Royal family in Spain: interesting facts. Residences of King Philip VI of Spain Royal Family of Spain

There are not many surviving monarchical dynasties left in the world, so each of them excites the imagination and arouses intense interest. The Spanish royal family may not be as famous as the British, but the Spanish kings have a valiant past and a fascinating present. In Spain, there is an ambivalent attitude towards monarchs: from deification to harsh criticism, however, the Spanish monarchy dates back many centuries and is not going to give up its position.

The Royal Family

In 2014, Philip VI, the son of Juan Carlos I, who abdicated the throne in favor of his son, became king of Spain. Of course, a modern constitutional monarchy differs from classical monarchies, as we remember them from history books; in the 21st century, kings reign, but do not rule. However, the King of Spain is endowed with broad powers, for example, he is the guarantor of the Constitution and performs the functions of a public figure.

The story of his wife, Queen Letizia, is reminiscent of the story of Cinderella. Letizia, a native of Oviedo, a small town in northern Spain, moved to Madrid at an early age and built an impressive career as a television journalist. This is how she met Philip, then still Prince of Asturias. The news of the engagement came as a bolt from the sky for Spain, given the fact that Letizia was already married. But since her first marriage took place in the mayor’s office, the Catholic Church saw no obstacle to the couple in love getting married. The prince's father, King Juan Carlos I, also gave his consent. Now their marriage spans 13 years and the royal couple has two children - Infanta Leonor and Infanta Sofia. Philip also has two older sisters, Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, and Infanta Cristina, who are also part of the Spanish royal family.

History of the Royal Family

The surname of the Spanish royal family is Bourbon, so their roots go back to the French kings who ruled from the 16th century until 1789, the year of the revolution in France. One branch of the Bourbons, the Bourbons-Anjou, assumed the throne of Spain in 1700 and established themselves throughout the Iberian Peninsula in 1714, after victory in the War of Spanish Succession.

The Bourbons ruled Spain throughout the 18th century and almost the entire 19th century, but the 20th century brought revolution to the dynasty and the Second Republic. In 1931, King Alfonso XIII was forced to relinquish his throne and leave Spain. It would seem that this is the end of the monarchy, as in many others European countries, but in 1947 Francisco Franco decided to restore the monarchy in Spain, primarily for symbolic purposes. He appointed Juan Carlos I as heir to the throne, who received the previously non-existent title of Prince of Spain. In 1975, dictator Franco died and Juan Carlos I took the throne. At that moment, Spain took a course towards modernization and liberalism, and perhaps Juan Carlos would not have been able to remain on the throne if not for his political flair and willingness to change. One way or another, the Bourbons survived all the upheavals of the 20th century and continue to be one of the European monarchies.

√ Philip VI speaks five foreign languages ​​- English, German, French, Catalan and Basque.

√ Name of the Spanish queenLetitia, in Spanish written with the letter “z” – Letizia, which is unusual for Spain, since the correct spelling of this name isLeticia. But it happened like this, since her engagement to the prince, her name has become so popular,which, apparently,in the future the correct spellingIwill be exactly with the letter  “ z”.

√ The king’s sisters, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, call their brother “Napoleon” in their home circle, but so far no one has admitted why.

√ Infanta Cristina chose Barcelona for her life rather than the usual Madrid. The king's sister lives in the prestigious Las Tres Torres area. It is curious that Barcelona is considered the most critical city towards the royal family, but this does not bother Christina.

√ Infanta Elena became the first in the Bourbon dynasty who dared to divorce her legal spouse. The divorce was finalized in 2010 and sparked a lot of discussion.

√ Philip VI is known as a great lover of animals, primarily dogs and horses; one of his dogs was named Pushkin.

√ One of the reasons for the abdication of Juan Carlos I in 2014 was the decline in his popularity among the people, primarily due to elephant hunting, which the Spanish monarch was overly keen on.

√ The official royal residence is the Zarzuela Palace, located in the suburbs of Madrid.Ain the middle of the park.But it's interesting thatthe royal couple chose to live in the Prince's Pavilion, which is also part of the Zarzuela palace complex, but by royal standards it is a more than modest house - only 1800 m2 .

