Queen Letizia’s grandfather, Francisco Rocasolano Camacho, died in a Salamanca hospital in recent hours, media outlets reported.
The Queen is not close to all members of her family, but was said to be closed to her grandfather, who worked as a taxi driver.
Her Majesty has cancelled engagements to be with family. He was 98.
Spanish media outlets gasped in recent days after Barcelona’s new mayor, Ada Colau, removed a bust of King Juan Carlos from City Hall.
Even though Catalonia tends to be more republican than other Spanish regions, Colau said the move was not necessarily against the Monarchy.
Instead, the left-wind leader said royal symbolism is over-represented around Barcelona. She promised more changes, including renaming some streets.
Barcelona City Hall includes busts of King Juan Carlos’ parents, and a painting of Queen Regent Maria Cristina and King Alfonso XIII.
Colau also pointed out that Don Juan Carlos is no longer Spain’s head of state, following his abdication.
A community elsewhere in Spain, media outlets reported, is asking for the bust so they can display it.
Conservatives promptly moved to replace the bust with a picture of Spain’s new King, Felipe VI. It did not last long.
The central government in Madrid and mainstream parties are now pressing Barcelona to put up an image of King Felipe at City Hall, as required by Spanish law.
In recent years politicians in the Basque city of San Sebastian removed the King’s picture from their City Hall in a move directly against the monarchy.
It’s that time of the year again.
As many Spaniards get ready for extended summer vacations, the media focuses on where members of the Royal Family will be gathering to relax.
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, when they were younger, created a tradition of vacationing at Marivent Palace in Mallorca.
Now King Felipe and Queen Letizia have seen the need to spend at least some time there.
Queen Sofia, who is deeply fond of Mallorca, has already been installed at Marivent with her sister and loyal companion Princess Irene, according to media outlets.
They took a break from the sun to attend a gathering in Belgrade with the Yugoslav Royal Family.
King Juan Carlos has been elsewhere, in Saint-Tropez. Newspaper El Mundo said the different vacation destinations were evidence of his estrangement from Queen Sofia.
Separately, the magazine Hola captured pictures of Infanta Elena and her daughter packing up for vacation, and said she too may drop by Marivent.
Last week King Felipe met with Catalan President Artur Mas, an encounter that received wide media attention because of its political repercussions.
Mas is helping lead a movement to secede from Spain following the Autonomous Community’s elections later this year.
The King, on the other hand, is seen as a symbol of Spanish unity, historical continuity and geographic integrity.
Mas did not comment after or before his meeting, according to media outlets, only to say that he went with the spirit of peace.
The Royal Household tried to describe the meeting as one of many the King was having with leaders from different Spanish localities.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia this week capped a whirlwind trip to Mexico, the second state visit of their reign.
Their Majesties visited a Mexico war memorial, above, and got the keys to Mexico City, below.
During one of his remarks, King Felipe highlighted the economic ties between Mexico and Spain, which is the second largest investor in the Latin American country with more than 5,000 businesses.
Don Felipe said Spain’s commitment with Mexico was “decided, in constant growth and of a permanent character.”
Speaking in the Mexican Senate, King Felipe highlighted the historical ties between Spain and Mexico, which he praised for being part of the “democratic vanguard.”
King Felipe and Queen Letizia also rolled out a new global test for Spanish language proficiency, a collaboration between Spanish and Mexican institutions.
The King and Queen are scheduled to visit the U.S. in several weeks, including meet with President Obama.
All living Spanish prime ministers took King Juan Carlos out to dinner this evening to one of his favorite Madrid restaurants, Cava Baja, media outlets reported.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy — plus former premiers Aznar, Zapatero and González — wanted to mark the one year anniversary of the King’s abdication.
King Felipe late last month repeated his call for Spanish unity as Catalonians continue to debate their future within the country.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia were in the Catalan community of Girona to hand out the Princess of Girona Foundation awards and to attend a development forum hosted by the foundation.
As heir to the Spanish throne, the King and Queen’s daughter, Leonor, is Princess of Asturias but also of Girona.
King Felipe said success would be base “in the unity and common objective of the citizens of Catalonia and all of Spain to build a better society.”
Also late last month King Felipe and King Juan Carlos gathered at the Royal Palace in Madrid with Spanish and European leaders to commemorate Spain’s entry into the European Union.
Spain joined the EU after consolidating the democratization process under King Juan Carlos. That process included returning autonomy to Catalonia.
LOS BORBONES 