Their Majesties officially welcomed Bachelet at the Royal Palace of El Pardo outside Madrid (which your blog host has visited).
El Pardo has long been in the Royal Palace collection, was General Franco’s former residence and is now official the official quarters for visiting heads of state.
After the welcome ceremony at El Pardo, Bachelet and Their Majesties met at the nearby Royal Palace of Zarzuela, within the Royal Family’s private compound.
Their Majesties have had a full agenda in recent days. This week Don Felipe stopped by Civil Guard installations at Torrejón Air Base.
Queen Letizia, meanwhile, made a short visit to Vienna to meet with local leaders and attend the opening of an exhibition of works by Spanish master Velázquez.
King Felipe, speaking at the 2014 Prince of Asturias Awards, hailed Spain’s economic, social and political process over the past few decades.
“Let’s feel proud of the good we’ve done together,” he said. “We are protagonists of the same path, And I am convinced that comprehension, affection, consideration and mutual respect are feelings found in the hearts of all Spaniards.”
The King’s words may seem routine, but they are telling and deeply strategic in Spain’s current political climate.
Among this year’s winners of the prestigious award, named after the heir to the Spanish Crown, were U.S. architect Frank Gehry and the Fulbright Program.
As is tradition, Their Majesties also visited a local Asturian community to highlight local efforts at improving residents’ quality of life.
The Prince of Asturias Foundation and Awards will soon be called the Princess of Asturias Foundation and Awards after Princess Leonor, 8, the new heir to the Spanish throne.
King Felipe, the former Prince of Asturias, was 13 when he delivered his first speech at the awards ceremony. It was seen as a milestone in his preparation.
The couples are said to have a close relationship, particularly the Queens, who recently sat together at the United Nations. Queen Máxima is from Argentina and, like Queen Letizia, is not of Royal birth.
Separately this week, King Felipe opened this year’s session of the Royal Academies. Tradition calls for His Majesty to visit different academies every year. This time he went to the Royal Academy of Sciences.
The Fiesta Nacional, or National Day, involves a military parade in downtown Madrid. The Royal Family watches from an elaborate reviewing stand.
Princess Leonor, the new Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofia stood with their parents during the event.
The Royals then hosted a reception at the Royal Palace in Madrid. It included hundreds of guests from government and civil society, an expansion from previous years.
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were not at the Fiesta Nacional this year, opting to leave the spotlight to the new King and Queen.
Separately, in recent weeks Spanish media reported that Rafael Spottorno, former head of the Royal Household under King Juan Carlos, resigned as a royal adviser because of allegations that he improperly used a credit card from bank Caja Madrid.
King Juan Carlos met this week with his wife Queen Sofia and his daughter-in-law Queen Letizia. It’s the first time Don Juan Carlos had been seen together with the Queens in months.
Media outlets have long questioned the closeness of King Juan Carlos’ relationship with both his wife and his daughter-in-law.
They used a traditional Red Cross fundraising event, where members of the Royal Family sit at tables around Madrid, for a display of unity.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia last week celebrated the Spanish press during an awards ceremony in Madrid.
“The press, like all of us who are at the service of the people, must work to live immersed in current events and be aware of people’s problems,” said the King.
His Majesty called on the press to work based on rigor and a search for truth, and with the “independence, freedom of expression, and whatever guarantees assist and dignify journalism.”
He stressed the need to look out for the “general interest, cohesion and prosperity of all.”
Queen Letizia was once a television news reporter who covered the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Latin American businessmen are recognizing King Juan Carlos’ work for Latin American political, economic and social integration.
His Majesty made developing stronger ties between Iberia and Latin America a top priority during his 39-year reign.
As titular head of the Organization of Ibero-American States, Don Juan Carlos often traveled or worked the phones to corral world leaders to the group’s summits.
King Juan Carlos said “it’s now up to my son, King Don Felipe, to continue promoting the highest level of relations with countries in our Historic Community.”
Separately, Queen Sofia received the Steiger Award in Hattingen, Germany for her humanitarian works as head of the Queen Sofia Foundation, including her commitment to combating Alzheimer’s disease.
Queen Sofia, of German royal blood, also visited her daughter, Infanta Cristina, who is now living in Geneva.
Even though the Infanta could face a corruption trial in Spain connected with her husband’s business dealings, Queen Sofia has worked to promote family unity. The couple has denied wrongdoing.
Interestingly, members of Queen Letizia’s family, including her father and grandmother, are in legal trouble over allegations of hiding assets.
Queen Letizia’s relatives have no royal duties. And Infanta Cristina is no longer a member of the Royal Family since her father’s abdication.
King Felipe highlighted Spain’s role in the international arena and called for unity amid strong divisions at home, particularly from Catalan separatism.
Don Felipe, speaking at the United Nations last week, noted the soon to be celebrated 40-year anniversary of the Spanish transition.
The King said the transition “allowed us to pass from a dictatorship to a politics of freedom and human rights, marked by a commitment to historic reconciliation and a spirit of coexistence.”
King Felipe, marking the first address to the General Assembly of his young reign, said Spain had a “profound sense of equality, and rejects fanaticism, violence, intolerance and loves piece.”
Even though the King’s speech as international in nature, it’s hard for observers not to attempt ties to the current controversy in Spain.
The Spanish government either helps write or approves His Majesty’s messages. It’s the same government calling for unity amid separatism, and rejecting the Catalan Government’s planned referendum on statehood or independence.
Noting a version of Pablo Picasso’s famous painting Guernica, which shows the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, which was particularly harsh on Catalonia and is seen as the true beginning on World War II, King Felipe called for “more unity against fanaticism, intolerance and barbarism.”
He called for “more unity to fight poverty, misery and marginalization. More unity for education and health care for all. And more unity to defend with resolve the dignity of all human beings.”
Ever since King Juan Carlos abdicated the Spanish throne, speculation has surrounded Queen Sofia — What will her role be? Will she spend more time with family and friends abroad?
It appears that Queen Sofia’s commitment with the Spanish people is not diminishing. She has remained in the public eye, recently attending a performance of Mozart’s Requiem in Toledo.
Spanish Royals have worked to strengthen relations with the U.S. and have invited President Obama to Spain numerous times.
King Juan Carlos met with the U.S. President at the White House in 2010 and Fist Lady Michelle Obama has visited the royals at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid and Marivent Palace in Mallorca. But no formal state visit has been planned on either side of the Atlantic.
During his speech at the climate summit today, Don Felipe spoke about the need to tackle climate change and Spain’s efforts at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He said countries could not afford to wait because a small rise in global temperatures could put human lives and societies at risk.
Yesterday King Felipe, who studied international relations at Georgetown University, met with Fulbright Scholars at the Institute for International Education.
He spoke about U.S. political and historical ties with Spain, and about shared values of freedom and Democracy. Plus, he highlighted economic ties amid the ongoing crisis in Europe.
Don Felipe also met with King Hussein of Jordan to discuss ongoing troubles in the Middle East.
He and Queen Letizia atogether met with Spaniards working at the U.N. and Spanish scientists working in the U.S.
Queen Letizia took some time yesterday to visit the Dos Puentes School in Harlem to promote bilingual education.