√ The Spanish royal family owned many unique gems, including the Pelegrina pearl and the Estanque diamond, but most of them were lost. Now the royal family has 7 precious tiaras at their disposal, each with its own history, one of them is called the “Russian tiara”. The source of inspiration for this tiara was Russian kokoshniks, although, of course, they were unlikely to be so lavishly decorated with pearls and diamonds.

Where can you see the royal family

The royal family can be seen in person in various parts of Spain. For example, the royal couple prefers to vacation in Mallorca, and the king’s sisters often spend weekends at resorts in northern Spain. In addition, if you buy an apartment in Barcelona in the Las Tres Torres area, you can become a neighbor of Infanta Cristina. And, of course, most often royal family can be seen in the center of Madrid during major events.

03.08.2017

Thirteen members of the Spanish royal family were gathered for a family dinner by Queen Sofia. The meeting took place at the Ola del Mar restaurant in the ancient fishing village of Portixol in Mallorca. For the first time in a long time, Juan Carlos's wife met with her eight grandchildren at the same time.

The family dinner took place last Monday. He was visited by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and their daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, Queen Sofia, Felipe VI's sister Infanta Doña Elena with her children Felipe and Victoria Frederica, the grandchildren of the former Queen Sofia Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene Urdangarin, as well as Princess Helen of Greece. All that was missing was Juan Carlos I and Infanta Cristina, the mother of Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene. Before dinner, members of the royal family held a photo shoot for the media at the Palacio de Marivent.

The next day the members of the royal family spent at the nautical club - albeit at different times. Doña Sofia sailed on the boat Somni with the Infanta Elena, her children and the Urdangarin brothers. Felipe VI and Doña Leticia also visited the club, but did not participate in the swimming. Don Felipe, who arrived in Palma last Friday despite strained relations with his sister and her husband, showed himself to be a caring uncle by going on a boat trip with Urdangarin's nephews on the Somni. They spent the day on Cabrera Island.

The royal family's annual holiday in Mallorca traditionally attracts attention: almost every step of the monarchs is captured on camera. We have collected a small photo chronicle of the royal holidays in Mallorca from 1975 to 2017.

The Royal Family out and about in 2016

House of Bourbon has occupied the throne throughout Europe since the 16th century, when the Bourbon sovereigns ruled Navarre and France. Currently, the Bourbon monarchs are still in power only in Spain and Luxembourg. State power in Spain is headed by King Juan Carlos, born in 1938 in Rome. He spent his youth studying at the Military Academy and colleges of the Army, Navy and Air Force. The future king completed his education in 1961, graduating from the Complutense University with a degree in constitutional and international law, economics and taxation, and on May 14, 1962 he married the Greek Princess Sophia.

In 1969, Juan Carlos ascended the throne when the general chose him as his successor. With the death of the dictator on November 20, 1975, Juan Carlos officially became king of spain. He has three children: two daughters - Infanta Cristina and Infanta Elena and a son - Prince Philippe, who is currently the official heir to the crown.

The tragic death of Alfonso's younger brother

Only Juan Carlos knows what really happened on the evening before Good Friday 1956. 18-year-old Juan Carlos and his younger brother 14-year-old Alfonso spent the holiday in the bedroom of the royal family's home in Portugal. Don Alfonso won a local youth golf tournament that day, and in the evening he immediately rushed into the room to see his brother, who had come home on vacation from military school. According to an official statement from the royal family: "His Highness Prince Alfonso was cleaning a revolver with his brother when he accidentally pulled the trigger and the revolver fired directly into his head. Death occurred within a few minutes."

Which of the two royal brothers pulled the trigger will never be known, but Juan Carlos himself said then that he felt responsible for this incident. As a military cadet, he should have known about the dangers of loaded weapons, as did Alfonso, who was an avid hunter and marksman. Both should have known that it was impossible to clean a loaded revolver. Throughout their childhood, the boys were very close. While Franco ruled Spain, no one doubted that young Alfonso's death was a tragic accident. After the death of his younger brother, Juan Carlos suffered serious moral trauma.

