Spain's Crown Prince Felipe de Borbon, a tall former Olympic yachtsman, will take the throne largely unscathed by scandals that have battered the royal family.

Frequently smiling but more reserved than his father, the 1.98-meter Felipe, 46, had long suffered from comparisons with the easygoing Juan Carlos, who played a historic role in Spain's post-dictatorship transition.

Felipe was schooled for his future role as monarch in the three branches of the armed forces and during studies abroad, and he comes across as a solid, studious personality.

"His goal, his only goal, is to serve Spain. It has been deeply ingrained in him that he must be the country's main servant," his mother Queen Sofia once said.

His mission is to guarantee the continuation of the monarchy, which was restored in 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco.

Once considered Europe's most eligible bachelor, Felipe wed former television presenter Letizia Ortiz in a glittering ceremony in Madrid's Almudena Cathedral in 2004 after several previous romantic dalliances, including one with a Norwegian lingerie model.

Ortiz, a 41-year-old divorcee, was the first commoner to come in line for the Spanish throne.

AFP

(China Daily 06/03/2014 page10)