King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia honored a broad collection of Spaniards for their sacrifice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The King awarded several Order of Civil Merit medals to coincide with his seventh anniversary on the throne. Recipients included a cashier and a farm worker.
The Royal Family held the ceremony at the Madrid Royal Palace’s Hall of Columns, known for hosting highly important events in Spanish history.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia welcomed Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook for a state visit last week.
The agenda included a meeting a the Royal Palace in Madrid, but the gathering was limited in size because of ongoing pandemic concerns.
King Felipe and Moon also attended the opening of a meeting of business leaders in Barcelona, which was focused on post-pandemic recovery.
Leaders of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, still run by nationalist parties, did not attend a dinner with His Majesty.
King Felipe today received a Medal of Honor from the Spanish Autonomous Community of Andalucía for his work toward national unity.
His Majesty attended a ceremony at San Telmo Palace in Seville, the seat of the region’s presidency, currently held by conservative Juan Manuel Moreno.
There is generally strong support for the monarchy in Andalucía, which includes also includes the historic cities if Granda, Málaga and Cádiz.
Controversy is once again touching the king this week. The Socialist government is moving forward with pardons for jailed Catalan separatists and Don Felipe would have to ratify them.
King Felipe got vaccinated for COVID-19 over the weekend, the Royal Household told media outlets. There were no photographers and aides did not say which one of the vaccine types he received.
His Majesty got vaccinated at the Wizink Center in Madrid along with other members of the public. He did so according to public health guidelines.
Critics expressed concern when the King’s sisters — Infanta Cristina and Infanta Elena — got vaccinated during a trip to the Middle East to see their father, Jung Juan Carlos.
LOS BORBONES 