Juan Carlos as a statesman

Focusing on strengthening international relations(especially with Europe and Latin America), King Juan Carlos achieved the status of a significant international figure whose work was recognized by many international organizations. His Majesty King Juan Carlos is promoting a new style of relationship with Latin America, especially emphasizing the identity of a cultural community based on a common language and pointing to the need to create joint initiatives. The first Ibero-American meeting took place in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1991 and was held at top level conferences.

King Juan Carlos of Spain has always insisted on Spain's deep integration into European history and supported the country's entry into the European Union. The king emphasized the importance of the European Union in all his speeches. His pro-European orientation and role in restoring democracy in Spain have been recognized with many international awards.

King Juan Carlos of Spain pays great attention to intellectual developments and innovative technologies, he runs the Royal Academy and maintains close ties with cultural circles, especially universities. The monarch was awarded honorary doctorates by thirty Spanish and foreign prestigious universities. The Spanish language as a heritage of the Spanish-speaking community, and its prospects in modern world are a subject of special interest to him. The king called for the creation of a fund to support the Royal Academy, which was opened with the support of public and private organizations in 1994.

He is also the head of the Cervantes Institute, which promotes the spread of the Spanish language throughout the world. Every year Juan Carlos hosts the Cervantes Prize, which brings together all the best writers in Spanish from both continents. In all the different sectors that the King leads, he personally supports the creation of new technologies in Spain, promotes innovative projects in various fields of economics, business, science and social progress and calls for solidarity at all levels of society in Spain.

Spanish Constitution establishes that the king is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. In this capacity, His Majesty leads the three branches of the armed forces, and also on the occasion of the annual military holiday, presents diplomas to cadets of military academies and colleges, and also actively takes part in maneuvers and exercises.

Activities of Queen Sofia

In addition to her official and institutional commitments, the Queen devotes much of her time to social and charitable activities. She is the executive president Reina Sofia Foundation. The Queen is honorary president of the drug addiction fund and the royal fund for the disabled, as well as various cultural and musical institutions, including the Reina Sofia High School of Music.

The Queen takes part in a number of international projects to promote women from rural areas and develop a microcredit system for the disadvantaged. The Queen is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and the Royal Academy of History. She received honorary doctorates from the universities of Rosario (Bogota), Cambridge, Oxford, Georgetown, Évora, New York and Seisen (Tokyo).

His Royal Majesty the Prince of Asturias

Prince Felipe, like all children, first went to kindergarten, then studied in primary and high school at Santa Maria de los Rosales (modern school in), which he attended until 1984. He then spent a year at Likefield College in Canada. From September 1985 to July 1988, His Royal Highness studied at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, the Naval Academy in Marina and the General Academy of the Air Force in San Javier, and in July 1989 received the corresponding diplomas as an infantry lieutenant, midshipman and air group lieutenant.

From October 1988 to June 1993, he studied at the Autonomous University and graduated with a degree in law. He also studied a number of subjects from the economics stream to complete his studies in this field. In September 1993, he enrolled in a master's degree in international affairs at the Ermund Walsh School of the Foreign Service at Georgetown University (Washington), graduating with a degree on May 26, 1995.

Today he is a Commander in the Navy, a Colonel in the Army Corps (Infantry) and a Commander in the Air Force. He is also an instrument-rated helicopter pilot with Air Force 402 Squadron. He attended advanced security and defense training from September 1999 to June 2000.

Activities of the Prince in Spain and abroad

After finishing his studies in the United States, Prince Felipe began institutional activities, becoming chairman of many official events in Spain, and took part in key events in various sectors of the Spanish public life. Since October 1995, Prince Felipe has made a number of official visits to several with the aim of deepening his knowledge of the country and establishing contacts with other residents of Spain. He holds regular meetings with representatives of constitutional bodies and major government organizations in order to control their activities, he often takes part in meetings of various government bodies.

