King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's Official Visit to Spain: June 18-20, 2007

[biboquinhas]

I don't see Filipe or Dona Sofia in the photo!

 

[carlota]

I don't see Filipe or Dona Sofia in the photo!

that's because they are probably sitting in front of them. it's part of the seating protocol.

i'm so glad letizia is back. red does really suit her. it's a shame there aren't more photos of such an event.

 

[princess leonor]

I don't know if this is an official source, but apprently the lunch in which we saw Letizia was private. There were only photographers of both royal houses and the pictures were supposed to have stayed private.


La Casa del Rey molesta con Arabia Saudí por la publicación de una foto de la princesa Letizia

(www.20minutos.es)

La fotografía fue tomada durante un almuerzo privado al que no estaban convocados los medios.
Es la primera fotografía de la princesa Letizia desde que salió de la clínica donde dio a luz a su segunda hija.
La princesa tiene suspendido toda su agenda oficial.
La Casa del Rey expresó su malestar por la difusión a través de la agencia de noticias saudí de una fotografía de la Princesa de Asturias en un almuerzo privado celebrado en el Palacio de la Zarzuela como despedida de la visita oficial del rey Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz. La agencia de noticias Saudí Press ha colgado en su página web varias fotografías de esta visita oficial, entre ellas, la de la Princesa Letizia en el almuerzo privado.
Cena privada
Esta comida se celebró ayer en el Palacio de la Zarzuela, tras el acto de despedida oficial del Palacio de El Pardo, y tenía carácter privado, por lo que los medios de comunicación no estaban convocados y sólo hicieron fotografías los gráficos oficiales de las dos casas reales.
Por esta razón, la Casa del Rey no ha difundido la fotografía de este almuerzo por ser de carácter privado y lamenta que la citada agencia saudí lo haya hecho.
Esta imagen es la primera de la Princesa desde que el pasado 4 de mayo abandonara la clínica donde dio a luz a su segunda hija, ya que ha suspendido su agenda oficial debido a su reciente maternidad.

Doña Letizia aparece en la fotografía con una chaqueta roja, a la derecha del Rey Abdullah, mientras que a su izquierda tiene a otros miembros del séquito saudí.
A la izquierda del Rey de Abdullah se sienta Don Juan Carlos, quién también aparece en la instantánea.
En la página web aparecen otras fotografías de la visita oficial, como la despedida en el Palacio de El Pardo o la condecoración que el rey saudí impuso al Príncipe de Asturias, la Gran Banda del rey Abdullaziz , padre del actual monarca, y máxima distinción de la Casa Real de Arabia.

 

[carlota]

I don't know if this is an official source, but apprently the lunch in which we saw Letizia was private. There were only photographers of both royal houses and the pictures were supposed to have stayed private.


La Casa del Rey molesta con Arabia Saudí por la publicación de una foto de la princesa Letizia

(20minutos.es - Última hora, local, España y el mundo)

La fotografía fue tomada durante un almuerzo privado al que no estaban convocados los medios.
Es la primera fotografía de la princesa Letizia desde que salió de la clínica donde dio a luz a su segunda hija.
La princesa tiene suspendido toda su agenda oficial.
La Casa del Rey expresó su malestar por la difusión a través de la agencia de noticias saudí de una fotografía de la Princesa de Asturias en un almuerzo privado celebrado en el Palacio de la Zarzuela como despedida de la visita oficial del rey Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz. La agencia de noticias Saudí Press ha colgado en su página web varias fotografías de esta visita oficial, entre ellas, la de la Princesa Letizia en el almuerzo privado.
Cena privada
Esta comida se celebró ayer en el Palacio de la Zarzuela, tras el acto de despedida oficial del Palacio de El Pardo, y tenía carácter privado, por lo que los medios de comunicación no estaban convocados y sólo hicieron fotografías los gráficos oficiales de las dos casas reales.
Por esta razón, la Casa del Rey no ha difundido la fotografía de este almuerzo por ser de carácter privado y lamenta que la citada agencia saudí lo haya hecho.
Esta imagen es la primera de la Princesa desde que el pasado 4 de mayo abandonara la clínica donde dio a luz a su segunda hija, ya que ha suspendido su agenda oficial debido a su reciente maternidad.

