Felipe VI of Spain celebrates 10 years on the throne

This Wednesday, King Felipe VI of Spain commemorated the tenth anniversary of his accession to the throne, a decade that has been characterized by his transparency and commitment to the Spanish people. The celebration stood out for the moments he lived with his daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, and with his wife, Queen Letizia.

"During these years, service, commitment and duty have been the pillars of my performance as king. Therefore, service, commitment, and duty is the motto that I have chosen for this anniversary," said the monarch during a ceremony held at the Royal Palace.

Furthermore, Felipe VI stated that during his reign, he has been committed to upholding the Constitution and will continue to do so. "I have adhered to the Constitution and its values, and I will always adhere to it, in the fulfillment of my responsibilities," said the monarch.

One of the moments that went most viral on social media was when Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía led guests in a toast to their parents and thanked them for teaching them the duty they have to Spain.

"Thank you for joining us to remember that we have learned in these ten years, thanks to our parents, the commitment to the Spanish (...) since we were born they have taught us the value of this institution, of the Crown, its usefulness for society and its purpose of serving everyone," Leonor and Sofía said in a shared speech.

On June 19, 2014, 17 days after Juan Carlos's abdication was announced, Felipe, then 46, was proclaimed king of Spain by the Cortes, the Spanish Parliament. In his speech that day, Felipe VI promised, as AFP reported, "a renewed monarchy for a new time."

Juan Carlos, who had acceded to the throne after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, played an active role in the consolidation of Spanish democracy.