Royals Under Scrutiny During Vacations

King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their daughters made the rounds in Mallorca today as they started the public phase of their summer vacation.

Locals and media outlets are paying special attention this year because of the scandal surrounding King Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos.

Don Felipe today met with Balearic Island leaders at Almudaina Palace in Palma as is tradition.

felipe_mallorca — King Felipe with Balearic Islands Francina Armengol

King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia then visited Junipero Serra’s childhood home. Serra was a Catholic missionary in what is now California.

Serra has a become figuere of controversy in the U.S. because of his treatment of Native Americans.

Queen Sofia, who favors vacationing in Mallorca, arrived at Marivent Palace in recent weeks. The Royal Household has been working to shield her from the controversy surrunding her husbad, King Juan Carlos.

Royals Visible In Mallorca

Members of the Spanish Royal Family have been extremely visible during their vacations in Mallorca.

The goal is to defuse all the talk of controversy surrounding King Juan Carlos, and also move past the recent public tension between Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia.

Earlier this week, King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met at Marivent Palace in Palma de Mallorca, and later Queen Letizia and Sánchez’s wife María Begoña joined in for lunch.

The King also participated in the King’s Cup Regatta and awards ceremony, and held an evening gathering for local leaders at Almudaina Palace with Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia.

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Earlier this month, King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their daughters — Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia — posed for pictures at Almudaina Palace and greeted reporters.

Queen Sofia, Queen Letizia, the princess and the infanta visited walked around a market.

More family members, including Infanta Elena and Princess Irene, Queen Sofia’s sister, joined the royals for a concert.

Members of the Royal Family and other close relatives also had dinner out together, as has become tradition.

King Juan Carlos, meanwhile, remains away from official activities. He missed the inauguration of Colombia’s new president because of health reasons, outlets reported.

Tension In Mallorca Over King Juan Carlos

Members of the Spanish Royal Family and the King’s broader family are vacationing in Mallorca as is customary.

But King Juan Carlos is absent. The Royal Household blames a minor health issue. But media outlets point to leaked recordings from Don Juan Carlos’ former friend, alleging potential financial irregularities.

Not only has King Felipe’s father stayed away from the summer spotlight, he recently scrapped plans to participate in a regatta in Galicia, according to media outlets.

20140401_toison_enrique_iglesias_04 — King Juan Carlos. © Agencia EFE

King Felipe, who received Balearic Island leaders at Almudaina Palace in the heart of Palma de Mallorca, touched on the issue.

Don Felipe said his father was not in great shape and wanted to sail this month.

Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia were seen strolling with Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia.

Back in Madrid, the Supreme Court and parliament are both looking at the recordings. There does seem to be an effort to keep King Juan Carlos away from any further embarassment if possible.

Royals Celebrate Easter

Members of the Spanish Royal Family were in Palma de Mallorca today for Easter services at the cathedral there.

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It’s the first time in several years that King Juan Carlos, who turned 80 earlier this year, attended the services.

In the coming days, the family will commemorate the anniversary of the death of Infante Juan, Don Juan Carlos’ father.

Royals On Vacation

Members of the Spanish Royal Family returned to their traditional vacation spot of Palma de Mallorca late last month.

It’s somewhat of a working vacation because the King and Queen, and other relatives, must follow through with certain traditions.

King Felipe, for example, presided over the King’s Cup over the weekend, much like his father did before him.

rey_entrega_trofeos_vela_20170805_06 — © Casa de S.M. el Rey

The King, Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia held their annual reception for authorities and leaders of the Balearic Islands.

Queen Letizia wowed with her dress, which harkens back to fabric that Spanish traders brought from Asia centuries ago.

reyes_recepcion_almudaina_20170804_03 — © Casa de S.M. el Rey

Late last month, upon arriving in Mallorca, the King met with several officials, including the head of the Balearic Parliament.

rey_pte_parlament_20170728_02 — © Casa de S.M. el Rey

The Royals hold their public meetings at Almudaina Palace, an old Arab fort that became a Spanish royal residence.

Palau_Reial_de_s_Almudaina_01 — Almudaina Palace

However, they have long stayed at Marivent Palace, which belongs to local authorities but is set aside for the family’s use.

Queen Sofia, who spends the most time in Mallorca, often with get grandchildren, is devoted to the place.

It’s unclear how King Felipe and Queen Letizia see Marivent and Mallorca, but continue the tradition, including an annual photo shoot and press meet-and-greet.

Several royals went out to dinner out on the town. King Juan Carlos, however, was spotted in Ireland and is unlikely to stop in Mallorca.

Olympic Sendoff

King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and other members of the Royal Family hosted several members of the Spanish Olympic delegation before their departure for London.

20120723_audiencia_olimpicos_3 — Group at El Pardo Palace.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

The King recalled the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the strength of Spanish teams.

During a speech at El Pardo Palace near his own residence at Zarzuela, King Juan Carlos told the athletes that qualifying alone was a great accomplishment.

“Yours is a great responsibility and I am sure you will rise to it,” said His Majesty.

Members of the Royal Family are wrapping up their official agenda before heading to Marivent Palace in Mallorca for vacations.

20120721_audiencia_minitros — Prince Felipe with European foreign ministers in the Almudaina Palace in Mallorca last week.

Even though other commitments kept the family away from the King’s Cup regatta in Mallorca, which was held earlier than usual this year because of the Olympics, Prince Felipe’s presence at the awards ceremony added a sense of normalcy to the event, Hola noted.

20120721_premios_copa_vela_1 — Prince Felipe with Balearic Island President José Ramón Bauzá Díaz last week.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Pay Cut for King, Prince

King Juan Carlos has decided to cut his own salary by 7.1 percent to conform with the latest austerity measures announced by the Spanish government.

Prince Felipe and the head of the Royal Household will also see a cut, as will other members of the Royal Family, according to various media outlets.

20120716_audiencia_rubalcaba_1 — King meets with Socialist leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba.
© Casa de S.M. el Rey / Borja Fotógrafos

Also, in a change of events, Infanta Cristina and her children will join Infanta Elena and Queen Sofia on vacation at Marivent Palace in Palma De Mallorca. Media reports have indicated that the Queen wanted the family together for at least part of the summer.

Infanta Cristina’s husband, Duke of Palma Iñaki Urdangarin, who is under investigation for corruption allegations, is not expected to attend. The Royal Family has been keeping him at a distance.

The Royal Household announced that King Juan Carlos will meet with Balearic officials and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy during his own visit to Marivent Palace. Media reports also indicate that Queen Sofia will attend the opening of the London Olympics by herself.

Prince Felipe will be on hand for the awards ceremony of the annual King’s Cup regatta in Mallorca. He will also preside over a meeting of foreign ministers at Almudaina Palace, also in Mallorca, to discuss the future of Europe.

20120713_audiencia_regata_02 — King Juan Carlos meeting with King’s Cup organizers at Zarzuela Palace last week.

Tomorrow King Juan Carlos leaves for a trip to Russia.

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Royals Arrive In Mallorca

The Royal Family is preparing to celebrate Easter in the Balearic island of Mallorca. The magazine Hola and the Royal Household reported that Queen Sofia is already there. Below is a picture of her visiting the Lafiore glass factory.

20120404_vidrio_1 — © Govern de les Illes Balears

Meanwhile, the recently married Dutchess of Alba, the woman with the most royal titles in the world, is celebrating Holy Week in Seville, as is her custom.