A large number of trusted people oversee national and international affairs. He often holds meetings with close people of his generation with outstanding careers in politics, economics, culture and other fields. When His Majesty the King is unable to attend the annual graduation of officers and non-commissioned officers of the armed forces, he is replaced by Prince Felipe, who also participates in military exercises conducted by all branches of the armed forces.

Prince Felipe pays great attention to relations with the countries of Europe and Latin America, as well as the countries of the Arab world, Far East and Australia. He takes a special interest in all matters relating to European Union, North America and Latin America. Since January 1996, the Prince of Asturias has represented the Spanish state at the swearing-in ceremonies of Latin American presidents. Almost on a par with King Juan Carlos, Prince Felipe plays a large role in the development of trade and economic interests of Spain and the development of the Spanish language and culture in foreign countries. The Prince often presides over trade and economic fairs, both in Spain and abroad, and is particularly interested in promoting the creation of centers and departments for the dissemination of the history and current situation of Spain in the main foreign universities.

In addition to his official activities, Prince Felipe is the honorary president of several associations and foundations, such as the Cadespa Foundation, which finances several economic and social projects in Latin America and other countries, and the Spanish branch of the Association of European Journalists, which includes many eminent professionals in the field of communication. Particularly notable is the Prince's Foundation, where he chairs the annual awards ceremony, the prestigious awards are international and bear his name. Prince Felipe focuses his interest on developing projects related to voluntary work, security environment, universities, helping young professionals with work and business, relations between society and the business community. In the United Nations declaration of 2001, the Year of International Volunteers, Secretary General UN Kofi Annan called Prince Felipe an "outstanding personality" as he could easily promote the importance of volunteering internationally.

A keen sportsman, the prince was a member of the Spanish sailing team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The prince took sixth place and received an Olympic diploma. During the opening ceremony, he marched with the Spanish flag at the head of the Spanish team. In November 2003, His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen declared Prince Felipe as heir apparent.

HRH Infanta Elena

Infanta Elena received her secondary education at the Santa Maria del Camino school, and then studied at the Faculty of Education at the University of ESCUNI in, receiving a teacher's diploma in English V primary school. After working as a teacher at Santa Maria del Camino School for a year, Elena took courses in sociology and education at the University of Exeter in the UK. Elena completed her studies at the Comilliano Pontifical University, receiving a degree in education in July 1993.

As soon as she came of age, Elena, as a member of the royal family, began to take part in organizing visits to Spain by the heads of foreign countries. Elena made several official visits to European countries, the USA, Argentina, Japan and the Philippines, where she chaired various events, most of which were related to culture.

On March 18, 1995, Elena married the son of Count Ripalda. The wedding took place in the Cathedral of Jaime de Marichalar and Saenz de Tejada. On this occasion, His Majesty the King bestowed upon her the title of Duchess of Lugo. On June 17, 1998, they had a son, Felipe Juan de Froilán Todos los Santos, and a daughter, Victoria Federica, on September 9, 2000. Both children were born in. On January 21, 2010, Elena separated from her husband.

She is currently the director of Mapfre, an organization dedicated to cultural and social projects. In addition to her official activities, Infanta Elena supports and personally participates in many educational and cultural events. She has a particular interest in sports for the disabled and is Honorary President of the Spanish Paralympic Committee. She attended the Paralympic Games in Barcelona, ​​Atlanta, Sydney, Athens and Beijing to support the Spanish competitors. Elena is a big fan of equestrian sports and winter sports.

Her Royal Majesty Infanta Cristina

Cristina received her secondary education at the Santa Matia del Camina school, then in 1984 she attended lectures in political science at the Complutense University of Madrid, which she graduated in 1989. In 1990, she studied for a master's degree at New York University, and in 1991 began working at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Infanta Cristina carries out many cultural, scientific and social activities, both in Spain and abroad, with a particular focus on European and Latin American countries. Cristina is Honorary President of the Spanish UNESCO Committee and works with some of its projects in the fields of education, nature conservation and artistic heritage. In October 2001, she was appointed as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Second World Assembly on Aging. She is also an honorary member of the Dali Board of Trustees.

