Queen Letizia traveled to Senegal yesterday to inaugurate a branch of the Cervantes Institute, dedicated to promoting Spanish language and culture.
Her Majesty had a working lunch with Sengal President Macky Sall and First Lady Marieme Faye Sall.
Swiss authorities today closed a money laundering case involving King Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos.
Prosecutors were looking into claims Spain’s former head of state received $100 million from Saudi Arabia through a Swiss account for facilitating a high-speed rail deal.
But Swiss authorities said they were unable to prove the Saudi money was tied to the rail project. Don Juan Carlos has long been close with Saudi royals.
The former head of state has been living in exile in the United Arab Emirates and has worked to address previously unreported earnings to Spanish tax authorities.
Don Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 as claims against him were starting to emerge and the financial crisis made Spaniards less forgiving of their monarch.
Media outlets detailed a relationship with German businesswoman Corinna Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, who ended up with much of the money in question. A money laundering probe against her was also dropped.
Infanta Cristina and Infanta Elena visit their father regularly, according to media outlets. It’s unclear whether Queen Sofia has seen her husband. She remains in active service of the Royal Family and popular among Spaniards.
King Felipe is in Colombia this week attending an international legal conference focused on promoting the rule of law.
King Felipe highlighted the rule of law during the recent Catalan separatist crisis.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited Sweden last week for a state visit with King Cark Gustaf and Queen Silvia.
Events included a departure ceremony outside Madrid for Spain’s royals. In Sweden, they met with Spanish diplomats, business leaders and scientists.
The king and queen also had several events with Sweden’s royals and political leaders, including leaders of parliament and the Stockholm capital.
The state visit went from Nov. 23rd through Nov. 25th.
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 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.
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.
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.
King Felipe handed outgoing German Prime Minister Angela Merkel the Charles V European Award last week at the Yuste Monastery in western Spain.
The award is meant to honor service to Europe. It’s backed by the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation.
The award is named after Charles V, who was king of Spain and Holy Roman emperor in the 1500s. He lived in the Yuste Monastery after his retirement.
King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofia presided over a military parade in Madrid last week for Spanish National Day or Dia de la Hispanidad.
The annual event was much smaller last year and confined to the Madrid Royal Palace grounds because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year it returned with some health precautions.
The Oct. 12 event, which includes military overflights and a reception at the Royal Palace, marks the historical consolidation of the Spanish state and its colonization of the Americas.
Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, was not present at the event. She’s away at school in Wales.
Queen Letizia traveled to Switzerland on Friday to inaugurate an exposition of works by Spanish master Goya.
The works are on display at the Beyeler Foundation museum near the Swiss city of Basel.
LOS BORBONES 