On the 19th June 2014, Spain welcomed in a new King, Felipe VI, and his wife, Reina Letizia.
I'm a huge fan of anything royal, so I knew that I wanted to go and see the newest head of the Spanish royal family. Felipe VI was officially sworn in at midnight, but later that morning, he attended the Congress building near Plaza de Cibeles, before being driven along Gran Vía, lined with supporters, all the way back to the Palace.
Myself, Charlotte and Katya headed down to the Palacio Real at midday, and decided to join the huge mass of Spaniards waiting for the appearance of the new King, Queen, and they're adorable daughters; Princesas Leonor and Sofía. Much like in England when the Queen and other members of the Royal family step out onto a balcony at the front of the palace, we were treated to the entire Spanish familia real, including the former King and Queen, Juan Carlos and Sofía. Being one of the hottest days of the year so far, the wait was a tad warm, but totally worth it in the end. Luckily we only waited for about 30 minutes under the hot madrileñian sun before the balcony doors opened and the new King presented himself to his people.
Photo courtesy of one of my friends, Lucy, as Felipe was driven between Congress and El Palacio Real.
Security to get nearer the palace.
Spanish flags galore!
Police on top of the palace.
Lots of press!
Trying not to get hit by a flag - and failing!
La familia real - Juan Carlos, Princesa Leonor, El Rey Felipe VI, Reina Letizia, Princesa Sofía, y Sofía
The security surrounding the palace was pretty strict - helicopters circled the sky, police everywhere and several bag checks before you could get anywhere near the main event. This is understandable, as there has been a lot of debate as to whether the Spanish monarchy should be abolished in favor of a a republic. In fact, just after Juan Carlos announced his plans to abdicate, tens of thousands of people took to the streets demanding a referendum on the future of the monarchy. However, those in favour of the monarchy seems to completely outnumber those against it, and a new King was coronated!
Post royal ice cream - it was so hot!!
After the doors had closed and the cheers died down, we tried to escape the madness in the swiftest way possible - although most people seemed to have the same idea. In the end it only took us about 20 minutes to escape the crowds, and we then headed on our merry way, with an obligatory ice cream stop on the way! Overall it was an amazing experience - the atmosphere was insane and you could really feel the love and respect the people have for their King. It was great to be part of such a historical event, and it has to have been one of my most memorable experiences during my entire Year Abroad.
Until next time,
Isobel x
It really was :) x
ReplyDelete