Last Wednesday, Felipe VI took stock of his first ten years as head of state and sent this message: “I have, and always will, adhere to the Constitution and its values in the fulfillment of my responsibilities.” This is what he promised the king in a speech before lunch at the Royal Palace with the highest authorities of the state over the past decade and with 19 citizens – one for each autonomous community plus Ceuta and Melilla – to whom he previously awarded the Order of Civil Merit for their contribution and example to society. It was the central moment of some commemorative events that had started early in the morning with the raising of the flag and the solemn relief of the Royal Guard on the armory.
Today marks exactly ten years since Felipe VI He was proclaimed King of Spain in a joint session of the Cortes Generales. In it, the head of state promised to establish a “renewed monarchy for a new era,” putting a complete end to the reign of his father, Juan Carlos I, who had abdicated seventeen days earlier amid his scandals. public and private. “My commitment was total commitment to Spain,” he recalled this Wednesday, demanding “coherence” as a fundamental value. A value that 'involves making an effort to listen, to discern what is right from what is not, and to act responsibly, even considering the personal costs this may entail“, he noted, with an obvious allusion to the delicate relationship he maintains with his sister Cristina (tried and acquitted in court). Noo's case) but especially with his father, Juan Carlos I, who emigrated to Abi Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) in the summer of 2020 when he was under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (the case was eventually archived).
The Royal family – with the exception of the emeritus kings – he has presided over all commemorative events from the very beginning. Around 11:30 am, Felipe VI, Doña Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía appeared on the balcony of the Plaza de la Armería, opposite the Almudena Cathedral, to witness the solemn changing of the guard and greet the assembled citizens. About 2,000 people, many waving small Spanish flags distributed near the Royal Palace, flocked to the square to attend the celebration to shouts of “long live Spain, long live the King!”
In his speech, which takes place at a time of great political tension and while the calculator of pacts to form a government in Catalonia is furious, the king once again alluded to the respect for the constitution and the defense of the unity of the Spanish people. assured that the Crown “contributes to the stability of the institutional system and the cohesion of society.” He has done this in the presence of state power, starting with the president of the government itself, Pedro Sánchez, who was among the first to arrive with his wife, Begoña Gómez, who is under investigation by a judge for alleged influence peddling and corruption in business. Weeks ago, after the passage in Congress of the amnesty law for those accused of it processes In the Catalan independence movement, some sectors of the far right questioned whether Felipe VI agreed to sign the law, something he is obliged to do by the constitution.
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It is these values of cohesion – which enable societies to be “solider and stronger”, the monarch said – that were presented this morning in the Hall of Columns of the Royal Palace of Madrid. The Aragonese restaurateur María José Arbués Gracia (58 years old), the bagpipers (nine men and nine women) personally decorated by the king. The youngest was Francisco Bárcenas Gertrudix from La Mancha, 35 years old and responsible for a technological innovation company.
“The merit of being recognized is valuable and makes us reflect on how citizens, regardless of their origin, condition or profession, are often protagonists of the common good (…) who help build a better country,” he said . said Felipe VI to the winners, their families and representatives of the constitutional bodies.
Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, protagonists of the afternoon
In the afternoon, Princess Leonor and her sister, Infanta Sofía, will be the focus of the commemorative events. At 8 p.m. they will receive a tour of the Gallery of the Royal Collections, attached to the Royal Palace, together with a group of 40 young people between 17 and 20 years old who once won the competition. What is a king to you?. The person who will act as a guide during the visit is writer María Dueñas. Meanwhile, the Royal Guard will entertain the Plaza de Oriente with a free concert. Right there, and from one of the palace balconies, the Lebanese-born violinist Ara Malikian will offer another concert open to the public. The finishing touches to the holiday will consist of the projection of images of Felipe VI's reign on the facade of the Royal Palace. The scheduled passes are scheduled for 10:45 PM, 11:00 PM, 11:15 PM and 11:30 PM.
On Thursday, the Kings will open an exhibition of 23 already known photographs in the Prince's Gallery of the Royal Palace, but this time in a large format, entitled Felipe VI 2014-2024. A decade of history of the Crown of Spain. This exhibition aims to reflect moments 'of great institutional significance', such as the proclamation of Felipe VI or the tribute to the victims of the coronavirus. It is open to the public free of charge until October 20. From then on, it will become a traveling exhibition that will visit other cities in Spain during 2024 and the first half of 2025, such as Zaragoza, Granada, Seville, Malaga or Valencia.
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