King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited the island of La Palma this past week to meet with rescue workers and people affected by the ongoing volcanic eruption.
The volcano in La Palma, part of the Canary Islands, had been dormant since the 1970’s. The lava has destroyed numerous homes. Their Majesties were joined by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during their tour.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia return from August vacations to a busy agenda, with numerous important events on the calendar.
King Felipe started the month opening the judicial year with a visit to the Spanish Supreme Court headquarters in Madrid.
Among his events, His Majesty also handed an award at Zarzuela Palace to Ana Patricia Botín, chair of banking giant Santander, for her promotion of Ibero-American business.
The King and Queen earlier this month welcomed Chilean President Sebastián Piñera. His tour of Madrid included a lunch at the Royal Palace.
Queen Letizia went to Zaragoza to launch the 2021-2022 school year. Crowds were there to welcome Her Majesty.
The Queen on Friday stopped by the Madrid Book Fair, a major event for the Spanish capital.
Spain’s National Day or Fiesta Nacional in October is among the most important upcoming dates. It’s unclear how big the celebrations will be because of the ongoing pandemic.
Queen Sofia this weekend attended funeral ceremonies for Marie of Liechtenstein, who died earlier this month following a stroke.
Queen Sofia is close to numerous royals throughout Europe and offered condolences on behalf of the entire Spanish Royal Family.
King Felipe met over the weekend with Spanish officials who helped evacuate people from Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
His Majesty visited the Torrejón Air Base in Madrid after the last flight landed with Spaniards and Afghans who collaborated with allied forces.
Members of the Spanish Royal Family are at Marivent Palace in Mallorca for their public summer vacations, as is tradition.
King Felipe earlier this week held a meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the palace to get an update on political events.
King Felipe also held a meeting with Balearic Island authorities at Almudaina Palace, a centuries old fortress near downtown Palma.
The King and Queen, and Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia have made other public appearances since arriving on the islands.
Mallorca is a favorite vacation destination for Queen Sofia, the King’s mother. Media outlets report she’s already there as well.
King Felipe, Queen Letizia and the Spanish Royal Household have been vocal in their support of athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
The Royal Household Twitter page has been active with numerous posts celebrating medals and showcasing different members of the team.
The King and Queen also held a departure ceremony for the athletes at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in the outskirts of Madrid.
King Felipe carried the Spanish flag during the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 when he was still Prince of Asturias.
King Felipe traveled to Peru this week for the inauguration of the country’s new president, leftist Pedro Castillo.
King Felipe also met with Colombian President Iván Duque, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and outgoing Peruvian leader Francisco Sagasti.
King Felipe has been attending presidential inaugurations in Spain’s former colonies for decades. He began doing so as Prince of Asturias.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia this month led the country’s second state ceremony for victims of the COVID-19 pandemic and those continuing to suffer and sacrifice because of the disease.
Their Majesties presided over the ceremony at the Madrid Royal Palace and awarded four posthumous Grand Crosses of Civil Merit to health workers who died caring for pandemic patients.
Members of Spain’s Royal Family have been active in response to the pandemic following concern King Felipe had been to slow to speak about the crisis. He first delivered televised remarks to the nation in mid-March 2020.
Members of the Spanish Royal Family were in Barcelona earlier this month to hand out the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards to leaders in different fields, like science and business.
The heir to the Spanish throne, Princess Leonor, is not only princess of Asturias but also of Girona. The Principality of Asturias historically belong to the heir to the Castilian throne while the Principality of Girona belonged to the heir of the Aragonese throne. Modern Spain includes both kingdoms.
The princess, who is 15 and still preparing for official duties, delivered remarks in Catalan because of her presence in the capital of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. Girona is also an important Catalan city.
Catalan nationalist leaders have avoided members of the Royal Family since forming a coalition government earlier this year. They also skipped King Felipe’s visit for the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, including a lunch at Albéniz Palace.
Also in recent days, King Felipe and Queen Letizia held a ceremony at the Madrid Royal Palace for United Nations Secretary General António Guterres. His Majesty offered some words in Portuguese.
King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia honored a broad collection of Spaniards for their sacrifice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The King awarded several Order of Civil Merit medals to coincide with his seventh anniversary on the throne. Recipients included a cashier and a farm worker.
The Royal Family held the ceremony at the Madrid Royal Palace’s Hall of Columns, known for hosting highly important events in Spanish history.
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