Despite attending a prestigious Spanish private school, despite being privately tutored six hours a day over the summer at an estimated cost of 1.540€ a month, despite his mother being the only member of the Royal Family with a Profession (she’s a primary school teacher, speciality English language) the 16 year old fourth in line to the Spanish Throne is set to repeat with the other 13 years old in 2º de ESO for the third year in a row.
It’s not quite as simple as that – not only is he now old enough to leave school, but his school, Madrid’s Santa María del Pilar, won’t allow him to repeat for a third time and are expected to expel him. His tutors at the private religious academy Sagrada Familia de Sigüenza refused to comment. Interestingly enough, Froilán’s father Jaime de Mariachalar went to the same academy and credited them with getting him through the obligatory part of school.
Felipe Juan Froilán de Todos los Santos de Marichalar y Borbón, to give the eldest son of Infanta Elena his full name, one of the most privileged young men in the country, thus look set to join the 28.4% of Spaniards who never finish secondary school (2006-2007 stats from La Caixa).
Young Froilán in 2012 caused his father to be rescued by grandpa (King Juan Carlos) from the cops after a little incident when he shot himself in the foot. His Dad was letting the 12 year old play around with a loaded ’36, despite firearms being prohibited to under 14’s in Spain. There was a nasty little incident with a Judge, but after the usual allegations of influence peddling he was let off. (There was no “grave imprudence” ruled the judge). Less kind spectators simply pointed out he was following the example set by his grandpa, which we aren’t allowed to talk about.
Until the fuss blew over, Froilán was rushed off to a boarding school in Essex for a year to “perfect his English”. He now looks set to be rushed off again to another boarding school elsewhere in the UK for a while. The Borbones have many fine qualities, and I wouldn’t like to go up against felipe in a rapier fight, but academic brilliance has not been amongst them.