King Felipe has decided to grant his daughter, Princess Leonor, the Collar of the Golden Fleece.
The collar, once reserved for males, is the highest decoration the Spanish Monarch can grant.
King Felipe giving the collar to Princess Leonor — heir to the throne and officially Princess of Asturias — coincides with her 10th birthday.
The Spanish government is also preparing Royal Decrees to regulate Princess Leonor’s appearances and Royal Standard.
King Felipe has strengthened his calls for Spanish unity amid ongoing talks in region of Catalonia about secession.
Pro-independence candidates recently won elections to the Catalan Parliament, but failed to get a majority of overall votes.
His Majesty addressed the issue indirectly during remarks at events surrounding the prestigious Princess of Asturias awards — formerly knows at the Prince of Asturias Awards.
The King said, “Let us separate ourselves from everything that pretends to differentiate or reject one another.”
Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola was one of the award recipients at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, Asturias.
This week the King and Queen watched as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also indirectly rejection secessionist sentiments during a Madrid Royal Palace gathering.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was in Madrid to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of Spain joining the international body.
King Felipe welcomed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Zarzuela Palace Monday.
Kerry was on a brief official visit to Spain following an agreement over U.S. troop presence there.
Spain and the U.S. also penned a deal to clean up pollution stemming from an accident involving nuclear weapons during the 1960’s.
The Secretary of State was scheduled to be in Madrid earlier this year but suffered a cycling accident in France.
Other appearances
Members of the Royal Family have had a busy several weeks. Also on Monday, King Felipe and Queen Letizia held a gathering of the Cervantes Institute leadership and Ibero-American ambassadors at El Pardo Palace.
King Juan Carlos helped open a contemporary art exhibit at the Madrid Royal Palace.
And last week King Felipe visited the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences to open the course year for the Royal Academies.
Queen Letizia presided over events dealing with nutrition and journalism in recent days.
King Felipe met briefly with Catalan President Artur Mas since the Autonomous Community’s recent elections, in which Mas was helping lead a pro-independence ticket.
His Majesty was attending an Iberoamerican Forum summit in Barcelona when he shoot hands with Mas, along with other dignitaries.
The King has worked to portray normal relations between the Crown and Catalan leaders, even amid their threats of secession.
Spain’s Royal Family celebration National Day with the customary military parade in Madrid and a reception at the Royal Palace.
The day is meant to celebrate Hispanic heritage and the country’s sponsorship of Christopher Columbus’ travels to the new world.
The celebrations come amid deep divisions in Spain about national identity and whether to even celebrate Christopher Columbus.
They also come ahead of national elections in December, which may see significant changes in leadership.
Roughly 2,000 people received invitations to the palace reception and Albert Rivera, head of the rising party Ciudadanos, was among the big names in attendance.
Pablo Iglesias, the leader of left-wing party Podemos, thought he hadn’t received an invitation to attend the Royal Palace reception.
Even though it turned out to be a mix-up, Iglesias ended up skipping the event.
Spain’s national day also came amid ongoing nationalist sentiments in Catalonia and the Basque Country.
Leaders of both autonomous communities declined an invitation to the festivities in Madrid.
Spectators spotted Queen Letizia at a U2 concert in Barcelona over the weekend, according to media report.
The Queen went to the concern with friends on Saturday after a brief trip to Germany on Friday.
King Felipe, Queen Letizia, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia presided today over the funeral of Infante Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
Don Carlos, head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and King Juan Carlos’ cousin, now rests at the Royal Pantheon at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo del Escorial.
Numerous members of the extended Spanish Royal Family and related European nobility wer at the centuries-old site.
It was the first time in months than King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia are seen together. Media reports indicate he has taken back to sailing, buying an antique craft in Finland.
Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina were also at the funeral. The latter will be in court in the coming months, accused of cooperating with her husband in a corruption scheme. Both have denied wrongdoing.
King Felipe touted Spain’s constitutional “grand pact” of national unity amid separatist sentiments in Catalonia.
Don Felipe said the Spanish constitution is a “grand pact that defends, preserves and embraces the rights and liberties of citizens.”
The King also said the 1978 document “defends the communities of Spain in the exercise of its diverse cultures and traditions, languages and institutions, and consecrates the liberty, justice, equality and political pluralism as essential values of our coexistence.”
His Majesty also spoke about Spain’s commitment to European integration and said he felt “profoundly European.”
King Felipe also met with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who have expressed solidarity with a united Spain and suggested opposition to Catalan nationalism.
Several anti-monarchist European Parliament members held signs and republican flags during His Majesty’s speech.
Infante Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies has died, Spanish newspaper El Mundo is reporting.
Don Carlos, head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, is a cousin of King Juan Carlos, who granted him the title if “infante” in 1994. The title is similar to that of prince.
Don Carlos’ daughter is said to be good friends with King Felipe and Queen Letizia.
Amid ongoing separatist sentiments in Catalonia, King Felipe in recent days called for a “common future” in the neighboring region of Valencia.
King Felipe, who presided over the Jaime I Awards, touted Spanish scientific research and also pressed for funding such endeavors.
The King said developments “make us count more on a common future.”
King Jaime I was king of Aragon and Count of Barcelona, and therefore ruler of Catalonia, during the 1200’s before the region became part of Spain.
Media outlets, including El País read into the King’s words amid budget cuts and social concerns in parts of the country, and King Jaime’s symbolism.
LOS BORBONES 