King Felipe caused a stir this month during a visit to a museum exhibit about indigenous Mexican women when he said Spain had committed abuses during centuries ago.

Mexico’s populist leaders have been pressing the King to apologize for Spain’s conquest of the America’s. Spain has repeatedly rejected doing so.

So this month’s comments may have been a calculated way for King Felipe to at least recognize some of the violence of the past without expressing regret for his nation’s imperial legacy.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum went out of her way not to invite King Felipe to her inauguration ceremonies. He has attended Latin American inaugurations for decades.

Latin America trip

His Majesty did get a warm welcome this month during stops in Bolivia and Chile, including meeting Chile’s new president, José Antonio Kast Rist.

The Bolivia trip included a visit to the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore.

Queen Sofia, King Felipe’s mother, has returned to public duties following the death of her sister Princess Irene and cousin Princess Tatiana Radziwill just weeks apart around the Christmas holidays.

The princesses have been Queen Sofia’s companions for decades. Princess Irene lived at the Zarzuela Royal Palace and Princess Tatiana visited Spain regularly.

Even though their deaths were a major blow for the Spanish Queen Mother, she has retaken her agenda. It doesn’t come as a surprise.

Queen Sofia led an Orthodox memorial for her sister in Madrid last month, 40 days after her death. Her Majesty grew up Greek Orthodox as princess of Greece but converted to Catholicism before marrying King Juan Carlos in the 1960s.