King Felipe, Spanish Royals Mourn Queen Elizabeth II

King Felipe VI of Spain sent King Charles III of the United Kingdom a letter of condolence today after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Spanish Royal Household also posted pictures of when King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited Queen Elizabeth for a state visit in 2017.

King Felipe also ordered his royal standard to fly at half staff wherever he may be.

_{The Spanish Royal Standard flying over the Seville royal complex Thursday. Spanish Royal Household}

Spain’s Royal Family and the Spanish government are likely to send a robust delegation to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and King Charles’ coronation.

Biden, NATO Leaders Get Royal Welcome

King Felipe and Queen Letizia mobilized to welcome U.S. President Biden and other NATO members for this week’s summit in Madrid.

Their Majesties greeted delegation heads at the Madrid Royal Palace Throne Room and then offered a dinner.

The King and Queen were particularly focused on President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

There was widespread concern in Spain when the U.S. president failed to call or meet with the king or prime minister for weeks after his inauguration last year.

And during the Obama administration, the president delayed and then had to cut short an official visit to Madrid.

Former President Trump invited King Felipe and Queen Letizia for a state dinner at the White House but then the pandemic hit.

This week King Felipe welcomed President Biden at the airport and then held a brief meeting at the Royal Palace.

Queen Letizia hosted First Lady Jill Biden ahead of the summit and they toured several spots, including a center for Ukranian refugees.

Queen Letizia today led a tour of spouses to the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Idelfonso in the Segovia area and the Royal Glassware Factory. They went on high-speed train.

The group also went to the Reina Sofia Museum to see Picasso’s Guernica.

King Felipe has hosted several meetings at Zarzuela Palace with leaders attending the summit.

King’s Sister Announces Separation

King Felipe’s sister, Infanta Cristina, said she was suspending marital relations with her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, media outlets reported today.

Infanta Cristina stuck by her husband through a corruption trial and conviction, which sent him to jail for several years. He was recently photographed holding hands with another woman.

Infanta Cristina and Urdangarin married in 1997 in Barcelona.

King Felipe’s other sister, Infanta Elana, is divorced from her husband, Jaime de Marichalar.

Infanta Cristina and Urdangarin have four children together. They lost their ducal titles during his corruption scandal.

King Honors Angela Merkel

King Felipe handed outgoing German Prime Minister Angela Merkel the Charles V European Award last week at the Yuste Monastery in western Spain.

The award is meant to honor service to Europe. It’s backed by the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation.

The award is named after Charles V, who was king of Spain and Holy Roman emperor in the 1500s. He lived in the Yuste Monastery after his retirement.

National Day Parade Returns

King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofia presided over a military parade in Madrid last week for Spanish National Day or Dia de la Hispanidad.

_{Members of the Royal Family at the viewing stand as members of the Royal Guard ride on their motorcycles. Spanish Royal Household}

The annual event was much smaller last year and confined to the Madrid Royal Palace grounds because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year it returned with some health precautions.

_{King Felipe inspecting Royal Guard forces. Spanish Royal Household}

The Oct. 12 event, which includes military overflights and a reception at the Royal Palace, marks the historical consolidation of the Spanish state and its colonization of the Americas.

An overflight from the Eagle Patrol. Spanish Royal Household

Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, was not present at the event. She’s away at school in Wales.

Royals Begin Post-Vacation Agenda

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.

Royals Support Spanish Olympians

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.

Royals Hold State Memorial For COVID-19 Victims

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.

Watch Princess Leonor Speak Catalan

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.

Royals Honor COVID-19 Heroes

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.