Christina personally takes part in courses to adapt swimming for the disabled. Being a big sports fan, she became president International Fund on sailing for the disabled. Currently, Cristina lives in Barcelona and is the Director of Social Security of the La Caixa Foundation. On November 6, 1997, Infanta Cristina married Iñaki Urdangarin in the Barcelona Cathedral. On this occasion, His Majesty the King granted her the right to be styled Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. They had four children: Juan Valentin de Todos (September 29, 1999), Pablo Nicolas (December 6, 2000), Miguel (April 30, 2002) and Irina (June 5, 2005), who was born in Barcelona.

Infanta Cristina spends her free time with her family. Members of the royal family are big fans of sports, especially ice skating and sailing regattas. Cristina has taken part in many national and international events and was a member of the Spanish sailing team at Olympic Games in Seoul in 1998, where she carried the Spanish flag at the opening ceremony.

Royal family and public

When King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia returned from honeymoon, they set the tone of their reign by moving to the Zarzuela Palace, located near . The choice of this modest residence, in comparison with the luxurious Palazzo Real, aroused a very favorable opinion among a larger number of the public. As soon as Juan Carlos I became king, he immediately set himself a clear goal - to restore democracy in the country, as well as to become a good king of all Spaniards - a task that, according to many, he achieved, given that today the Spanish royal family continues to attract enormous public interest and respect. Perhaps the reason for this is that direct contact with the press and public is now very limited. Indeed, unlike the Royal Family of England, whose comments to the public and press are often mentioned in the media mass media, their Spanish counterparts are prohibited from answering press questions or making special comments to the press and public.

The love story of Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz

Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos, HRH Prince of Bourbon and Greece, third child of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, was born on January 30, 1968. Leticia Ortiz was born on September 15, 1972 in Spanish. Leticia's parents are Jess Ortiz, a journalist and businessman, and Paloma Rocasolano, a nurse and union official. In 1999, her parents divorced and her father married journalist Anna Togores.

The prince and his future wife met when Letizia, a journalist and news presenter, was in Galicia at the site of the Prestige tanker disaster in November 2002. Prince Felipe was there to see the damage caused by the accident. The following spring they began dating, the couple managed to keep their romance a secret until their engagement. On November 1, 2003, the King and Queen announced the engagement of Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz, who appeared together before the press on November 3. Three days later, on November 6, the official engagement took place.

The wedding ceremony of Felipe and Letizia took place on May 22, 2004 in the Nuestra de la Almudena Cathedral. The ceremony was performed by Cardinal Archbishop Antonio Maria Rouca Varela, assisted by two other cardinals and five archbishops. The wedding day was gray and rainy, but as soon as the couple left the temple, the sun came out and the newlyweds were bathed in rays of sunlight. After the ceremony, the bride presented the wedding bouquet to Our Lady of Atocha at the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha. This tradition for the royal bride to present a bouquet is a presentation of the newborn Infanta of Spain to the Virgin Mary.

The bride's dress was sewn by a famous fashion designer for six months Manuel Pertegas, who dressed such American style icons as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn. The future queen wore the platinum and diamond tiara that Queen Sofia wore to her wedding. The groom was dressed in a dark blue military uniform. The newlyweds spent their honeymoon traveling around the Spanish countryside and were spotted in the cities of Cuenca, Albarracin and Zaragoza.

In Spain, members of the royal family are Catholics. Queen Sofia originally comes from the Greek royal family. Before she got married, the queen was Orthodox. When Sophia converted to Catholicism, she renounced all rights to the throne of Greece.

The Royal House of Romania is related to many of the royal families of Europe, including the royal families of Spain and Greece. The ruling royal family of Spain belongs to the Spanish Bourbons. As you know, King Michael's wife, Queen Anne, was from a younger branch of the Spanish Bourbons - the Bourbons of Parma, who are currently the ruling dynasty of Luxembourg. Queen Anne was a relative of King Juan Carlos, and King Mihai was the cousin of Queen Sofia, wife of King Juan Carlos. Her Majesty Margareta, Guardian of the Crown and King Felipe VI are second cousins.

