Hard Blow for the Royal House and Princess Leonor: Judges Have Already Spoken

The Royal House has suffered a major blow following the decision of the Chilean Prosecutor's Office regarding the incident involving Princess Leonor. The judges have already spoken, requesting the definitive dismissal of the process initiated after the dissemination of images of the heir in a shopping center in Punta Arenas. According to the Chilean Public Ministry, the events do not constitute any crime as they occurred in a public transit area.

This resolution closes an uncomfortable episode for Zarzuela and raises questions about the limits of the privacy of royal family members. What exactly happened in Chile and what has been the legal reasoning for dismissing Zarzuela's complaint?

Zarzuela's Complaint After the Leak of Princess Leonor's Images

Last March, Princess Leonor, in the midst of a training trip aboard the Juan Sebastián de Elcano, made a stop in southern Chile. During her stay, she privately visited a shopping center in Punta Arenas along with other midshipmen. However, images captured by the security cameras of the facility ended up in the hands of several local media outlets.

Zarzuela reacted swiftly. It issued a statement expressing its firm rejection of the leak, emphasizing that it was a "violation of the current regulations," both in Spain and Chile.

"The Royal House will file a complaint with the Chilean police regarding the dissemination of photographs of Princess Leonor during a private activity in a shopping center in the city of Punta Arenas," read the official statement distributed by the EFE agency.

From the shopping center where the events occurred, an official stance was also issued. They assured that Leonor's presence was never questioned, nor was any irregularity detected.

"The visit of the daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia took place with complete normality and without any kind of incident," they detailed. Additionally, they added that "the Princess of Asturias moved through the facilities safely and without being approached or disturbed."

According to the same text, access to the commercial spaces was completely voluntary and chosen under "criteria defined by her own team of advisors." Furthermore, the center justified that the delivery of the audiovisual material to local media was for "journalistic purposes," clarifying that there was no ill intent or profit motive.

Major Blow for the Royal House and Princess Leonor as Their Complaint Is Dismissed

The response of the Chilean justice system to the complaint filed by the Spanish Royal House has been clear and represents a legal setback for Zarzuela. According to the newspaper La Prensa Austral, the Chilean Prosecutor's Office has made a determination regarding the case opened following the leak of images of Princess Leonor.

The Chilean Public Ministry has requested "a hearing for the definitive dismissal of the case opened due to the leak of images of Princess Leonor." This means that the Prosecutor's Office considers there are no grounds to proceed with the judicial investigation, estimating that the reported events do not constitute a crime under applicable Chilean law.

The main argument of the Prosecutor's Office for determining that the acts do not constitute a crime is based on the nature of the place where the events occurred. According to the Public Ministry, the princess's visit took place in an area considered public transit.

The images were captured by private security cameras. However, as they occurred in a space accessible to the public, the expectation of privacy is different from what might be expected in a private place.

Furthermore, the Prosecutor's report indicates that the actions taken by the security guards have been verified by the Prosecutor's Office during the initial investigation. However, despite this verification, it has been concluded that the acts do not reach the level of a crime.

This ruling by the Chilean Prosecutor's Office means that the complaint filed by the Royal House has not achieved the desired success in the judicial realm. Zarzuela's intention to set a precedent and protect Princess Leonor's privacy against the dissemination of unauthorized images is thwarted by this legal resolution. This represents a major blow for the Royal Family as they see that the justice system doesn't consider the leak of their images to be punishable.