The Princess and Her Personal Struggle
King Felipe VI’s daughter, Princess Leonor, is facing a medical challenge that bears similarities to that of her father. Felipe VI has struggled with a behaviour that has marked his life since he was young: onychophagia, which is the habit of biting his nails. This habit has been visible on multiple occasions during his public activities, where his fingers have been observed with bandages or wounds that are the result of this behaviour.
Queen Sofia’s Intervention Attempts
To try to mitigate this unattractive situation, Queen Sofia implemented a peculiar strategy: applying garlic to Felipe’s nails, hoping that the strong and unpleasant smell would dissuade him from continuing biting. However, this method did not prove to be entirely effective, and the king has continued this habit throughout his adult life.
A Worrying Pattern at the Military Academy
Recently, concerns about Leonor’s health have arisen, since, according to her classmates at the Military Academy, she also shows signs of onychophagia. Like her father, the princess appears to put her fingers in her mouth, frequently looking at her nails and adjacent skin, which has caused a deterioration in the condition of her hands. Leonor, aware of her situation, tries to hide her hands from the photographers, moving them quickly or hiding them.
Inheritance of Health Disorders
However, onychophagy is not the only concern in the royal circle. There is a latent fear that Leonor has inherited a more serious condition from Felipe VI: narcolepsy. This sleep disorder, although less known, has significant consequences and has had a notable influence on the king’s youth.
Narcolepsy: A Hidden Challenge
Narcolepsy is a chronic disorder that causes intense daytime sleepiness and sudden episodes of deep sleep, and although there is no curative treatment, there are ways to manage its symptoms. For some time now, the problems that this disorder caused in the life of Felipe VI have been documented, affecting his academic performance.
Academic Difficulties in Adolescence
According to stories by Jaime Peñafiel, a prominent royal analyst, King Felipe faced serious difficulties in his studies and in his personal life due to his constant drowsiness, which sometimes led him to fall asleep even standing up. Peñafiel narrates that, at the age of sixteen, Felipe was a young man who struggled with overwhelming fatigue. ‘He used to snooze even in unusual situations. In the mornings, the first task was to wake him up from his deep sleep with all kinds of tricks,’ comments Peñafiel. Felipe’s sleep episodes were, according to him, indicative of narcolepsy.
Similarities in the New Generation
Surprisingly, these difficulties do not only seem to affect Felipe. Sources close to the military academy have revealed that Leonor has also been seen falling asleep in class on several occasions. ‘Sometimes, she falls asleep during her lessons,’ commented a source consulted by Monarquía Confidencial. This situation has raised concern about the possible inheritance of this sleeping condition in the young princess.
