Four Monarchs Of Spain Attend Elizabeth Funeral
All four Spanish monarchs, the present King Felipe and Queen Leticia as well as the King Emeritus Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, yesterday, Monday 19th September.
The Spanish royal party sat together at the funeral at Westminster Abbey and later King Felipe and his wife Leticia attended the laying to rest at St George´s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
It is believed this is the first time Juan Carlos and his wife Sofia have been seen together at a public event since 2020 as well as the first time the late king has seen his son since June this year when he visited him at the Pardo.
Juan Carlos has been living in exile in the United Arab Emirates since August 2020 though he has been hoping to return to live in Spain.
The Spanish royals were among more than 400 foreign dignitaries and world leaders who attended the funeral including US President Joe Biden and French President Macron as well as monarchs from Sweden, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
The invitation to Juan Carlos and Sofia raised some eyebrows due to his ongoing litigation in London, however both Spanish and British governments stressed that the invitation was a personal one from King Charles III while that of Felipe was that as head of state.
Both British and Spanish royal families are related by blood through Queen Victoria, whose youngest granddaughter Eugenia married King Alfonso XIII in Madrid in 1906, who was Juan Carlos´s grandfather and Felipe´s great grandfather.
She lived in Spain until the fall of the monarchy and the establishment of the Second Republic in 1931.
All four Spanish royals also attended a reception organised by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the funeral.
Juan Carlos reportedly travelled to London alone and stayed in a hotel, while Felipe stayed in the residence of the Spanish ambassador, José Pascual Marco.
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