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Proclamation Speech of his Majesty King Felipe VI

I appear today to the Corte Generales to proclaim the oath provided by the Constitution and to be proclaimed King of Spain. Fulfilled this Constitutional duty, I'd like to express the recognition and respect of the Crown to this Chambers, home of the national sovereignity. And allow me to deliver this to your Honors and from here, on a day like this, to the people of Spain.

I start my reign with deep emotion for the honor that is for me to recieve the Crown, aware of the responsibility that brings and with the biggest hope for Spain's future.

A nation built upon years in History by the hard work of millions of people from all the places of our territory and who, without their participation, we cannot understand the path of the human kind.

A great nation, your Honors, in which I believe, I love and I admire; and which I have felt attached to its destiny my whole life, as Crown Prince and now, as King of Spain.

Before your Honors and before all the spaniards -with great emotion- I'd like to pay a homage of gratitude and respect to my father, King Juan Carlos I. An exceptional reing goes to history with an extraordinary political legacy. It's been almost 40 years, in this same tribune, when my father expressed his desire to be King of all the spaniards. And he has been. He sticked to the values defended by my grandfather, the Count of Barcelona and gathered us to join to a great project of national accord and which has led to the best years of our contemporary history.

In the person of King Juan Carlos today we pay the appreciation it deserves to a generation of citizens who paved the way for democracy, to the understanding between spaniards and to the free coexistence. This generation, under his leadership, and with the pulse shape of the Spanish people, built the foundations of a building that overcame political differences that seemed insurmountable, achieved reconciliation of the Spaniards, recognized Spain in its plurality and restored our nation to its place worldwide.

And also allow me, your honors, to thank my mother, Queen Sofía, for a lifetime of work in the impeccable serving the Spanish people. Her dedication and loyalty to King Juan Carlos, her dignity and sense of responsibility, are an example that deserves a heartfelt tribute of gratitude that today, -as a son and as King-I want to dedicate to her. Together, King Juan Carlos and Sofia, for over 50 years, have given themselves to Spain. I hope we can continue to have many years with your support, experience and love.

Throughout my life as Prince of Asturias, Girona and Viana, my loyalty to the Constitution has been permanent, as has been waived -and is- my commitment to the values on which our democratic society rests. I was educated like that as a child in my family and also for my teachers. To all of them I owe them a lot and I thank you now and always. And in those same values of freedom, responsibility, solidarity and tolerance, the Queen and I have educated our daughters, the Princess of Asturias and the Infanta Sofía.

Honourable Members of the Congress and Senators

Today I can say to these cameras -and celebrate it- the beginning of the reign of a constitutional King. A King that accesses the head of the State in accordance with a constitution that was ratified by the Spaniards and that it has been our supreme law for over 35 years now.

A King should stick to the exercise of the functions entrusted to him for the Constitution and, therefore, a symbol of the unity and permanence of the state, taking its highest representation and arbitrate and moderate the regular functioning of the institutions.

A King, well, that must also respect the principle of the separation of powers and therefore enforce the laws passed by the Parliament, together with the Government, -whom has to take the direction of national politics- and always respect the independence of the judiciary.

Have no doubt, your honors, that I know how to honor the oath I just uttered; and that, carrying out my responsibilities, will find in me a Head of State fair and willing to listen, to understand, to warn and advise; and always defend the general interests.

And let me add, that in the conclusion of this event of such historical significance, but also of constitutional normality, I can say that my personal belief is that the Parliamentary Monarchy can and should continue to provide a vital service to Spain.

The independence of the Crown, its political neutrality and integrating vocation to the different ideological options let it contribute to the stability of our political system, facilitate balance with the other constitutional and territorial bodies, promotes the orderly functioning of the state and is a channel for cohesion among Spaniards. All of them, political values essential for living, for the organization and development of our collective life.

But the demands of the Crown are not ended in meeting its constitutional functions. I have been aware, always, that the Parliamentary Monarchy must be open and engaged with the society it serves; to be a faithful and loyal interpreter of the aspirations and hopes of the citizens, and must share -and feel as their own- its successes and failures.