Royal family of Romania with the Bourbon-Parma family. The photo was taken in 1970 near Copenhagen, in honor of the 75th birthday of Princess Margrethe of Denmark, mother of Queen Anne of Romania.
Standing, from left to right: Anna of Romania, her brother, Michel of Bourbon-Parma, Eric, Michel's son;
Lorraine, daughter of Jacques of Bourbon-Parma and Brigitte Holstein Ledreborg, Princess Irene of Romania, Philip of Bourbon-Parma and his mother Brigitte Holstein Ledreborg, King Michael, In'es (Ines) of Bourbon-Parma, daughter of Michel of Bourbon-Parma.

Seated, from left to right: Alain of Bourbon-Parma, son of Jacques and Brigitte, Sibylle and Victoire of Bourbon-Parma, daughters of Michel, Margrita of Denmark, widow of Prince Rainier of Bourbon-Parma and maia of Queen Anne of Romania, Princesses Marie and Sophia of Romania.

On October 2, Queen Sofia of Spain, mother of the reigning King of Spain, Felipe VI, turned 80 years old. I would like to wish Her Majesty good health! And in this regard, today I want to pay special attention to the warm relations between King Michael and Queen Sofia. They valued their family ties very much and were good friends. According to Queen Sofia, "King Michael was her most beloved cousin." And it was mutual.

Father future queen Spain, King Paul of Greece, was the brother of King Michael's mother, Queen Mother Helen, born Princess of Greece and Denmark. King Mihai had a very good relationship with his uncle on his mother’s side. a good relationship. In 1948, it was Queen Sofia's father who organized the wedding of King Michael and Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma in Athens. Queen Sofia carried the train of the bride of the Romanian monarch and she was 10 years old.

Prince Paul of Greece with King Michael and Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh) in Mamaia (Romania)

On May 14, 1962, King Michael and Queen Anne were invited to the wedding of Princess Sofia to Prince Juan Carlos, son of Count Juan of Barcelona and heir to the throne of Spain.

King Michael's fourth daughter is named after Queen Sofia, who became her godmother.

Official photo from the christening of Princess Sofia, Tatoi Palace, Athens (Greece)

King Michael with his daughters, princesses Elena, Irina and Sofia (in the arms of their father)

Princess Sofia (in green) with her sister, Princess Helena.

In 1964, King Michael, Queen Mother Helena and Queen Anne attended the funeral of Queen Sofia's father, King Paul, in Athens. King Michael that day was dressed in the uniform of an air marshal of the Royal Hellenic Air Force, the highest military rank in the Greek Armed Forces - stratarch (four-star rank). It is worth noting that King Mihai was the Marshal of Romania.

Queen Sofia with her daughter, Infanta Elena and her husband, Jaime de Marichalar, attended the wedding of King Michael's daughter, Princess Margaretha, which took place on September 21, 1996 in Lausanne (Switzerland).

King Michael with Queen Sofia and her sister, Princess Irina of Greece.

King Mihai, with Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu, attended the wedding of Prince Felipe and Dona Letizia Ortiz, which took place on May 22, 2004 at the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid.

I only found a photo with King Michael:

“Despite the fact that we rarely see each other, we are connected not only by a close degree of kinship, but also by historical destiny. Queen Sofia knows what exile is ...,” King Michael said in an interview in 2011. I note that during the Second World War, the Greek royal family was in exile, Sofia spent her childhood in Egypt and South Africa. In 1946, she returned to Greece with her parents.

After 1989, King Michael and Queen Anne visited Spain many times and were guests of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia (1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010). In 2009, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, in their capacity as Prince and Princess of Asturias, also visited Romania. Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu made official visits to Spain and were guests of the Royal Family in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2018.

