Muslims Also Request Royal Apology

A mosque based in Seville is asking King Felipe to apologize to Spain’s Muslim community for abuses suffered during the Reconquest.

The letter to His Majesty from leaders of the Ishbilia Mosque follows a missive from Mexico’s new left-wing president last month asking Spain to apologize for the conquest of the Americas.

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King Felipe and Queen Letizia meeting in 2017 with Spanish Muslim leaders. Spanish Royal Household

Muslims ruled large swaths of Spain during the Middle Ages. Christian kingdoms recovered land over the centuries, culminating in the taking of Granada in the late 1400s.

The Ishbilia Mosque letter says King Felipe should apologize to Spain’s Islamic community just like the country did with Jews expelled during the same time period.

Mexican President Requests Royal Apology

Mexico’s new left wind president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is asking King Felipe to apologize for Spain’s conquest of Mexico.

The president made the request in a letter to His Majesty through the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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López Obrador, who has good relations with Spain, says an apology is the only way to gain true reconciliation. He send the Pope a similar missive.

The Spanish government, according to El Pais, is not at all thrilled by the letter to the King.

Dramatic Start To Argentina State Visit

King Felipe and Queen Letizia arrived in Buenos Aires today for a state visit to Argentina.

The trip made news as it started because, according to media reports, the King’s jet had a close call with an Argentine official airplane upon landing.

Officials are downplaying the incident, saying there was no significant damage.

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Spanish Royal Household

Separately, Their Majesties were late in exiting their aircraft because Argentine authorities could not find the correct stairs.

Royals Honor Terror Victims

King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended a concert in Madrid earlier this month to honor victims of terror.

The concert at the National Music Auditorium in the Spanish capital was part of an annual commemoration.

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Spanish Royal Household

Queen Sofia presided over the first such concert for terror victims. Different members of the Royal Family have participated since.

King Felipe Back In Catalonia

King Felipe was back in Barcelona late last month for two high-profile events and to continue his presence in the prosperous but restive Spanish autonomous community.

The King presided over a dinner to launch this year’s Mobile World Congress. He also visited the convention floor the following day.

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Spanish Royal Household

Catalonia’s prime minister and Barcelona’s mayor did coincide with the King, but only accompanies him to some of the formalities.

His Majesty was also in town for the Kingdom of Spain Business Award, a chance to gather business leaders from around the country.

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Spanish Royal Household

The King have the award to Catalan executive Mariano Puig at the well-known IESE Business School.

Royals Honor Chef José Andrés

King Felipe and Queen Letizia awarded Chef José Andrés Spain’s gold medal for the arts.

Their Majesties handed out the awards to several luminaries at the Merced Palace in Córdoba.

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Spanish Royal Household

The chef is well known around the world for his restaurants, focused on the Washington, D.C., area and his charitable activities, including following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

King Slams Separatists, Wins Peace Award

King Felipe today once again slammed Catalan separatists who claim to be acting in the name of Democracy.

The King said it was inconsistent for people to invoke Democracy while at the same time breaking the law.

“Without respect for the law there is no coexistence or Democracy,” said His Majesty.

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Spanish Royal Household

The King spoke at the Royal Opera building for the closing of the World Law Congress. He won the World Peace and Liberty Award.

The Spanish Supreme Court is currently trying several Catalan separatists for planning an illegal referendum on independence and also declaring a separate state.

Barcelona’s left-wing Mayor Ada Colau said she would not attend a welcoming ceremony for the King at the upcoming Mobile World Congress because of her republican values and his role against the separatists, which she calls unhelpful.