The Crown must seek closeness to the citizens, to continuously earn their appreciation, respect and trust; and for this, ensure the dignity of the institution to preserve its prestige and observe a complete, honest and transparent behavior, as befits its institutional role and its social responsibility. Because only in that way, it will earn the necessary moral authority for the exercise of their functions. Today, more than ever, citizens rightly claim that moral and ethical principles and exemplary-inspire-chairing our public life. And the King, the head of state, has to be not only a leader but also a server that just and legitimate demands of citizens.

These are, ladies and gentlemen, my convictions about the Crown that from today I embody: a Monarchy renewed for a new time. And I approach my task with energy, with enthusiasm and with open and innovative spirit that inspires men and women of my generation.

Honourable Members of the Congress and Senators

Today is a day when, if we were to look back, I wish we did not have nostalgia, but with great respect for our history; with a spirit of overcoming what has separated us or divided; order to remember and celebrate all that unites us and gives us strength and solidity to the future.

In this look should always be present, with immense respect also, all those who are victims of terrorist violence, lost their lives or suffered to defend our freedom. Their memories will remain in our memories and in our hearts. And the victory of the Rule of Law, and with our greatest affection, will be the best recognition of the dignity they deserve.

And looking at our current situation, ladies and gentlemen, I also want to express my closeness and solidarity to all those citizens that the rigor of the economic crisis has hit hard to be wounded in their dignity as persons. We owe them a moral duty to work to reverse this situation and the citizens' duty to provide protection to the most vulnerable individuals and families. And we also have the obligation to transmit a message of hope, especially to the youth -the solution of their problems and in particular obtaining a job is a priority for the society and the State. I know all the Members share these concerns and these objectives.

But above all, ladies and gentlemen, today is a day that I would like us to look forward into the future; towards the renewed Spain we must continue to build together at the start of this reign.

Throughout recent years, and not without difficulties, we have lived in a democracy, finally overcoming times of tragedy, of silence and darkness. Preserve the principles and ideals on which is based the coexistence and which I referred to earlier, is not only an act of justice to the generations that have preceded us, but a source of inspiration and example at all times to our public life . And ensure coexistence in peace and freedom of the Spaniards is and always will be an inescapable responsibility of all public authorities.

The men and women of my generation are heirs of that great collective success admired worldwide and wich we are so proud. We are the ones who have to pass it on to younger generations.

But it is also a duty we must have with them -and ourselves- to imporove that valuable legacy and enhance the collective heritage of freedom and rights that you worked hard to get. For every political time has its own challenges; because all politics' work -as human work- is always an unfinished task.

The Spaniards and especially the men and women of my generation, ladies and gentlemen, we aim to revitalize our institutions, to reaffirm, in our actions, the primacy of the general interest and strengthen our democratic culture.

We aspire to a Spain in which we reach agreements among political forces on the materials and the time when so advises the public interest.

We want the citizens and their concerns to be the focus of political action, it is they who with their hard work and sacrifice magnify our state and give meaning to the constituent components.

We want a Spain in which the citizens regain and maintain confidence in its institutions and a society based on civility and tolerance, honesty and rigor, always with an open mind and a constructive spirit of solidarity.

And we want, at the end, a Spain in which there're never broken bridges of understanding, which is one of the guiding principles of our constitutional spirit.

In this context of hope, I want to reaffirm, as King, my faith in the unity of Spain, of which the Crown is a symbol. Unity is not uniformity, ladies and gentlemen, in 1978 the Constitution recognized our diversity as a defining characteristic of our own identity, by proclaiming his willingness to protect all the people of Spain, their cultures and traditions, languages and institutions. This diversity stems from our history, we should exalt and should strengthen us.

In Spain they have lived historically diverse traditions and cultures that have enriched continuously all its peoples. And that sum, the relationship between cultures and traditions has its best expression in the concert of languages. Next to Castilian, the official language of the state, the other languages of Spain formed a common heritage, as established by the Constitution, should be given special respect and protection; because languages are the natural ways to access knowledge of people and are both bridges for dialogue of all Spaniards. This has been considered as flagship by claimed writers such as Antonio Machado, Espriu, Aresti, or Castelao.

In that Spain, united and diverse, based on equality of the Spaniards, on solidarity between their people and respect for the law, we all fit; fit all the feelings and sensitivities, fit the different ways of being Spanish. Because feelings, even in the times of European integration should ever confront, divide or exclude, but to understand and respect, live and share.

