- Biography
- Early years
- News about its origin
- Education
- Relationship with the Royal House
- Paternity filiation trial
- Death
- References
Leandro Alfonso de Borbón Ruiz, also known as Leandro de Borbón, was born in Madrid on April 26, 1929. His fame originated from the fact that he and his (older) sister were extramarital children of Alfonso XIII, who was married to Victoria Eugenia de Battenberg.
Leandro de Borbón sought to be recognized as the son of Alfonso XIII in order to hold the title of infant and be treated as part of royalty. Thus, in 2002 he filed a lawsuit for acknowledgment of paternity and in 2003 he managed to be authorized to use the surname Borbón.
Alfonso XIII and his family. Leandro de Borbón had no close relationship with his father due to his illegitimate status. Source: See page for author
Before the sentence authorizing him to use the surname of Borbón, he carried the surnames of his mother (Ruiz Moragas). His mother died when he was very young, so his care and education were assumed by close relatives.
He married twice, had 6 children from his first marriage and a son from the second marriage, who was listed as his favorite son. He did not have a good relationship with his other children, and there were always ups and downs as a result of the divorce of his first wife in 1981 and, later, of his new nuptials in July 1982.
When he died, he was buried in the La Almudena pantheon and not in the Infantes pantheon in El Escorial, a treatment that is granted to members of royalty.
Biography
Early years
Leandro de Borbón was the son of the actress Carmen Ruiz Moragas and King Alfonso XIII. He had a childhood far from the privileges of royalty, as he had no knowledge of who his biological father was.
He had few memories of a man in a suit who always visited his mother and who always received him in a separate room and alone. This man called him and his sister to give them sweets; Leandro was 2 years old by then.
In 1931 his father, who reigned in Spain since 1902, had to go into exile after the Republicans won the elections in the main municipalities of the country, and in 1939 his mother died of uterine cancer, when Leandro was only 7 years old.
As he and his sister were orphaned, Leandro's maternal grandparents assumed their care. They lived precariously, since a month before the death of their mother civil war broke out in Spain.
News about its origin
After the war ended, when Leandro was 10 years old, the administrator of the House of Alba came to his house and informed him of his ancestry.
He explained that his father had set up a fund to pay for his studies, which he had not been able to enjoy before because it was difficult for him to send him money for the war.
This money had been periodically deposited in a bank in Switzerland. Similarly, they assigned both him and his sister a tutor, who was the Count of Los Andes.
Education
Leandro de Borbón had a good education thanks to the pension left by his father, which was granted to him monthly. He studied high school at El Escorial, at the Alfonso XII School and at the Escolapios de Sevilla.
Later he studied Law at the María Cristina de El Escorial University and did his military service in the Spanish Air Force, thanks to which he obtained the title of pilot.
Due to the fact that his father's legacy was not very extensive, Leandro found it necessary to work in various fields in order to help with his support; for example, he was working in places where they sold junk and cars.
Relationship with the Royal House
He was always very close to the royal family. Although he was not recognized, some people in the Royal House treated him with appreciation and invited him to social events they celebrated.
Thus, Juan de Borbón -the legitimate son of King Alfonso XIII with Victoria Eugenia de Battenberg and half brother of Leandro, father of Juan Carlos de Borbón and grandfather of the current King of Spain, Felipe de Borbón-, invited him to attend his anniversary of 50th wedding, the so-called golden anniversary.
Some presume that being invited to this type of event by members of the Spanish royalty was to avoid any kind of scandal and to keep up appearances. In fact, the emeritus king Juan Carlos at the beginning of his reign invited Leandro several times to dinners and activities, and even called him uncle.
Apparently, what caused him to unleash Leandro's annoyance and subsequently claim his father's surname and the title and treatment of royal highness, was when Juan Carlos de Borbón's mother died: Leandro sent a telegram of condolences that never It came into the hands of the then King Juan Carlos.
Paternity filiation trial
In 2002, Leandro filed a paternity claim before the courts, requesting that he be recognized as the son of Alfonso XIII, as well as that he be allowed to enjoy the treatment of royal highness and the title of infant.
The trial was controversial. Even Leandro threatened King Juan Carlos with exhuming the remains of Alfonso XIII to do a DNA test and make a bigger scandal if they opposed the lawsuit.
In 2003 the sentence was published declaring the filiation between Leandro and Alfonso XIII, granting him the right to use the surname. However, requests to have royal treatment, as well as to obtain the title of infant, were denied.
At the time of filing the lawsuit, Leandro de Borbón published a highly controversial book called El bastardo real, in which he narrated the relationship between his mother and father, which lasted 6 years.
As a result of the trial, his threats, and the published book, relations between Leandro and Juan Carlos deteriorated, to such an extent that they had no further contact.
Death
Leandro de Borbón died in 2016 at the age of 87 due to complications resulting from pneumonia that affected him a few months before and which became complicated.
Instead of being buried in the Infantes de El Escorial pantheon, the exclusive space for royal representatives, he was buried in the La Almudena pantheon. No royal member attended his wake; however, they sent flowers.
References
- «Obituary, Leandro de Borbón, the“ real bastard ”of Spain» (June 2016) in Cortesanos Secrets. Retrieved on May 26, 2019 from Secretos de Cortesanos: Secretoscortesanos.com
- "Leandro de Borbón, the bastard son of Alfonso XIII, dies" (S / F) in Public. Retrieved on May 26, 2019 from Public: publico.es
- Font, C. "Why Leandro de Borbón became a superstar" (June 2016) in El Mundo. Retrieved on May 26, 2019 from El Mundo: elmundo.es
- "Leandro de Borbón, the bastard" (August 2016) in History of Spain and the World. Retrieved on June 26, 2019 from History of Spain and the World: historiaespanaymundo.com
- "Leandro de Borbón Ruiz-Moragas" (S / F) in the Royal Academy of History. Retrieved on May 26, 2019 from the Royal Academy of History: rah.es
- "Leandro de Borbón, a life waiting for 'its place' in the Royal Family" (June 2016) in Lecturas. Retrieved on May 26, 2019 from Lecturas: lecturas.com