King Felipe today honored former Congress of Deputies Presiddent Manuel Marín González, who died at 68.
Don Felipe met with family members and parliamentarians at the Congress Palace in Madrid.
Marín González was Congress president from 2004 to 2008 under the Socialist Party. He was also a diplomat and helped Spain become a member of the European Union.
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have been in the public eye several times in recent weeks, sometimes together.
Their Majesties have kept a lower profile since handing the reins to King Felipe and Queen Letizia, but stay close to favorite projects.
The elder King and Queen were together late last month for an awards ceremony at the Royal Academy of Sciences.
Don Juan Carlos was present by himself also recently for handing out the 11th Fondena Prize for nature protection.
Queen Sofia was by herself early last month at the Royal Palace in Madrid to hand out a prize in her name for Ibero-American poetry.
Both King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were at the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts to celebrate the Royal Theater.
Today Queen Sofia attended a meeting of the leadership of the Íñigo Álvarez de Toledo renal foundation.
King Felipe this week mourned Spanish State Prosecutor José Manuel Maza, who died suddenly while on a trip to Argentina.
Maza’s death comes as he was presiding over prosecutions of Catalan separatist leaders. The Spanish government promised to replace him quickly.
King Felipe, along with other Spanish leaders, is lobbying for Barcelona to become home to the European Union’s prescription drug office, media outlets are reporting.
European leaders are skeptical of Barcelona’s candidacy amid the separatist crisis in Catalonia.
It’s unlikely that the King’s efforts for Barcelona and the wider Catalan region will sway republicans and separatists who resent his vocal defense of constitutional order.
King Felipe today received Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for an official visit.
The King met with Abbas at Zarzuela Palace and then hosted a lunch for the Palestinian delegation at the Royal Palace in downtown Madrid.
Israel has not taken too kindly with European efforts to recognize Palestinian statehood. But the King recently welcomed Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and with significantly more pomp.
While the King greeted Abbas at Zarzuela and then hosted a lunch at the Madrid Royal Palace’s Hall of Columns, Rivlin got a larger welcoming and a grander gathering in the formal dining room.
Queen Letizia is on a brief work trip to Mexico this week without King Felipe.
Her Majesty visited the Mexican Red Cross headquarters in Mexico City yesterday and heard about recovery efforts following the recent earthquake there.
Today the Queen was set to attend a meeting of the Union for International Cancer Control.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia welcomed Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his wife for a state visit this week.
The associated ceremonies were filled with particular pomp and came amid ongoing tensions in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia.
The visit showed the King wanting to strengthen ties with the State of Israel and highlighting Spain’s efforts to atone for expelling Jews in 1492.
The ceremonies also showed the King wanting to continue returning to a normal agenda.
President Rivlin highlighted Spain’s strength and unity during remarks, a nod to the tensions.
Polls show King Felipe with ratings above 70 percent, but Catalan nationalists are upset he took a hard line against the separatists.
Media outlets reported that some recipients of an award backed by the Crown declined the honor.
Queen Letizia today called for progress toward a better, fairer Spain during remarks in Valencia.
The Queen represented the Crown during the Rey Jaime I award in the community of Lonja de los Mercaderes.
Her husband, King Felipe, is said to have cleared his schedule once again to attend to the crisis in Catalonia.
The Queen praised the award recipients and said that with learning and innovation “we will continue growing as a country toward a better and more just Spain.”
King Felipe once again criticized ongoing secessionist tensions in the autonomous region of Catalonia.
Last night the King, speaking during the Princess of Asturias awards ceremony in the Spanish Principality of Asturias, said his nation would respond to the pro-independence threat within the constitution.
Kind Felipe gave one of the awards to European Union leaders and said Spaniards were proud of their commitment to Europe and Democracy.
His Majesty said Catalonia would continue being an essential part of Spain into the 21st Century.
This morning the Spanish government took steps to take over parts of Catalan autonomy and call new elections within six months.
The Catalan leadership recently held an illegal pro-independence referendum and came close to seceding.
The vast majority of people who voted agreed with independence, but fewer than half of eligible voters went to the polls.
The Princess of Asturias is the King and Queen’s daughter, and heir to the Spanish throne. She was not at the ceremonies, which typically stretch over three days.
The Queen is due in Geneva in the coming days for a meeting at the World Health Organization.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia have retaken their agenda amid the ongoing separatist crisis in Catalonia.
The King and Queen dramatically scaled back their events in recent weeks to deal with pressing issues.
This week, however, Their Majesties held several audiences at Zarzuela Palace.
The King and Queen are set to preside over the Princess of Asturias Awards and related ceremonies starting this evening.
LOS BORBONES 