Heir to Spanish throne to marry divorced journalist

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, November 02, 2003

Heir to Spanish throne to marry divorced journalist

Prince Felipe, heir to the throne of Spain, will marry divorced Spanish television journalist Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano next summer, the royal palace said in a surprise announcement Saturday.

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Prince Felipe, heir to the throne of Spain, will marry divorced Spanish television journalist Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano next summer, the royal palace said in a surprise announcement Saturday.

The 35-year-old prince, son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, will on Thursday officially propose to the 31-year-old current affairs presenter of public television channel TVE at the palace.

"The marriage will take place at the start of summer 2004 at Almudena Cathedral in Madrid," an official communique announced, a day before the queen's 65th birthday.

Ortiz, who also worked for the conservative newspaper ABC and the CNN plus television channel, had married one of her former teachers in 1999 but divorced a year later.

Since no church wedding was held at the time, the Roman Catholic Church was not expected to oppose her remarrying.

The announcement was eagerly welcomed by most of Spain's political groupings, both on the left and right-wing.

The role of Prince Felipe, the royal couple's third child and only son, is not defined in Spain's constitution but mostly involves officially representing the royal household both in Spain and abroad.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have also voiced satisfaction at the match, saying that Ortiz "reconciles the necessary conditions" to share their son's responsibilities, according to a spokesman for the royal household.

Felipe, born in January 1968, has steadily increased his public duties since the age of eight in preparation for one day taking over as king of Spain.

He often represents his country at the initiation ceremonies for heads of state or government in Latin America and regularly carries out official trips abroad and in Spain.

He is also known for his ecological interest and has presented a television series on protecting Spain's fauna.

He studied law at university in Madrid and international relations at Georgetown University in Washington and like his father he has attended military schools.

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