(Madrid) – Spain’s new king, Felipe VI, was sworn in, in a relatively modest ceremony which monarchists hope will usher in a new era of popularity for the troubled royal household. He called immediately for Spain to stay united but respect the cultural differences among its regions, ending a speech by saying “thank you” in four languages: Castilian Spanish, Basque, Catalan and Galician.
Felipe became king after his father, Juan Carlos, abdicated earlier this month. One of the biggest challenges for Felipe will be whether he can use his symbolic role to spur dialogue between the leaders of Spain and the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia, where there is a growing independence movement.
The new king, who is 46, wore military uniform with a sash and swore loyalty to Spain’s constitution before addressing dignitaries gathered in the lower house of Parliament with a long portion of his speech dedicated to the issue of national unity.
