King Felipe and Queen Letizia department for the United Kingdom today for a long-planned state visit.
Their Majesties participated in the traditional sendoff ceremony before departing.
The King and Queen left from the State Pavilion at the Barajas Airport in Madrid. The terminal is used for state departures and arrivals.
The King and Queen have long been meaning to visit the U.K. but a political standoff in Spain delayed their trip.
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were in the European Parliament over the weekend honoring late German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, a towering figure in the continent.
The Spanish Royal Household has increasingly used King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, King Felipe’s parents, as emissaries to important events. Both are close to numerous world leaders.
Kohl was a major booster of the European Union and Don Juan Carlos helped shepherd Spain joining the block.
King Felipe once again spoke out against the separatist movement in Catalonia late last month.
The King, while not addressing the issue directly, let himself be understood during remarks at the Princess of Girona Foundation awards.
The King, speaking to an audience that included Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who favors a referendum on independence, expressed “sincere and firm commitment” to Girona and Catalonia.
The King also called on the audience to recall actions and values that “have made Catalonia great” and, as a result, “all of Spain.”
The King and the Madrid government have repeatedly stressed territorial unity, coexistence and the rule of law.
As heir to the throne, King Felipe’s young daughter, Princess Leonor, holds the title of Princess of Asturias.
She also holds several other similar titles based on the different historical kingdoms that now make up Spain.
The Prince or Princess of Girona title went to heirs of the Aragonese throne, which included Catalonia.
The Girona region, north of Barcelona near the French border, is known for above average pro-independence sentiments.
Mini ‘scandal’
A magazine article about Princess Leonor, 11, caused a stir in recent days and gave birth to numerous online memes.
In trying to tell people about the Princess, the piece mentioned her liking Japanese film director Kurosawa.
Many Spaniards felt the Royal Household was trying to oversell the Princess, or that her tastes were too pretentious, particularly for her age.
The Royal Household excluded King Juan Carlos from an event at the Spanish Congress to commemorate the country’s transition to Democracy, according to several media outlets.
King Juan Carlos, King Felipe’s father, helped steer Spain from dictatorship to Democracy.
But, according to media outlets, the Royal Household thought it was out of protocol for Don Juan Carlos to attend the ceremonies.
Media outlets reported that the elder King expressed his dismay about the snub to friends.
King Felipe won praise but also skepticism earlier this month when he attended a charity bullfight in Madrid.
Aside from people who oppose the activity, aficionados wondered whether the King — who got a standing ovation — really stands with them.
Don Felipe has not been as keen on attending bullfights compared to his father, King Juan Carlos, and his sister, Infanta Elena.
Both of them were helping open a new winery in the Basque Country during the Madrid bullfight.
Conventional wisdom says Queen Letizia is not partial to bullfighting. Neither is Queen Sofia, an animal rights advocate.
The late Duchess of Alba was also an animal rights advocate, but an ardent supporter of bullfighting as a Spanish tradition.
King Felipe received another batch of new ambassador credentials at the Royal Palace in Madrid this month.
But unlike previous times, the Royal Household released images of a horse-drawn carriage transporting the dignitaries through Madrid to the palace.
The Crown revived the tradition several years ago but it has not gotten too much attention.
The carriage takes ambassadors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Royal Palace, where members of the Royal Guard help escort them to His Majesty.
King Felipe visited Kazahstan earlier this month to visit the Spanish pavilion at Expo 2017 Astana.
The event is meant to promote the energy of the future, and Spain has made significant investments in renewable resources.
The King also took time to meet with several international leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Cameras also caught Don Felipe meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Award for London victim
The King stopped by the Spanish embassy in Astana to sign a Royal Decree awarding the Grand Cross of Civil Merit to Ignacio Echeverría, who died in the recent terrorist attack in London.
His Majesty only spent one day in the Asian country.
Left-leaning politicians in the Spanish autonomous community of Navarra approved a resolution in favor of a referendum on the monarchy this week.
The vote happened the day before King Felipe and Queen Letizia were set to visit the National Center for Technology and Food Security.
Casa de S.M. el ReyPoliticians in Navarra, which has taken a leftward turn, also recently moved to de-royalize the Prince of Viana awards.
Beyond the title of Prince of Asturias, the heir to the Spanish throne is also the Prince of Princess of Viana. The current holder is Princess Leonor.
Casa de S.M. el ReyThe Spanish media did not give the referendum too much attention, mainly because of its symbolic nature.
Spain is still feeling the effects of the financial crisis and rising populism, which have hurt the monarchy.
Casa de S.M. el ReyPolitical corruption scandals and the conviction of Infanta Cristina’s husband for fraud have also taken a toll.
Casa de S.M. el ReyBut it would be a mistake to say the monarchy is in peril, as many international news outlets like to say.
King Juan Carlos, who helped transition Spain to democracy and was once considered untouchable, had to abdicate amid several missteps.
But opinion polls show his son, King Felipe, gets much higher marks. Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia, Don Felipe’s mother, also do well with the public.
Polls are all over the place. El Español published a poll in 2016 finding less than 50 percent support for the monarchy but 53 percent support for King Felipe.
An El Mundo poll from 2015 has the monarchy at more than 60 percent. A Metroscopia poll the same year had the King’s approval at more than 80 percent.
Casa de S.M. el ReyDespite politicians, particularly on the left, bringing up issues like the monarchy, a Spanish Center for Sociological Investigations found most Spaniards are not concerned about it.
Infanta Cristina, King Felipe’s sister, reappeared during a public event last week, just weeks after a Palma de Mallorca court cleared her of corruption charges.
The scandal was related to her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin’s, business dealings. The court convicted him.
Doña Cristina visited the Royal Palace for the first time in years for the funeral of Infanta Alicia of Bourbon-Parma and Habsburg-Lorraine.
Casa de S.M. el ReySpanish media outlets posted video of the event, with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia greeting Infanta Cristina on their way in.
Agenda remains packed
Also this month, King Felipe presided over a meeting of the Scientific Council of the Royal Institute of International and Strategic Affairs.
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were in Oslo on the 10th for King Harald and Queen Sonja’s birthday. Queen Sofia’s family once eyed Harald as a potential suitor.
EFEOn the 11th, Queen Letizia spoke at en event in Seville to mark the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Casa de S.M. el ReyOn the 8th, King Juan Carlos gave his sister, Infanta Margarita, a medal for her with with the Royal Academy of Medicine.
Also on the 8th, King Felipe and Queen Letizia welcomed the president of Costa Rica and his wife.
King Felipe is set to travel to Jordan later this month for an economic and political meeting on the Middle East and North Africa.Cristina
Members of the Spanish Royal Family have had a busy public agenda in the weeks since the Easter break.
Late last month King Felipe was in Strasbourg, speaking to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly to mark the 40th anniversary of Spain joining the group.
Earlier, he gave an award to actor and filmmaker Antonio Bandera as the University of Alcalá de Henares, where author Miguel de Cervantes was born.
The King and Queen Letizia recently handed out the global Cervantes prize there related to the Spanish language.
The Queen last month also visited Valencia for a meeting on rare diseases, one of her focus areas, and a gathering with students.
Their Majesties spent days in the Canary Islands, meeting with local leaders and residents, including at the Christopher Columbus House in Las Palmas of Gran Canaria.
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, shortly after Easter, visited Seville’s royal sites to commemorate the 1992 Expo there.
Media outlets have also reported that King Felipe and Queen Letizia are working on a good date for their postponed state visit to the United Kingdom.
LOS BORBONES 