29th March 2024
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Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia join other royals at coronation of Charles III

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia joined other foreign royals at Westminister Abbey in London on Saturday for the coronation of King Charles III. They arrived at 11am from the Spanish embassy in Belgrave Square, their official residence when in London.

Spain’s disgraced former monarch Juan Carlos did not attend the coronation, and a publicly announced lunch with the British monarch last month was also quietly dropped, despite a visit to London. ALSO READ: Spain’s former king Juan Carlos makes second visit home … via Chelsea.

Felipe and Letizia were seated with members of other royal families from around the world, in front of the representatives of the Commonwealth and heads of state.

Felipe attended the ceremony in military uniform while Letizia chose a fuschia suit.

The Spanish couple attended the welcome reception on Friday evening given by King Charles for members of foreign royal families.

The couple arrived separately. Felipe flew in to London from Lugo, where he had attended an event, and Letizia travelled from Madrid. For the reception the queen reportedly wore a pistachio green dress by Victoria Beckham, a gesture towards British fashion.

World leaders congratulate King Charles III

Leaders in the United States and Europe sent congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation on Saturday, while China called for ‘cooperation’ and ‘peace’.

US President Joe Biden, whose country was represented at the ceremony in London by First Lady Jill Biden, paid tribute to the ‘enduring friendship between the US and the UK’.

He tweeted that the countries’ relationship was ‘a source of strength for both our peoples’ and that he was ‘proud’ his wife could be there for the ‘historic occasion’.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the UK to work for ‘a stable and mutually beneficial … relationship’ with his country after recent strains in their relations.

‘China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should take a long-term and strategic view to jointly promote the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation,’ he said.

The head of the European Union’s executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, called the coronation ‘a testament to the enduring strength of the British monarchy’.

‘A symbol of stability and continuity,’ von der Leyen tweeted, alongside a picture of her at the pageant-filled ceremony in Westminster Abbey.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is in Kenya for a visit, also welcomed the newly crowned monarch’s interest in tackling climate change.

‘[It] is very important that he is someone who is committed to a close cooperation between Great Britain and the European Union, and who also has his own personal agenda to advance climate protection,’ Scholz said. ‘That will also help us.’

French President Emmanuel Macron, who also attended the London ceremony, sent his ‘congratulations’ to Charles and Camilla, calling them ‘friends of France’.

‘Proud to be with you on this historic day,’ he tweeted.

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