The Royal Household of Spain, officially the Household of His Majesty the King, is the constitutional body whose primary function is to provide aid and support to the

King of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

in the exercise of his royal duties and prerogatives. These include his role as

Head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...

and as Supreme Commander of the

Spanish Armed Forces The Spanish Armed Forces are in charge of guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Spain, defending its territorial integrity and the constitutional order, according to the functions entrusted to them by the Constitution o ...

. It functions as the king's executive office. The household is under the direct authority of the king, who personally selects the individuals he chooses to aid him in his constitutional duties. It is a constitutional institution, as laid down in Spain’s constitution of 1978. While the household is part of Spain’s governmental structure, it is not under the control or influence of any other state institution. The household ensures that the king has the independent means to perform all of his state functions. In particular, it is not under the administrative control of the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

or the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or ...

. The only authority to whom it answers is the king himself. One of the household's primary functions is to facilitate communications between the king and the other state authorities. It is responsible for written and oral communications between the king and the

government departments Ministry or department (also less commonly used secretariat, office, or directorate) are designations used by first-level executive bodies in the machinery of governments that manage a specific sector of public administration." Энцикло� ...

. It organizes and schedules meetings between the king, the Prime Minister, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, State Secretaries, Under Secretaries and other officials. Its budget, like those of the Office of the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers, the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

, the Armed Forces and many others, is approved by the houses of the Spanish Parliament on a yearly basis.

Background

The current Royal Household has its historical precedent in the

Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain The Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain was the institution that governed the organization of the Royal Spanish Court from the time of the Habsburg dynasty, which introduced the so-called Burgundian etiquette, up to the reign of Alfo ...

, which was made defunct by the establishment of the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 ...

in 1931. Following the eventual restoration of the monarchy and

Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

's accession to the throne as king in 1975, a new Royal Household was established. This new household was completely different from the former court of his grandfather, Alfonso XIII. The modern Royal Household is much simpler than the precedent institution and it was decided not to recreate the majority of offices which existed in the old Royal Household, maintaining basically the Head of the Royal Household and the Secretary General of the Royal Household. Both these offices are held by professional, senior civil servants, even if they come from the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

Royal Household budget

According to article 65(1) of the 1978 constitution , the Head of State is entitled to compensation from the annual state budget for the maintenance of his family and household administration, and distributes these funds at his discretion. This budget is used to pay the salaries of members of the royal family who perform duties on behalf of the Spanish state. It also pays for the salaries and benefits ( retirement, medical etc. ) of the staff who work directly for the Household of his Majesty the King. The budget approved for 2018 is €7,887,150. Less than 9% of this budget was assigned to the salaries of the royal family. For the 2018 budget the royal salaries were as follows: His Majesty the King €242,769. Her Majesty the Queen €133,530. Her Majesty the Queen Emeritus €109,260 Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias €0 Her Royal Highness the Infanta Sofía €0 The two princesses are currently in school and do not perform public functions and as such do not receive a salary. Once they come of age they will assume public duties and be granted a salary in order to accomplish those duties The 2019 budget assigned the following salaries to the top leadership of the royal household: Head of the Household €144,140 Secretary General of the Household €141,488 Head of the Military Household €114,017 Financial Comptroller €101,808 Diplomatic Counselor €134,701 Cabinet Chief €106,006 Secretary to Her Majesty the Queen €104,895 Chief of the Security Service €104,187 Director of communications €101,345 Chief of protocol €101,323 Chief of administration and infrastructure €105,897

Organizational structure

According to article 65(2) of the 1978 constitution:

"The King freely appoints and dismisses the civilian and military members of his household."

In accordance with article 65(2), the authority to organize the royal household of his Majesty the King is vested in the Monarch. In the exercise of this authority the king chooses the officers and decides which departments form a part of the royal household. He also determines the functions and duties that they are responsible for carrying out. The sovereign exercises this authority in the form of a Royal Decree. The current structure of the royal household is set down in Royal decree 434/1988 and subsequent amendments to it as ordered by the king.

Head of the Household

The Head of the Household is responsible for the over all operation and management of the departments of the Royal Household. He holds the rank and privileges ( pay, vacation ) of a member of the council of ministers. He is the king’s most senior personal political adviser and reports directly to him. The head of the household is the primary channel of communication between the king and the various departments of the state administration. He advises the monarch on all issues pertaining to constitutional, foreign, political and military affairs. His role is analogous to the private secretary of the British sovereign. The Financial Comptroller of the household is in charge of the accounting department that prepares the annual budgets for the household’s departments. The Diplomatic Advisor to the Royal Household closely monitors international relations and developments in foreign affairs. He advises the head of household and the king in these areas. The Heads of the Household have successively been: * 1975–1990 —

Nicolás Cotoner, 22nd Marquess of Mondéjar Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–17 ...

Grandee of Spain Grandee (; es, Grande de España, ) is an official aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ...

* 1990–1993 —

Sabino Fernández Campo, 1st Count of Latores Sabino Fernández Campo, 1st Count of Latores (March 17, 1918, Oviedo - October 26, 2009, Madrid) was Head of the Royal Household of Spain under Juan Carlos I, from 1990 to 1993, and a key figure during the failed 23-F 3F or 3-F may refer to: * ...

