Inside King Felipe VI And Queen Letizia's Marriage

Every family has their drama and baggage — even the Spanish royals. It all started when the family patriarch, King Juan Carlos, was discovered to have injured himself during a 2012 elephant hunting trip in Africa. According to The Guardian, Spanish citizens were up in arms because taxpayer money was funding the luxuriously expensive trip, which took place in the middle of a recession. The World Wildlife Fund, a conservation organization, was also quick to distance itself from the king by stripping him of his status of "honorary president" (via The Washington Post). 

Things only got worse from there. King Juan Carlos' daughter, who has since been stripped of her title (via The Guardian), got caught up in a money laundering scandal through her husband. It wasn't long before the monarch decided to step down in 2014 (via Casa De Su Majestad El Rey). 

In 2020, he was still under investigation for alleged tax fraud, something his son has tried to distance himself from (via the Associated Press). "Whatever Felipe does, he is always embarrassed by his father," royal expert Pilar Eyre told Euronews. With Letizia at his side, the new king has made an effort to fix the monarchy's image. On their official website, there's even a dedicated tab for "Transparency" where anyone can view or request information about the crown's expenses.