King Busy With Foreign Policy

King Felipe and Queen Letizia hosted Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and his wife Lucrecia Peinado for lunch at the Madrid Royal Palace Thursday.

His Majesty also hosted Arévalo for a meeting at the Zaruzela Royal Palace during his official visit to Spain.

Spanish Royal Household

Beyond official business, the lunch was notable because the King and Queen were seen chatting and smiling. Commentators have spent months wondering about the state of their marriage.

The King in recent days visited NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Another high-profile meeting involved Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who visited the King at Zarzuela.

King Felipe has also accepted credentials for numerous new ambassadors to Spain in ceremonies at the Madid Royal Palace.

Queen Sofia Attends Vittorio Emanuele Funeral

Queen Sofia this month attended funeral ceremonies for Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, pretender to the defunct Italian throne.

Her Majesty was present at services in Turin in her personal capacity and not representing the Spanish Crown.

Queen Sofia visiting dialysis patients last week. Spanish Royal Household

Some commentators wondered why Queen Sofia attended the funeral for someone so controversial and who had run-ins with her own family.

King, Queen Cheered In Barcelona

Crowds cheered King Felipe and Queen Letizia during an event in Barcelona last week.

Their Majesties helped inaugurate a new tower for the Puig fashion and fragrance company. They met with executives and local leaders, including Pere Aragonès, the nationalist and anti-monarchist president of the autonomous community of Catalonia.

Observers are always keen to see how members of the Spanish Royal Family are received in Catalonia. They’re also keeping an eye on Queen Letizia, who has been weathering months of attacks from the political right and claims of infidelity.

The queen’s former brother-in-law has been claiming they had an affair years ago. He’s also accusing her of favoring Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has become a pariah among conservatives because of his amnesty deal with Catalan nationalists.

King Signs Constitutional Amendment

King Felipe this week signed the third amendment to Spain’s Constitution since its ratification in 1978.

His Majesty, joined by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and other top officials, signed the text at the Royal Palace of Zarzuela outside central Madrid. It updated wording and government responsibilities related to people with disabilities.

Spanish Royal Household

King Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos, signed the 1978 text after a democratization process following the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

A view of the Spanish Constitution’s front page.