King Mourns Death Of Suárez, First Post-Franco PM (Updated)

King Juan Carlos today mourned the death of Adolfo Suárez, the first Prime Minister of the post Franco era.

King's message today.
King’s message today.

Suárez was a key player in the King’s effort to restore Spanish Democracy.

He came to power after King Juan Carlos fired Franco holdover Carlos Arias Navarro.

Then the King’s loyalist made sure Suárez was on the list of acceptable candidates for the Monarch to chose from, as the old system mandated.

Suárez taking the oath. © Agencia EFE
Suárez taking the oath.
© Agencia EFE

Soon the King and Suárez, who later became a Duke, called elections and began liberalizing Spanish politics. The rest is history.

Today the King called the transition a “chapter that gave way to the period of great economic, social and political process.”

Updates

On Monday King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Infanta Elena met with various current and former Spanish leaders at the Congress building to remember Suárez.

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© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

His Majesty, after swift approval by the government, granted Suárez the collar of the Royal Order of Charles III. He was already a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

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© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia also went to pay their respects.

Later in the week, the Prince and Princess attended funeral services for the mayor of Bilbao.

© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Problems With Queen Sofia’s Flight

Queen Sofia landed late at Torrejón field near Madrid because of problems with her Spanish Air Force VIP airplane.

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Queen Sofia takes to the streets in Guatemala.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

The Queen was returning from a week-long tour of Guatemala, where she met with local leaders, Spaniards and toured projects aided by Spanish development funds.

Queen Sofia greeting a market vendor's baby. © Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
Queen Sofia greeting a market vendor’s baby.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Media reports indicate this was the fourth recent problem with Spanish VIP jets for government or royal travel. One of the forced Prince Felipe to put off a trip to Brazil.

Queen Sofia In Guatemala

Queen Sofia is spending most of this week on an official visit to Guatemala, where she is meeting with country leaders and local Spaniards.

Queen Sofia meeting with Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina. © Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
Queen Sofia meeting with Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Like many of her trips abroad, Queen Sofia is visiting projects and facilities backed by Spanish development aid funds. She also brought medicines with her on a Spanish Air Force jet.

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Queen Sofia visiting a program for children.

Also this week King Juan Carlos swore in the new magistrate of the Constitutional Court, Ricardo Enríquez Sancho, at Zarzuela Palace.

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Prince Stops In Brazil

Prince Felipe stopped in Brazil this week to meet with local officials and business leaders.

His Royal Highness made stops in São Paulo after being in Chile for the inauguration of President Michelle Bachelet.

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In Brazil, Don Felipe also met with leaders of the Israeli community.

The Spanish Royals, like the government, have been working to promote closer ties with the Jewish diaspora.

King Juan Carlos, for example, recently met with a Sephardi Jewish leader.

Many Spanish Jews were ejected from Spain centuries ago.

© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Members of the Royal Family have made Brazil a key stop in their effort to promote greater economic ties between both countries.

Prince Felipe met with business leaders this week in Barcelona.
Prince Felipe met with business leaders this week in Barcelona.

Today Queen Sofia visited the stories city of Toledo to help launch a major exhibit of works by painter El Greco, who once worked in Toledo.

© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

In the coming days, Queen Sofia is scheduled to visit Guatemala. She has recently made trips to the Philippines and Bolivia.

Royals Remember Bombing Anniversary

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, plus Infanta Elena and Princes Letizia attended services today at Almudena Cathedral in Madrid to remember the 10th anniversary of the Madrid train bombings.

© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
At Almudena Cathedral, adjacent to the Madrid Royal Palace.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Members of the Royal Family met with government officials, first responders, victims and their families.

Foreign observers have expressed interest at how willing the Spanish Royal Family is to break protocol to comfort grieving families.

Prince Felipe was not at the ceremonies today. He was instead meeting with Chile’s outgoing President Sebastián Piñera and helping inaugurate new President Michelle Bachelet.

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Prince Felipe has for year’s been the King’s representatives at presidential inaugurations throughout Latin America.

Prince Felipe with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.
Prince Felipe with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

Queen Gathers Family To Remember Her Father

Queen Sofia gathered with members of the Spanish, Greek and Danish Royal Families last week to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of her father, King Paul I of Greece.

Members of the Greek Royal Family, including King Constantine II of Greece, Queen Sofia’s brother, hold deep ties to the Danish Royal Family.

King Constantine’s wife Anne-Marie, for example, was born Princess of Denmark.

