King Felipe celebrated six years on the throne Friday. Spanish parliamentarians held a proclamation ceremony on June 19, 2014 after King Juan Carlos’ abdication.
Military leaders and other officials participated in a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the date. King Felipe went on with his agenda as usual.
British newspaper the Telegraph says King Juan Carlos and a businessman friend paid almost $500,000 for King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s honeymoon. The article ties the current king to his father’s finances, which have been under scrutiny.
Spanish newspaper El Pais, when reporting the allegations, focused less on a father paying for his son’s honeymoon but on the businessman who contributed, Josep Cusí.
The Royal Household told El Pais it didn’t have additional comment and pointed to a previous statement, in which King Felipe cut financial ties with King Juan Carlos.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia, formerly and prince and princess of Asturias, got married in 2004. They went on honeymoon to Cambodia, Fiji and California.
The Spanish Royal Family is honoring health workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The Princess of Asturias Foundation announced in recent days that health workers would receive the 2020 award for concord.
The Princess of Asturias foundation and award are named after the heir to the Spanish throne, currently Princess Leonor.
The ceremony is held every year in the Principality of Asturias in the north of Spain.
King Felipe mobilized the Spanish nobility to help people affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Royal Household said this week.
The King tasked nobles, nobility corporations and other groups with ties to the Crown with purchasing milk and olive oil for the Red Cross.
Beyond helping the needy, the initiative was also a effort to aid struggling food producers.
King Felipe today, in remarks during the first semi-open royal event since the pandemic hit Spain, called on citizens to use their intelligence and sacrifice for recovery.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia gathered with other socially-distanced and masked officials at the Cotec Foundation’s annual report release in Madrid. The group focuses on innovation. Most people had to watch online.
The King and Queen have been active during the pandemic but they’ve been focused on meeting with officials and visiting first responders.
Spain’s Princess Leonor, the heir to the throne, and Infanta Sofia took to social media last month to thank medical workers and other professionals on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
The princesses recorded a video posted on YouTube and on Twitter, part of the Royal Household’s effort to be visible and active during the ongoing lockdown.
Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, and her sister also recorded themselves reading a section of Spanish literary masterpiece Don Quixote. Several personalities participated to mark World Book Day.
Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma, a distant relative of King Felipe, died of COVID-19 in late March. She was the world’s first royal to die of the disease.
Princess Maria Teresa, who died in Paris, was a professor, feminist and political activist. Known as the “red princess,” Doña Maria Teresa was a Carlist, a descendent of an alternative pretender for the Spanish throne.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia today spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, according to a tweet from the Royal Household.
Their Majesties were scheduled to visit the U.S. in April but postponed the trip because of the pandemic.
A brief readout of the call said the leaders spoke about the bonds between Spain and the U.S., and ongoing cooperation.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia have worked to remain active in recent weeks as Spain becomes one of the global hotspots for the coronavirus pandemic.
The King, according to media outlets, helped secure medical equipment from contacts in China, including billionaire Jack Ma and Huawei.
Their Majesties have also hosted numerous telephone and video meetings with officials, community leaders and first responders.
The King has also held some in-person meetings at Zarzuela Palace with key officials.
The King left home last week to visit an emergency military hospital. He wore a face mask for most of the trip.
The Royal Guard, meanwhile, has been deployed to provide community assistance.
The Royal Household’s social media feeds have been busier than usual with information related to the coronavirus.
King Felipe made a brief televised address this evening on the coronavirus outbreak, which continues growing in Spain.
The King thanked health workers and other first responders, and urged people to be united in fighting the disease.
The King spoke after meeting with the prime minister and other top officials dealing with the crisis.
The King delivered his message from Zarzuela Palace standing up and from a podium, not common for a royal address.
LOS BORBONES 