While Felipe VI followed this rule, Letizia Ortizwith its rebellious spirittook ua decision that separates it from these traditionswhich affected “his identity” within the Spanish royalty.
The Spanish Royal House has witnessed numerous traditions and rules that govern the lives of its members, many of them established since Franco’s regime. However, one of the most curious is related to the numbering of the National Identity Document (DNI), assigned to the Royal Family since the times of Francisco Franco.
In 1951, Francisco Franco introduced the DNI in Spain and decided to assign himself the number 1, followed by his wife and daughter with the numbers 2 and 3, respectively. Franco, in a gesture of power and control, reserved the numbers from 10 to 99 for the Bourbon family. Since then, reality has preserved these numbers as a symbol of its lineage.
The number that was eliminated due to superstition from the identification of Spanish royalty
King Juan Carlos She kept the number 10, Queen Sofía with 11, Infanta Elena with 12 and Felipe VI with 15. Interestingly, the number 13 was removed for superstitious reasonsan omission that reflects the belief in bad luck.
However, Letizia Ortiz, since she joined the royal family by marrying Felipe in 2004, has refused to abide by some of the most deeply rooted traditions. One of the most significant examples is his decision to keep your original ID, the same random number you received at birthinstead of adopting a number reserved for royalty.
This gesture, although symbolic, reveals a lot about his character. Despite having had the opportunity to change it by becoming princess of Asturias, Letizia Ortiz decided to maintain her commoner identity, which uniquely connects her to her origins.
Queen Letizia has always shown some resistance to conventions of the monarchy. His refusal to change his ID is just one example of this. This refusal to follow certain traditions has not had great repercussions for her, but it does make a clear difference in how she approaches her role within royalty, compared to her husband, Felipe VI, who has followed the rules imposed by previous generations.
