Meet Spain's Royal Family: Your Guide to the Spanish Monarchy's Family Tree

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King Felipe VI succeeded the Spanish throne in 2014 following the abdication of his father, King Juan Carlos I

Spanish Royal House/Getty
Spanish Royal House/Getty

A new king succeeded the Spanish throne less than a decade ago.

After King Juan Carlos' nearly 50-year reign, he abdicated the throne in 2014, paving the way for his only son, King Felipe VI, to become the reigning monarch. Felipe was crowned king on June 19, 2014, with his wife Queen Letizia and his two daughters, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia, by his side.

In the years since Felipe's proclamation ceremony, royal watchers have seen the two princesses grow from young girls to teenagers. In March 2023, the Royal House of Spain announced that Princess Leonor, who is first in line to the Spanish throne, was set to begin three years of military training to prepare for her future position as head of state.

"It shows that we will have, when the time comes, a supreme commander who is a woman," said Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles. "And in recent years, we've made a big effort to incorporate women into the armed forces."

Aside from the current king and queen and their daughters, the Spanish royal family includes King Felipe's two older sisters as well as their six children.

Getty Images/Thais Reyes for PEOPLE
Getty Images/Thais Reyes for PEOPLE

Here's everything to know about the current members of the Spanish Royal Family.

King Juan Carlos I

Carlos Alvarez/Getty
Carlos Alvarez/Getty

The former King Juan Carlos I was born in Rome on Jan. 5, 1938. His family was living in exile in Italy at the time of his birth.

Juan Carlos became king on Nov. 22, 1975. After reigning for 39 years, he abdicated the throne in 2014. In 2019, he retired from public duties.

The following year, he went into a self-imposed exile from Spain amid allegations of tax fraud. In response, Felipe renounced his inheritance and Juan Carlos' pension ended. In 2022, the two reunited when Juan Carlos returned to Spain for the first time in two years.

Queen Sofia

Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Queen Sofia, who was previously known asPrincess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, was born in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 2, 1938. Her parents were the king and queen of Greece.

Sofia married Juan Carlos on May 14, 1962. They welcomed three children: Princess Elena, Duchess of Lugo; Princess Cristina; and King Felipe VI.

King Felipe VI

Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto/Getty
Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto/Getty

King Felipe VI is the son of Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain. Born on Jan. 30, 1968, he is younger than his two sisters, but he became king due to Spain's male-preference primogeniture, meaning male heirs take preference over female children of the monarch.

Felipe became king on June 19, 2014, after his father abdicated the throne.

He married Queen Letizia on May 22, 2004. They have two children: Crown Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia.

Queen Letizia

Chesnot/WireImage
Chesnot/WireImage

Queen Letizia was born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano on Sept. 5, 1972. Prior to becoming the queen of Spain, Letizia was a TV journalist. She was previously in a decade-long relationship with writer Alonso Guerrero Pérez. They were married for one year from 1998 to 1999.

Letizia, who was born into a middle-class family, is the first Spanish queen to have been a commoner.

Crown Princess Leonor

Carlos Alvarez/Getty
Carlos Alvarez/Getty

Felipe and Letizia's first daughter Princess Leonor was born on Oct. 31, 2005. She has been the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne since her father became king in 2014. Being the heir means that she has the title Princess of Asturias; before he became king, Felipe was known as Prince of Asturias.

Leonor is the heir presumptive rather than the heir apparent because Spanish succession law means that if Felipe were to have a son, the son would take Leonor's place as the heir. Otherwise, Leonor will be the first queen regnant of Spain since the 1800s. (Other queens, like her mother, married into the family.)

Princess Sofia

Carlos Alvarez/Getty
Carlos Alvarez/Getty

Leonor's younger sister, Princess Sofia, was born on April 29, 2007. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Queen Sofia.

Princess Elena

Aldara Zarraoa/WireImage
Aldara Zarraoa/WireImage

Princess Elena was born on Dec. 20, 1963, and is the oldest sister of King Felipe. She is currently third in the line of succession.

Elena was given the title Duchess of Lugo by her father when she got married. Elena wed Spanish aristocrat Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada on March 18, 1995, and they were married for 15 years. Since birth, Jaime has held the title Lord of Tejada and is the son of a count. He previously worked in finance.

During their marriage, Elena and Jaime welcomed two children, Felipe and Victoria. Their divorce was made official in 2010.

Don Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón

Europa Press/Contacto/ABACAPRESS.COM/Alamy
Europa Press/Contacto/ABACAPRESS.COM/Alamy

Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón is the son of Princess Elena and her ex-husband Jaime. He was born on July 17, 1998, and is widely known as Froilán. He is fourth in line to the throne.

Doña Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón

Doña Victoria de Marichalar y Borbó Instagram
Doña Victoria de Marichalar y Borbó Instagram

Elena and Jaime's daughter, Doña Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón, was born on Sept. 9, 2000. She is fifth in the line of succession.

Victoria's passion for fashion — and presence at industry events — can be seen on her Instagram. She's also given interviews to and posed for magazines like Elle España and InStyle España.

Princess Cristina

Giovanni Sanvido/WireImage
Giovanni Sanvido/WireImage

Juan Carlos and Sofia's second child, Princess Cristina, was born on June 13, 1965. She is sixth in the line of succession to the Spanish throne.

Cristina married entrepreneur Iñaki Urdangarin Liebaert on Oct. 4, 1997. They had both previously competed in the Olympic games: Iñaki in handball (he had been a professional player) and Cristina in a sailing event. They welcomed four children — Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene — before separating in 2022.

Starting in 2012, the pair were on trial for alleged tax fraud. In 2017, Cristina was acquitted while Iñaki was sentenced to nearly six years in prison. During the trial, Felipe removed their titles of Duke and Duchess of Palma.

Don Juan Valentín Urdangarin y Borbón

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
Patrick van Katwijk/Getty

Cristina and Iñaki's oldest son, Juan Valentín Urdangarin y Borbón, was born on Sept. 29, 1999. He is seventh in line to the throne.

Juan is particularly private. In January 2023, Vanity Fair España reported that he was known to have gone abroad to volunteer in Cambodia and India. Like his younger siblings, he previously attended school in Geneva where his mother lived.

Don Pablo Nicolás Sebastián Urdangarin y Borbón

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
Patrick van Katwijk/Getty

The second son of Cristina and Iñaki is Pablo Nicolás Sebastián Undangarin y Borbón, born on Dec. 6, 2000. He is eighth in line to the throne.

Pablo is a professional handball player for FC Barcelona Handbol in the European Handball Federation.

Don Miguel Urdangarin y Borbón

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
Patrick van Katwijk/Getty

Cristina and Iñaki's third son is Miguel Urdangarin y Borbón. He was born on April 30, 2002, and is ninth in line to the throne.

In 2022, Vanity Fair España reported that Miguel was living in London and studying oceanography.

Doña Irene Urdangarin y Borbón

Europa Press Entertainment/Europa Press/Getty
Europa Press Entertainment/Europa Press/Getty

Cristina and Iñaki's youngest child is Irene Urdangarin y Borbón, born on June 5, 2005. Irene is 10th in the line of succession. In 2022, Vanity Fair España reported that Irene was the only child still living with her mother in Geneva.

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