Month: July 2017

And That’s a Wrap for the Spanish Royal Visit

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That’s all, folks. This morning King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain said a formal goodbye to Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace after a whirlwind 72-hour trip.

The week behind him, Philip has reportedly bid a final adieu to state visits, making this one of his last high-profile appearances as a full-time working royal. When he and the Queen make their annual sojourn to Balmoral later this summer, he will finally be able to enjoy a proper retirement at the ripe old age of 96.

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Deep Curtsies at Guildhall

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Is this British enough for you?

For King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s second night in London they were gifted a banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor of London at Guildhall. Their escort for the evening was the Queen’s daughter, the Princess Royal. I have to say, it was the same for me last time I was in London. Bit over the top, but I did appreciate the gesture.

While perhaps not on quite the same scale as the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace, Guildhall isn’t exactly messing around and, as you can tell from everyone’s apparel, neither were the guests.

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Kate Preens Before Hope at the Natural History Museum

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Will wonders never cease? The Duchess of Cambridge showed up at a reception at the Natural History Museum, of which she is patron, wearing a brand new dress and strappy sandals. And while that may sounds very Kate to some, in fact, I was betting on a recycle given the jewels and cleavage on display at last night’s state banquet.

Now, before we turn back to Kate’s sartorial splendor, let’s give the NHM its due. Tonight featured the unveiling of a giant blue whale skeleton called Hope. (That was a weird sentence and I didn’t anticipate having to write it, but here we are.) Hope replaces a beloved figure, “Dippy,” who is, quite naturally, a dinosaur. Or was, as the case may be.

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Day Two for Felipe & Letizia in the UK

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It would be hard to top the pageantry of yesterday’s procession and banquet, but the schedule was chock full of engagements for King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain as they embarked on the second day of their state visit to the UK. This morning, Felipe accompanied the Duke of York, the Queen’s second son, for a UK-Spain Business Forum at Mansion House. Apparently Felipe made a speech, however, I’ll be honest with you, I can’t find coverage of this engagement anywhere, which is a bit strange as I don’t recall seeing that it was a private event.

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A Banquet to Remember (Updated)

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Real quick, if you’re looking for a rundown of the entire day, then head over to the last post here.

Otherwise, let’s dive into this evening’s banquet, because it was quite a historic one. Not only does the occasion mark the first Spanish state visit in 30+ years, but it’s also the Duke of Edinburgh’s last banquet before retirement and Prince Harry’s first. The torch is officially being passed to the younger generation as they gear up for a full-time schedule of royal duties this year.

In contrast to King Felipe’s speech before Parliament this afternoon, in which he brought up Spain’s issues with the sovereignty of Gibraltar, tonight was all about soft diplomacy. And while remarks were made, let’s be honest, most people were talking about the tiaras. Before we hone in on the Duchess of Cambridge, let’s first take note of Queen Letizia’s diplomatic skills on this front.

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All That Pomp: King Felipe & Queen Letizia’s First Day in the UK

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What a day! I had hoped to be able to dash off a quick mid-point update, but unfortunately work precluded that lofty plan. I will say that it was exciting to see the new engagements hit the news as I sneaked glances at my phone in-between meetings. A state visit, particularly a royal one, might be even more fun than a tour, but who’s to say? (Well, we can after next week, I suppose.)

Anyway, I’m going to break the day’s events up into two posts, saving the state banquet for a little later this evening, so check back to see Kate in all her tiara and lace glory. For now, we’re going to focus on King Felipe & Queen Letizia’s formal welcome by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, including that fantastic procession down the Mall and the hilariously awkward greeting with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

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Felipe VI, Letizia & the Royal Family of Spain

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Last month, in a nod to the upcoming royal visit, I posted about Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, the last marriage alliance between Britain and Spain. Now, days out from the arrival of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, I thought it appropriate to offer some background on these two, as well as what we know so far about the itinerary July 12-14.

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The Much-Beloved Eleanor of Castile

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One item on the itinerary for the state visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia is a visit to Westminster Abbey that will include a stop at the tomb of Eleanor Castile, wife of Edward I and queen of England from 1272 to 1290. Eleanor’s memory is actually commemorated well outside the Abbey – “Charing Cross” is no doubt familiar to most; the location is one of the more famous spots in London, if for no other reason than it’s a Tube stop. Just south of Trafalgar Square, it’s unofficially noted as the very center of London and its site is now marked by a large statue of Charles I on a horse.

The statue has been there since 1675 courtesy of his son, Charles II, the very location that one of the “Eleanor crosses” used to stand. In fact, it was ninth in a series of 12 lavish monuments built in her memory by Edward I after her death. Three of the memorials still survive today, marking the procession her body took when it was transported to London for burial.

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Meghan Markle Is All Over the News for Some Reason

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After a brief respite, American actress Meghan Markle is once more making headlines, only I can’t really glean a discernible reason why. It may have something to do with the fact that the new season of her television show, Suits, is premiering soon, but then again, it’s hard to see the connection between that and when an astrologer predicts an engagement between her and her boyfriend, Prince Harry, will be forthcoming (yes, that is a real article).

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The Flanders Mare: Anne of Cleves

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Poor Anne of Cleves, relegated to history as “the ugly one.” Her marriage to Henry VIII is now viewed as a short blip in-between the domestic dramas of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour and the scandal of Katherine Howard’s (presumed) adultery and execution. In fact, this fourth marriage of the King’s was important for what it signified – a foreign alliance arranged in the midst of frightening religious factionalism in the English government. The demise of their union – it would last roughly six months – also saw the downfall of the infamous Thomas Cromwell, risen up by the Boleyn family a decade before.

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