Spain's King Juan Carlos branded Queen Letizia 'common divorcee’

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Spain's ex-king Juan Carlos viewed his future daughter-in-law as a threat
He thought Letizia, a divorced former journalist, would 'destroy' the crown
Former king laughed at her with friends, calling her 'la chacha' - the maid
New book about the court of King Felipe VI is set to be published this week

Published: 12:34 EST, 17 October 2015 | Updated: 19:48 EST, 17 October 2015

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Spain’s Queen Letizia was seen as a threat to the country’s royal household by former king Juan Carlos, according to a new book about the royal family.

Spain’s former king Juan Carlos viewed his soon-to-be daughter-in-law as ‘the worst thing that happened to [the royal family] in many years’, before she married his son Felipe.

The 77-year-old Juan Carlos abdicated last year in favour of his 47-year-old son, now King Felipe VI.

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'Commoner': Spain's King Felipe VI with his wife Queen Letizia (left and right). But Letizia was branded by Spain's former King Juan Carlos as 'the worst thing that happened to [the royal family] in many years' before she married Felipe

But he has always been cold towards Queen Letizia, 43, a divorcee and 'commoner'.

As a former television journalist, Letizia was an unusual addition to the Spanish royal family, which has always been famously shut-off to the media.

She came from a working family, her grandfather was a taxi driver and her mother was a union activist.

Working family: A divorcee and former journalist, Queen Letizia was an unusual addition to the royal family

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The svelte Queen of Spain covered up in a blue dress styled with a matching blazer by her favorite Spanish thread-maker, Felipe Varela, and looked impossibly demure as she proudly stood next to husband King Felipe.

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‘The master never liked the arrival of a journalist in a place that had traditionally been an opaque haven from the fourth estate,’ explains the book, ‘The Court of Felipe VI’, which is published this week.

It has been written by two online journalists, Daniel Forcada of El Confidencial and Alberto Lardies of El Espanol.

The pair claim that Juan Carlos would entertain his friends with jokes that Letizia’s arrival would devastate the royals, referring to her as ‘la chacha’, meaning the maid.

He told friends in 2003 that Felipe was ‘about to destroy the monarchy’ when he learnt of his determination to marry Letizia, reported The Times.

Traditional royal: Spain's former king Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia wave as they appear on the balcony of the royal palace in Madrid, before Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of his son last year

But since the couple came to the throne last year, they have in fact changed the public perception of the Spanish monarchy for the better.

King Felipe has introduced reforms to make the monarchy more accountable and transparent, in a country struggling under the weight of institutional corruption.

Meanwhile his ‘common touch’ has increased the popularity of the royal family, according to recent polls.

The book holds a number of alleged ‘faults’ against Letizia, including a desire to control what is published about her, a lack of diplomacy with employees and a ‘lack of respect for some aspects of the crown’.

Since becoming queen, Letizia (pictured on Friday at a World Food Day event in Milan) has helped forge a connection between the Spanish public and the monarchy

But they add that she has helped forge a connection between the Spanish public and the monarchy.

‘The fact that Letizia has persuaded Felipe to go out for dinner in Madrid in places he never knew before makes him more normal for most people,’ said Forcada.

‘Perhaps for any son it is painful to think that his best virtue should be not to be like his father.’

In her third royal engagement in a week, the busy queen made a visit to the 10th International Seminar on Language and Journalist on Tuesday.

New royals: King Felipe and Queen Letizia have in fact changed the public perception of the Spanish monarchy for the better

Modern touch: Felipe and Letizia have introduced reforms to make the monarchy more accountable and transparent, in a country struggling under the weight of institutional corruption

Just the day before, she had sat with her husband and two daughters, Leonor and Sofia, to watch army planes taking part in a military parade.

Journalism is still close to Queen Letizia’s heart and she attended the Luis Carandell Journalism Awards at the Senado Palace in Madrid on Tuesday.

The royal household did not offer a comment.