KING Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain are travelling to London today to attend the coronation of Charles III as the new King of England on Saturday.
The Spanish monarchs are scheduled to attend a reception hosted by the new King at Buckingham Palace this evening for some of the guests invited to the historic event.
On Saturday, they will attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, which has issued 2,200 invitations, including around 100 heads of state, such as French President Emmanuel Macron.
Notably absent from the event will be former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia, who were invited to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral but were crossed off the list for this royal outing.
Felipe and Leticia will also attend the reception after the ‘Coronation Procession’, which will take Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla and other members of the British royal family back to Buckingham Palace.
There they will be greeted by a salute of 6,000 military personnel and culminate with the King and his family appearing on the palace balcony.
Afterwards, the Spanish royals will return to Spain, as the King is expected to attend the Copa del Rey football final between Real Madrid and Osasuna at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville on Saturday.
The Spanish and British royal families have close familial ties, with King Juan Carlos being a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria of England, as were Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Additionally, his grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenia, was a first cousin of the mother of the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
Other monarchs in attendance will include King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, as well as Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will be accompanied by his daughter and heir, Princess Victoria, and not by Queen Silvia.
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan will also be present, along with other monarchs from around the world.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark, who is currently convalescing, has sent Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary as her representatives. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway will attend, as will Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko of Japan.
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