Spain's King Felipe VI was sworn in on Thursday during a quiet ceremony after his father, Juan Carlos, abdicated earlier this month amidst a series of scandals.
"The new king is going to contribute his own personality and ideas and a lot of people hope he will bring change to Spain. I personally hope for greater unity," a 20-year-old woman named Alba
told Reuters. She joined her mother, sister, and thousands of well-wishers on the King's parade route following the ceremony.
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Many citizens and tourists shouted "long live the king" while he rode in an open Rolls Royce through Madrid with his wife, Queen Letizia. Felipe's father and mother did not attend the ceremony, conferring the nation's full attention to the new king.
Felipe addressed his subjects in a speech that focused on the country's still-stagnated economy, an important issue among a population who has been divided about the role of the monarchy after years of hardship.
"We need to win the battle to create jobs, which is Spaniards' primary concern," he said.
The Wall Street Journal reported that after addressing jobs and the economy, he emphasized his trustworthiness in a nod to the scandals that surround his family.
"Today more than ever, the citizens demand that moral and ethical principles inspire our public life. And the king, at the head of the state, has to be not only a standard-bearer but also a servant of this legitimate demand."
Felipe's brother-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarin, was recently charged with embezzling public funds to the tune of millions, and King Juan Carlos I upset a great many citizens when he went on an expensive elephant-hunting safari in Africa at the height of the economic crisis.
Polls show Felipe's promotion has helped the popularity of the royals, however a solid two-thirds of the population support putting forth a referendum to on whether Spain should continue to be a constitutional monarchy.
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