in Rome, Italy, on January 5, 1938, during his family’s exile. He came to Spain in 1947 to continue his studies and entered the Zaragoza military academy.
He completed his tertiary education at the University of Madrid and went on to marry Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark in Athens in 1962.
They went on to have two daughters and a son together: Elena, Cristina, and Felipe.
Juan Carlos first began periodically acting as Spain’s head of state in the summer of 1974. Fascist dictator Francisco Franco died in November the following year and Juan Carlos became king on 22 November 1975, two days after Franco’s death.
Juan Carlos was hailed for his role in Spain’s transition to democracy and reforms to dismantle the Francoist regime.
However the King and the monarchy’s reputation began to suffer after controversies surrounding his family arose.
In April 2012, Juan Carlos faced criticism for an elephant-hunting trip in Botswana during a time of financial crisis in Spain.
The public found out about the trip only after the King injured himself and a special aircraft was sent to bring him home.
Pictured left to right: Then-Princess Letizia , Prince Felipe, Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos pose for a photo in 2009
Spanish officials stated that the expenses of the trip were not paid by taxpayers or by the palace, but by Syrian businessman Mohamed Eyad Kayali.
Corruption scandals circling the royal family closed in when his daughter, Princess Cristina, was accused of tax fraud in 2014 and became the first Spanish royal to stand trial. She was later acquitted, but her husband was sentenced.
He abdicated in favour of his son, Prince Felipe, in 2014, and last year, Juan Carlos announced his decision to withdraw from public life, ending his remaining institutional functions and appearances from June 2019. Last August, he successfully underwent heart surgery in Madrid.
In June 2020, Spain’s supreme court prosecutor opened an investigation into Juan Carlos’ involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia that was granted to a group of Spanish companies in 2011.
King Felipe renounced his own inheritance and stripped his father of his palace allowance in March after reports the latter received $100 million from the late Saudi king and gave millions to a businesswoman.
Since then, fans have been eager to note the similarities between Victoria and her fashionable aunt Queen Letizia.
For her first red carpet appearance, she sported a blue floor-length gown with a cut-out back by Spanish designer Lorenzo Caprile, a favourite of Letizia’s.
She teamed the eye-catching ensemble with Manolo Blahnik heels, according to Tatler, while opting to style her hair in a high ponytail.
And her glamorous displays haven’t stopped there. In December, she attended the Moet & Chandon party at the royal theatre in Madrid.
She sported a silver metallic dress for the occasion, featuring a cape detail and teamed with dazzling drop earrings.
At the time of her birth in 2000, Victoria was third in the line of succession, after her mother and Felipe.
However, since the birth of her cousins Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, she is now fifth in line to the throne followed by her aunt, Infanta Cristina.
