King, Queen Host State Dinner For Italy

King Felipe and Queen Letizia hosted Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura Mattarella for a state visit this week.

The trip included a welcoming ceremony and dinner at the Madrid Royal Palace, and meetings at Zarzuela Palace north of central Madrid. That’s the compound where the royal family lives and works.

The state visit coincided with a meeting of the Cotec Foundation for innovation and economic development. The group has branches in Italy and Porgugal.

Indeed, King Felipe attended the meeting in Malaga, in southern Spain, with President Mattarella and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Sousa also participated with Don Felipe in a ceremony in Madrid earlier this week to mark the 30th anniversary of Ibero-American summits.

King Meets With Macron, Queen Visits Paraguay

King Felipe was in Paris last week to attend the Paris Peace Forum, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron.

The Paris Peace Forum is an opportunity for world leaders to discuss pressing matters. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris was there, but it’s unclear whether she met with His Majesty.

Queen’s Trip

Earlier this month, Queen Letizia made a quick trip to Paraguay to showcase and review Spanish aid and cooperation efforts.

First Lady Silvana López welcomed Her Majesty at the airport. The Queen then met with local leaders, Spanish diplomats, local artisans and members of the indigenous community.

This is Queen Letizia’s 6th cooperation trip. She has also traveled to Honduras, El Salvador, Senegal, the Dominican Republic and Mozambique during previous tours.

Princess Returns From Wales For Awards Ceremony

Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, returned from her studies in Wales to hand out the Princess of Asturias awards late last month.

The awards are among the highest civilian honors bestowed by the Spanish Royal Family and the ceremony is among the most important events of the year.

Princess Leonor during her remarks. Spanish Royal Household

The princess, 16, said, “I will soon return to my studies with the memory of giving out these awards, which ones again excite us and move us.”

She said, “I will miss this land, Asturias, which I love and where my sister, Sofia, and I feel so at home.”

Princess Leonor’s mom, Queen Letizia, is a native of Asturias, in the north of Spain. Princess of Asturias is one of the titles held by the heir to the Spanish throne.

The awards are handed out at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, Asturias. But there are events before and after the main ceremony, including a visit to an Asturian community.

Attending were King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, Queen Sofia and Infanta Sofia. The royals arrive in separate cars and make a grand entrance to the tune of bagpipes.