King Juan Carlos said this about King Mihai: “To talk about King Mihai means... to talk about a constant witness of Europe's past, a living personality of European history. With a clear political vision, he decided to save Romania from a fatal fate... Between 1944 and 1947 year it represented hope for a democratic future for Romania. In exile, Mihai of Romania denied any legal validity to his abdication. Since then, he has always been a symbol of hope for the return of democracy to the country. Millions of Romanians continued to see him as a distant but only living control point , which did not allow them to forget their past and encouraged them to dream of future freedom and a return to the best European traditions of democracy."

In 2008, Queen Sofia was invited to Bucharest to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the wedding of King Michael and Queen Anne.

In 2011, Queen Sofia was the guest of honor at King Michael's 90th birthday.

In December 2017, Queen Sofia and her husband, King Juan Carlos, arrived in Bucharest to see off their friend, the last king of the Romanians, Michael I, on their last journey.

Queen Sofia, Queen Anna Maria of the Hellenes together with Guardian of the Crown Margareta at the 80th birthday of the Tsar of the Bulgarians Simeon, June 2017:

Prince Radu, Crown Princess Margareta with King Juan Carlos at the 70th birthday of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, April 2016:

With Crown Princess Mary of Denmark:

Meeting of the Romanian royal couple with the reigning monarchs of Spain, as well as with Their Majesties King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, 2017, Madrid (Zarzuela Palace).

A few additional historical facts:

1) diplomatic relations between Romania and Spain were established on June 23, 1881, during the reigns of King Carol I of Romania and King Alfonso XII of Spain. On April 4, 1946, the government of Petru Groza severed diplomatic relations with Spain, and restored only on January 21, 1977.

2) the ruler of the United Principality of Wallachia and Moldavia, Carol I, in 1869 renounced the throne of Spain, which became “vacant” as a result of the coup d’etat that took place in Spain in 1868 and led to the removal of Queen Isabella II from power. Carol I's biographer, Lyn Linberg, notes that the Spanish emissary made it clear to the prince how much they were inspired by what he was doing for the state of which he became head. The Spanish people and government took note of this "because they saw him in the most difficult, courageous and confident actions when going to Romania, and were amazed at how much benefit he brings to the state." Carol's answer was that "he would never exchange the humble hat of a prince for the brilliant crown of Spain, and that he was filled with a sense of duty and affection for the mission he had already accepted."

3) Carlos, Duke of Madrid, Carlist pretender to the throne of Spain and legitimate claimant to the French throne, was present as an observer during the military operations of the Romanian army in the War of Independence of 1877-1878, being an admirer of the Romanian soldiers.

He was married to Margaret of Bourbon-Parma, a representative of the Bourbon dynasty of Parma. The Duke was friends with the ruler of the United Principality of Wallachia and Moldavia, Prince Carol. True, their friendly relations were weakened after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Romania and Spain. It is quite possible that because of King Alfonso XII, since Carol, being the head of a young independent state seeking to establish relations with Spain in accordance with his new international status, could not show his friendship with the rival of King Alfonso XII."

Prince Carol at the front in Plevna

The Battle of Plevna (Bulgaria, August 30 - November 28, 1877) was the decisive confrontation between the Romanian-Russian and Turkish armies, as a result of which Romania declared its independence.

4) in February 1880, the Spanish Senate adopted a resolution recognizing the independence of the state from the northern part of the Danube, and on April 12, 1880, Spain recognized the state independence of Romania.

On March 14, 1881, Romania was proclaimed a kingdom and Carol was crowned the first king of Romania.

The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Romania was adopted in 1872.

5) the sister of Queen Mary of Romania, Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg Gotha (1884-1966) married Infante Alfonso of Orléans and Borbon (1886-1975) in 1909. The couple attended the coronation of the monarchs of Greater Romania, Ferdinand I and Maria, in Alba Iulia, October 15, 1922.

6) King Carol I of Romania baptized the third son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain (1886-1931), Infante Juan, who was the father of King Jaun Carlos I of Spain. After the death of his father in 1941, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, ​​became a contender for the throne of Spain (his brother, Alfonso, died in 1938, and his brother Jaime abdicated the throne in 1933). Historian Guy Gautier believes that Count Juan of Barcelona named his first son Juan Carlos after his godfather, King Carol I, rather than
Charles V of Habsburg, King of Spain (Castile and Aragon), who reigned under the name Carlos I.



