The spokeswoman stressed that the representation of Spain will fall on Felipe VIas current head of state
The Government, in case it attends the funeral rites on Monday, will be represented by the minister delivery notes. Sánchez starts his agenda in New York
The Government avoids entering again in the debate that surrounds the king emeritus. Now greened by his presence, already confirmed, in the funeral of Elizabeth II, next Monday, September 19, at Westminster Abbey in London. The Executive emphasizes that the official representation of Spain will fall solely and exclusively on the current monarch, Felipe VI, and does not give details of how and who will pay the displacement of the former head of state to the British capital.
There were several questions that this Tuesday the journalists addressed to the Government spokesperson about the attendance of Juan Carlos I at the funeral rites next Monday. But there were no more concretions. “Our country’s delegation is headed by King Felipe as head of state. The emeritus king accept a personal invitation and the Government of Spain has nothing to say”, “the Government does not make any consideration about what has been the processing of a private invitation”, the spokeswoman, Isabel Rodríguez, pointed out on two occasions. Does Juan Carlos I not represent Spain? “I have said what I have said, that King Felipe VI, as head of state, represents our country,” the minister stressed again.
“The delegation of our country is headed by King Felipe as head of state. The king emeritus attends a personal invitation and the Government has nothing to say,” says Rodríguez.
Executive sources later adhered to what was stated by Rodríguez. This is, that for the Government the only pronouncement that fits is to emphasize that Spain will be represented by its current monarch. Spot. And he does not want to anticipate how the emeritus’s trip from Abu Dhabi will take place, nor how that flight will be paid for. Absolutely nothing. The Executive wants to take Juan Carlos I out of the spotlight, as he has tried to do on other occasions when asked about his return from the United Arab Emirates, to enhance the figure of the current head of state.
From the Government they also specified that if the House of the King understands that it must be accompanied by the Executive, the “normal” and expected thing is that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, travels with Felipe VI and Letizia. The president, Pedro Sánchez, starts next week your agenda in New York, on the occasion of the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly. For now, there is no change on these forecasts.
#Live | The Government does not want to make “any consideration” about the presence of Juan Carlos I at the funeral of Elizabeth II in London and stresses that Spain will already be represented by Felipe VI pic.twitter.com/8SwquaD2GN
— Europe Press (@europapress) September 13, 2022
Logistics is decided by the UK
Related news
La Zarzuela reported on Monday that the day before it had received a verbal note from the British Foreign Office in which it sent to the diplomatic delegations of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain – all of them European parliamentary monarchies – invitations to the funeral for the Queen Elizabeth II and the scheduled side events. The invitations, specified from the Crown, were addressed to the heads and former heads of state (case of Juan Carlos I), their spouses and the Crown Prince of Denmark.
Felipe VI and Letizia confirmed their attendance, but it will be London that will determine if they sit next to Juan Carlos and Sofía, according to Zarzuela
Felipe VI and Letizia confirmed their invitation and later the emeritus kings confirmed to the Royal House their intention to attend the funeral ceremonies. This Tuesday, Zarzuela added that the institution will adapt “logically” to ” criteria protocolsto the organizational decisions and to the logistical instructions” adopted by the British authorities, as organizers of the events. In other words, it will be the United Kingdom that decides, for example, where to place all the guests at the funeral, and who will determine if the Reyes will sit in Westminster Abbey next to Juan Carlos I and Sofía.