The crown in the tempest: Multimodal appraisal and gendered judgment of symbolic authority on X

Abstract

This article examines how the Spanish monarchy’s symbolic authority was contested in digital crisis discourse during the 2024 DANA flood. Based on 500 posts on X.com, the study analyzes gendered judgments of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia across text, images, emojis, and hashtags. Using Appraisal Theory and multimodal discourse analysis, we identify four recurrent evaluative patterns: reinforcement, complementarity, contradiction, and specialization. Findings indicate a shift from competence- to morality-based judgments, with Queen Letizia receiving intensified scrutiny through Veracity and Propriety. Intersemiotic contradiction emerges as a key strategy for challenging authenticity. We also propose the notion of legitimacy layering to capture how gender, class, and ceremonial status intersect in evaluation. The study shows how crisis discourse foregrounds moral judgment and identitybased critique, offering a framework for understanding public responses to symbolic institutions in volatile contexts.