King Juan Carlos with his parents

7) King Alfonso XIII of Spain was the godfather of Archduke Stefan of Austria, the first son of the Romanian Princess Ilana and Archduke Anton of Austria. Archduke Anton was Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Prince of Tuscany. He was the seventh of ten children born to Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany and Infanta Blanca of Spain, daughter of Carlos, Duke of Madrid.

8) in the 1990s, against the backdrop of the democratic processes that took place in Spain in connection with the restoration of the monarchy, there were discussions about the possible application of the Spanish model in Romania. In December 1989, King Juan Carlos, who ascended the throne of Spain through non-violent means after the death of dictator Franco, confirmed in an interview published in December 1989 that his country could serve as an example for eastern countries."

King Mihai himself assessed the possibility of applying the Spanish model in Romania: “...If the Romanian people asked me, then I would like the same changes to take place in Romania that were achieved in Spain by King Juan Carlos. The model of a constitutional Spanish monarchy is tempting . She would definitely go to Romania...". Apparently it wasn't destined...

Journalists call King Philip VI of Spain a monarch without flaw. Olympic athlete, military helicopter pilot, exemplary father and family man, holder of three diplomas higher education in different areas.

In Spain, Don Felipe, as the Spaniards call him, is respected even by the separatists. Where does the ideal King of Spain, Philip VI, live, and what does his house look like in the photo?

Official residence

The life of royalty is very different from the everyday life of ordinary people, but in one thing it is similar: kings, like everyone else, rarely work where they live. Philip VI is no exception. He, like his father Juan Carlos I before him, prefers to live with his family not in an official residence.

The Royal Palace in Madrid (Spanish: Palacio Real de Madrid) or the Eastern Palace (Palacio de Oriente) is located in the western part of the capital of Spain and is considered one of the main city attractions.

Once upon a time, Spanish kings actually lived in it, but modern monarchs prefer to use it only for official ceremonies.

Official photos of Palacio Real de Madrid.

It is possible that amid the oppressive luxury of the official residence of the Spanish kings, the current monarch feels uncomfortable.

For example, this is what the main dining room looks like in the palace.

The Royal Palace is surrounded by the Moorish Field and a park with the Sabatini Gardens.

Currently, the building has actually been turned into a museum: various works of art are exhibited here: sculpture, furniture, carpets, etc. The decoration of the palace took several centuries, so there is a lot to see there. There are many photos and videos of the Royal Palace in Madrid on the Internet.

The interiors of the palace are considered one of the most luxurious in Europe.

Zarzuela Palace

For Everyday life His Royal Highness Don Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia (this is exactly what his title sounds like in full) prefers less pompous housing: Royal Palace Zarzuela (Palacio de la Zarzuela).

The Zarzuela residence is located in the northwestern suburbs of Madrid and is closed to the public as a museum.

This is the private territory of the Spanish kings, which stands on Monte el Pardo. Palacio de la Zarzuela was built in the 17th century as a royal hunting lodge.

Currently, Philip VI and his family live here. Philip's family consists of his wife Queen Letizia, née Ortiz Rocasolano, and two children: Infanta Leonor (born in 2005) and Infanta Sofia (born in 2007). Leonor in this moment is the heir to the Spanish throne.

The name Palacio de la Zarzuela most likely refers to the abundance of blackberries (zarza in Spanish) in the area. The palazzo was designed by architect Juan Gomez de More. The fountains, terraces and arboretum were designed by Alonso Carbonell.

The Zarzuela residence was heavily damaged during civil war. In 1958, the building had to be virtually rebuilt. In the 1990s, two new wings were added to the main building. One contains the private rooms of members of the royal family, the other contains offices and security premises.

On the ground floor of the palace there is a living room, a kitchen and a storage room.

On the second floor there are the king's rooms, his library, guest rooms and rooms for staff. On the third floor there are additional bedrooms and offices.