* 1993–2002 — Fernando Almansa, 10th Viscount of Castillo de Almansa,

* 2002–2011 — Alberto Aza * 2011–2014 —

Rafael Spottorno Rafael Spottorno Díaz-Caro (born 28 February 1945), is a Spanish diplomat, Head of the Spanish Royal Household between 2011 and 2014. Since 2014, is involved in the corruption scandal named ''Tarjetas Black''. Spottorno has a degree in Law and ...

* 2014–present — Jaime Alfonsín

General Secretariat

The Secretary General is the Deputy Head of H.M. The King's Household and responsible for the co-ordination of all its services. He also replaces the Head of the Household in the case of absence or illness. The General Secretariat is divided into units, whose heads form the Household's management team. The Planning & Co-ordination Cabinet is the support unit for both the Head of the Household and the Secretary General, with assistance and immediate collaboration tasks in the fulfillment of the duties assigned to them. The Bureau and Activities and Programmes form part of this Cabinet. The Office of H.M. The Queen's Secretary carries out the study, preparation and implementation of all matters related to H.M. The Queen's activities, as well as those of Their Royal Highnesses The Infantas. The Security Service is responsible for the Royal Family’s immediate (bodyguards) security. It has a Commander and is composed of units of the State Security Forces, assigned from the

Ministry of the Interior An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministr ...

. It is also in charge of ensuring the royal family’s security during travel between secure locations, such as inspecting sewers for bombs and posting snipers on roofs. The Press and Communications office maintains contact with professionals from the media, informing them of the official activities of the Royal Family, as well as their contents and organisation. The Protocol office prepares and manages all aspects pertaining to protocol of the Royal Family’s different activities, both in Spain and abroad. The Administration, Infrastructure and Services section manages the financial and budgetary side, as well as matters pertaining to the Household's staff. It manages and organises telecommunication and information services. It co-ordinates general maintenance of the installations of La

Zarzuela Palace The Zarzuela Palace ( es, Palacio de la Zarzuela ) is the residence and working offices of the reigning monarch of Spain ( King Felipe VI), although the official residence of the Spanish royal family is the Royal Palace of Madrid. The Zarzuela Pa ...

. The Quartermaster's Office and the Communications and Information Centre form part of this unit. The General Secretariat's staff consists of 139 civil servants, apart from those assigned to the Security Service by the Ministry of the Interior. The Secretaries General have successively been: * 1976–1977 — Alfonso Armada, Marquis of Santa Cruz de Rivadulla * 1977–1990 — Sabino Fernández Campo, Count of Latores,

* 1990–1991 — José Joaquín Puig de la Bellacasa * 1991–1993 — Joel Cansino Gimeno * 1993–2002 — Rafael Spottorno Díaz-Caro * 2002–2002 — Alberto Aza Arias * 2002–2011 — Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner Rodríguez * 2011–2014 — Alfonso Sanz Portolés * 2014–present — Domingo Martínez Palomo

Military Household Staff

The King’s Military Staff is primarily responsible for assisting him in the performance of his duties as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish Armed Forces. It also is responsible (along with the Security Service) for the maintenance of security at all Royal Palaces. The Royal Guard is part of the military household. The military household is commanded by a General or Lt General who is appointed freely by the King. The King also appoints the Chief of the Royal Guard who holds the rank of Colonel. The military household is the main channel of communication between the king and the ministry of defense. It is in charge of preparing the king’s military schedule and for arranging meetings with military personnel at the ministry of defense. Royal decrees dealing with military matters are sent to the King via the military household. The Chief of the Military Staff is in charge of: * The Military Cabinet. * The Military Law Advisor. * The Military Auditor. * The Royal Guard. The Military Cabinet is divided into four Sections covering staff, protocol, operations and logistics. The Aides-de-Champ to His Majesty The King are senior military officers, which are organised in successive 24-hour duty periods, who assist His Majesty when carrying out his official duties. Their duties include arranging the kings travel and keeping track of his paperwork and documentation. At least one ADC accompanies the king at all times. H.M. The Queen also has ADCs assigned as needed. The Heir to the throne will, on coming of age, also have ADCs. They also form part of the Retinue of Honour of foreign Heads of State on official visit to Spain. Formerly the Royal Decree prescribed that four belong to the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, two to the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

, two to the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

and one to the

Civil Guard Civil Guard refers to various policing organisations: Current * Civil Guard (Spain), Spanish gendarmerie * Civil Guard (Israel), Israeli volunteer police reserve * Civil Guard (Brazil), Municipal law enforcement corporations in Brazil Historic ...

. This was amended in 2015 to remove the requirement for a set number. Chiefs of Military Staff have successively been: * 1986–? — José Santos Peralba Giráldez * 2002–? — Antonio González-Aller * ?–2010 — Felipe Carlos Victoria de Ayala * 2010–2014 — Antonio de la Corte * 2014–2020 — Juan Ruiz Casas * 2020–present — Emilio Gracia Cirugeda

References

External links

The Royal Household of His Majesty the King
*
''Real Decreto 434/1988, de 6 de mayo, sobre reestructuración de la Casa de S. M. el Rey''
— BOE.es {{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Household Of Spain Monarchy Government of Spain Politics of Spain Pretenders to the Spanish throne Royal households