In a few days time, Felipe of Spain will arrive in Buenos Aires to help with the final push in the bid to bring the Olympic Games to Madrid in 2020. He's the Honorary President of the city's attempt to become the host venue and he will spend five days in meetings, at presentations and talking face to face with the members of the International Olympic Committee who will decide where the greatest sporting show on earth will take place in seven years' time. If Madrid does win the race for the rings then it could give Felipe the boost he needs at a tricky time for the Spanish monarchy.
Crown Prince Felipe of Spain at the July IOC meeting in Lausanne in which he contributed to Madrid's technical presentation in its bid to win the 2020 Olympic Games
The future king was described as the star of the show when the Madrid bid went to Lausanne earlier this summer to make a technical presentation. His passion and enthusiasm for the Games was praised and given some gravitas as he is a former Olympian himself. And with the competition for the 2020 games wide open, the prince could yet make a big difference. Tokyo is thought to be just edging things and is the only one of the three final cities to have hosted a games already, in 1964. Spain had the even more recently when Barcelona took the honour in 1992 with Felipe famously carrying the flag for his country at the opening ceremony.
The prince at the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics of 1992
The prince has been highly praised by Spain's Olympic Committee for his work in the bid process and a win could make a difference to his standing in the country. The games would cost Spain a fortune but they would bring massive employment opportunities and epic sponsorship. If the prince can help put people back in work and get some cash into his country then it might just improve his standing and that of his family.
The prince with the members of the Madrid 2020 bid team including his aunt, Infanta Pilar, who is an honorary member of the International Olympic committee so has no vote in the final ballot
Because there's no doubt that the royal house that Felipe will one day run is in trouble. The summer holidays have been a disaster not least for the prince's wife, Letizia, who has been criticised on all sides for her short stay in Mallorca and for once again not revealing the destination of the family holiday she's now on with Felipe and their two girls. The princess has been absent from view for most of August and rumours of a crisis in the Asturias marriage have continued despite denials. The first time the couple will appear together in public since the photo session in Mallorca at the beginning of August will be in Buenos Aires on September 7th when the IOC makes its announcement.
Felipe and Letizia's last official public appearance together was at the beginning of August when they attended the annual dinner for the authorities on Mallorca
The princess' arrival at the event for the denouement will mean that if Madrid does win there will be a smiling shot of Felipe and Letizia beaming out from every paper and magazine in the country for weeks, if not months, to come. The prince's close association with the bid means that if Spain does find itself preparing to host thousands of athletes and millions of visitors in 2020 then Felipe will have a project to keep him occupied and the Asturias a lead role in a major national event.
The Asturias in Mallorca with their daughters - Felipe's close involvement in Madrid 2020 will mean that if the city wins, he and his wife will be natural choices for major royal involvement in what will be a huge national project
If Madrid loses then the prince still wins. His commitment to the project and the fact that he will be so heavily involved in trying to win enough votes to make his country the centre of world attention once more will win him plaudits even if Tokyo or Istanbul get the actual prize. But a loss won't necessarily bring the same golden benefits to Letizia or his wider family. While the prince can claim personal credit for his efforts to make Madrid 2020 a success, win or lose, his wife's involvement has been minimal and is all but limited to being in the front row for the big announcement. It's hard to see Letizia getting any of the credit for the bid process without a win.
Letizia has had a long and bumpy summer this year
So when the IOC makes its announcement at the beginning of September, a Madrid victory could be great news for the city and the country. Felipe says he has a good feeling about the bid. Spain's first Olympics cemented him in his nation's consciousness as the poster boy prince. If he's right and the country is about to welcome the games once more then Spain's second Olmpics could be even more influential for him as he tries to secure his place in royal history
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