The Danish Royal Family remains in power while Greece abolished its monarchy in the 1970’s.

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The Royals and nobles held a small ceremony at the Tatoi Royal Palace outside of Athens, where Queen Sofia spent much of her childhood.

They also watched a new documentary about King Paul.

Queen Sofia speaking with her sister, Princess Irene, and sitting next to King Constantine.
Queen Sofia speaking with her sister, Princess Irene, and sitting next to King Constantine.

Media outlets took note of Infanta Cristina attending the events even amid the corruption investigation involving her husband. Queen Sofia, it is said, is insisting in family unity.

For 300 years members of the Royal Family have visited the church to venerate the Christ of Medinaceli.

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Back in Madrid, Infanta Elena represented the Spanish Royal Family at the Medinaceli Basilica.

King Meets With Lavror, Lagarde

King Juan Carlos today met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at Zarzuela Palace, in what was likely a less than comfortable encounter.

Lavrov’s pre-scheduled visit to Spain came amid tough talk between the European Union and Russia regarding Ukraine.

At Zarzuela Palace.
Lavrov is to the King’s right.

Several European countries, including Spain, have tried to forge closer economic relations with Russia.

The King visited Russia and President Vladimir Putin in 2012.

Yesterday His Majesty was in Bilbao for an economic development forum with International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde.

© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

The King touted reforms by the Spanish government, which he said are improving the financial and employment situation.

Royals Woo Catalonia (Updated)

Amid pro-independence rumblings in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Prince Felipe of Asturias over the weekend presided over a dinner with business and regional leaders at Albéniz Palace in Barcelona, the King’s official residence in the city.

© Casa de S.M. el rey / Borja Fotógrafos
At Albéniz Palace, royal residence owned by the Catalan government.
© Casa de S.M. el rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Prince Felipe, who was in town for the eve of the 2014 Mobile World Congress, alluded to Catalonia’s importance within Spain.

He spoke of Barcelona as the “beloved and dynamic capital of Catalonia,” and made remarks in Spanish, English and Catalan.

© Casa de S.M. el rey / Borja Fotógrafos
© Casa de S.M. el rey / Borja Fotógrafos

His Royal Highness also met with Catalan President Artur Mas, who is calling for a referendum on independence and, during his own remarks, highlighted Catalonia’s own strengths.

© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

On Monday Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia walked the convention floor. One of their meetings was with Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg.

Things got tougher later in the week when a Catalan businessman refused to shake the Prince’s hand.

Don Felipe pressed the issue with Alex Fenoll, who kept refusing. A video of the incident has gone viral.

Media reports also indicate that other business leaders in Catalonia expressed concerns about the lack of dialogue between Barcelona and Madrid during what has become a political stalemate.

Other Agenda Items

Among numerous royal agenda items in recent weeks, today Queen Sofia visited the Spanish National Ballet and the National Dance Company. Her Majesty is known for her attachment to classical arts.

Earlier this month King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were in Portugal meeting with Portuguese and Italian leaders in Lisbon to promote regional economic development.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia with Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, su esposa, Maria Alves da Silva, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and their wives. © Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia with Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, and their wives.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Infanta Cristina Testifies

Infanta Cristina, King Juan Carlos’ youngest daughter, testified yesterday for several hours before a Balearic Islands judge in connection with her husband’s corruption investigation.

Infanta Cristina, according to media reports, said she trusted her husband and also appeared to vouch for his innocence.

Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma. Photo courtesy Organization of American States via Flickr.
Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma. Photo courtesy Organization of American States via Flickr.

Anti-corruption investigators believe the the infanta’s husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, used a sports related foundation to funnel public funds for personal use.

Even though prosecutors did not want to involve the King’s daughter in the formal investigation, Judge José Castro called her to testify over whether she had any knowledge or played a part in any crimes.

King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia host a reception for diplomats in Spain at the throne room of the Royal Palace in Madrid. © Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia host a reception for diplomats in Spain at the throne room of the Royal Palace in Madrid.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

The case has become a major headache for the Royal Family amid Spain’s economic crisis and the public’s widespread disdain for people in power.

© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos
Prince Felipe in Tunisia last week celebrating the country’s new Constitution.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

About 200 agents were at the courthouse for security, said media reports. There were also numerous supporters and anti-monarchy protesters. She smiled and greeted the crowd.

Officials allowed Infanta Cristina’s drivers to drop her off near the courthouse door but they denied any special treatment.