Princess Leonor Finishes High School

Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne. celebrated her high school graduation last week with her parents and sister.

King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofia were on hand to celebrate the Princes of Asturias’ milestone.

Spanish Royal Household

Princess Leonor attended UWC Atlantic College in Wales. Also at the graduation ceremony was Netherlands King Willem-Alexander who was celebrating his daughter, Catharina-Amalia.

UWC Atlantic College is known for hosting notable students who interact with people from all walks of life. The Princess of Asturias will soon begin years of military training in Spain.

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Coronation vs. Proclamation

King Charles’ coronation this weekend shows how different the British Royal Family is from other European monarchies.

While the British put crowns on their king and queen, other countries simply proclaim their monarchs. In Spain and other countries, the crown remains to the side.

Spain doesn’t actually have a royal crown — at least not a physical one. The crown King Felipe used for his proclamation is similar to the heraldic crown use in Spanish coats of arms. It dates to the 1700s and is currently on display at the Madrid Royal Palace.

But before 2014, however, that crown stayed locked away. It was used for King Juan Carlos’ proclamation in the 1970s, but was not given as much importance as other crown jewels around the world. Looking at it closely, it’s not an updated representation of Spain’s constituent realms. That crown is also very large — larger than it seems.

The Spanish Royal Family have several tiaras and numerous pieces of jewelry that have been handed down. But through civil war, two republics, a dictatorship and other strife, few crown jewels remain and almost none are regularly on display.

Images: King, Queen At British Coronation

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia traveled to London this weekend to participate in the coronation of King Charles III and associated activities.

Their Majesties have traveled to London several times since becoming Spain’s king and queen in 2014. King Felipe’s proclamation was a more modest affair, largely because of economic and political crises, and did not involve royals from other countries.

Absent from the coronation was Queen Sofia, who is close to the British Royal Family. Her last public engagement was last week during an event for food banks in Spain.

King, Queen Welcome Colombian Leader

King Felipe and Queen Letizia hosted Colombia’s new leftist president, Gustavo Petro, and his wife, VerĂ³nica Alcocer, for a state visit this week.

The visit included a welcoming ceremony at the Royal Palace in Madrid, meetings at Zarzuela Palace and then a dinner at the Royal Palace. Colombia also hosted a reception at the Royal Palace of El Pardo, as is tradition for some state visits.

Spanish Royal Household

Petro’s election generated headlines around the world. He’s an economist but also a former guerilla fighter.