And that coexistence, we must revitalize every day, with individual and collective exercise of mutual respect and appreciation for reciprocal achievements. We must do so with sincere affection, with friendship and the bonds of brotherhood and fraternity which are essential to feed the collective illusions.

We must all work together, gentlemen, each with its own personality and enriching the collective; do it with loyalty, around the new common objectives posed by the XXI century. For a nation is not only its history, is an integrative project, felt and shared by all, that looks to the future.

A new century, ladies and gentlemen, that was born under the sign of change and transformation and puts us in a very different from the reality of the twentieth century.

We are all aware that we are witnessing profound changes in our lives that keep us from the traditional way of seeing the world and ourselves in it. And, while leading to unrest, uncertainty or fear in citizens, also open new opportunities for progress.

Meet these challenges and to respond to new challenges that affect our coexistence, requires all of our workd: public authorities, which corresponds to lead and define our great national objectives; but also the public, their momentum, their belief and their active participation.

It is a task that demands a profound change in many minds and attitudes and, of course, great determination and courage, vision and responsibility.

Our history teaches us that major advances have occurred in Spain when we have evolved and adapted to the reality of each time; when we have given to conformity or resignation and we have been able to look up and look beyond-and-above ourselves; when we were able to share a new vision of our common interests and goals.

The welfare of our citizens, men and women, ladies and gentlemen, requires us to place Spain in the XXI century, in the rapidly emerging new world; the century of knowledge, culture and education.

We face the challenge of promoting new technologies, science and research, which are now the true creative energies of wealth; the challenge to promote and encourage innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship and attitudes necessary for development and growth.

All this is, in my opinion, essential to ensure progress and modernization of Spain and help us, no doubt, to win the battle for job creation, which is today the main concern of the Spanish.

The twenty-first century, the century of the environment also must be one in which the humanistic and ethical values that we need to restore and maintain help eliminate discrimination, entrenched the role of women and further promote peace and international cooperation .

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to turn now to the field of international relations, in which Spain occupies a privileged position for their place in the geography and history of the world.

In the same way that Europe was an aspiration of Spain in the past, today Spain is Europe and our duty is to help build a strong, united and solidary Europe, to preserve social cohesion, to assert its position in the world and consolidate its leadership democratic values that we share. We care because we also strengthen inward. Europe is not a foreign policy project, is one of the main projects for the Kingdom of Spain, for the state and society.

With Latin American countries it unites us the history and the very strong bonds of affection and brotherhood. In recent decades, also joined us and growing economic interests closer and closer views on the global. But above all, unites our language and shared culture. An asset of immense value that we promote with determination and generosity.

And finally, our old ties of culture and sensitivity close to the Mediterranean, Middle East and Arab countries, we provide a capacity of privileged dialogue based on respect and willingness to cooperate in many areas of mutual and international interest in an area of such strategic, political and economic relevance.

In an increasingly globalized world, which are emerging new stakeholders, along with new risks and challenges, we can only assume an increasingly powerful and active in defending the rights of our citizens and in promoting our interests, willingness to participate in and influence over the great issues of the global agenda and especially in the framework of the UN

Honourable Members of the Congress and Senators

In my remarks today, I wanted to fulfill the duty I feel to transmit to your Honors and to all the Spaniards, sincere and honest people, my feelings, convictions and commitments to Spain with which I identify, the one I want and I aspire ; and also on the parliamentary monarchy in which I believe: as I said before and I repeat now, renewed monarchy for a new time.

And to end my post I want to thank the Spanish support and love I have received so many times. My hope for our future is based on my faith in the Spanish society; a mature and vital, responsible and caring society that is showing great fortitude and spirit of excellence that deserve more recognition.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a great country; We are a great nation, we believe and trust her.

Like said by Cervantes in Don Quixote' mouth "is not just another man unless he does more than another."

I'm proud of the Spaniards and nothing would honor me more than, with my work and effort each day, the Spaniards could be proud of their new King.

Thank you very much. Moltes gràcies. Eskerrik asko. Moitas grazas

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My wifi comes and goes (KATE!!!) I had to look for it on the TV jfc

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