Doña Letizia aparece en la fotografía con una chaqueta roja, a la derecha del Rey Abdullah, mientras que a su izquierda tiene a otros miembros del séquito saudí.
A la izquierda del Rey de Abdullah se sienta Don Juan Carlos, quién también aparece en la instantánea.
En la página web aparecen otras fotografías de la visita oficial, como la despedida en el Palacio de El Pardo o la condecoración que el rey saudí impuso al Príncipe de Asturias, la Gran Banda del rey Abdullaziz , padre del actual monarca, y máxima distinción de la Casa Real de Arabia.

a quick translation: apparently the royal house is annoyed at saudi arabia because of the publication in the press agency webpage of the photos with letizia as it was a private dinner held in the palace after the official acts of farewell. this is why the royal household didn't publish the photos and regrets that saudi arabia did so. after it, it describes the pictures where letizia is in.

the source is 20 minutos and the link is here

La Casa del Rey molesta con Arabia Saudí por la publicación de una foto de la princesa Letizia - 20minutos.es

personal opinion on the matter: i must say i find it quite annoying actually. i really do understand if they wanted to have a private dinner with the saudi arabian royals and if they didn't want to have pictures taken. what i can't understand is the fact of letizia being able to attend if it is a private dinner and not being able to attend to the official dinner or the official farewell activities. i'm sure both events took the same amount of time and considering the formal outfits they are wearing, they were of similar formality and protocol. i also believe both detracted equally from her lactancy duties as mother to sofia.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I don't know if this is an official source, but apprently the lunch in which we saw Letizia was private. There were only photographers of both royal houses and the pictures were supposed to have stayed private.


La Casa del Rey molesta con Arabia Saudí por la publicación de una foto de la princesa Letizia

(20minutos.es - Última hora, local, España y el mundo)

La fotografía fue tomada durante un almuerzo privado al que no estaban convocados los medios.
Es la primera fotografía de la princesa Letizia desde que salió de la clínica donde dio a luz a su segunda hija.
La princesa tiene suspendido toda su agenda oficial.
La Casa del Rey expresó su malestar por la difusión a través de la agencia de noticias saudí de una fotografía de la Princesa de Asturias en un almuerzo privado celebrado en el Palacio de la Zarzuela como despedida de la visita oficial del rey Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz. La agencia de noticias Saudí Press ha colgado en su página web varias fotografías de esta visita oficial, entre ellas, la de la Princesa Letizia en el almuerzo privado.
Cena privada
Esta comida se celebró ayer en el Palacio de la Zarzuela, tras el acto de despedida oficial del Palacio de El Pardo, y tenía carácter privado, por lo que los medios de comunicación no estaban convocados y sólo hicieron fotografías los gráficos oficiales de las dos casas reales.
Por esta razón, la Casa del Rey no ha difundido la fotografía de este almuerzo por ser de carácter privado y lamenta que la citada agencia saudí lo haya hecho.
Esta imagen es la primera de la Princesa desde que el pasado 4 de mayo abandonara la clínica donde dio a luz a su segunda hija, ya que ha suspendido su agenda oficial debido a su reciente maternidad.

Doña Letizia aparece en la fotografía con una chaqueta roja, a la derecha del Rey Abdullah, mientras que a su izquierda tiene a otros miembros del séquito saudí.
A la izquierda del Rey de Abdullah se sienta Don Juan Carlos, quién también aparece en la instantánea.
En la página web aparecen otras fotografías de la visita oficial, como la despedida en el Palacio de El Pardo o la condecoración que el rey saudí impuso al Príncipe de Asturias, la Gran Banda del rey Abdullaziz , padre del actual monarca, y máxima distinción de la Casa Real de Arabia.

I wonder why they make such a fuss about these two pics and even snub the Saudi agency. If it was a mistake they should have relaxed and kept quiet. Now everybody will ask What is so mysterious about these pictures? What is Letizia doing there that nobody should have seen? Nothing. It's two normal pics that should have stayed private as the occasion was private but the world won't end now that they haven't because they reveal nothing.

What a weired reaction - maybe understandable if the one to blame was a spanish agency but a bit exaggerated in this case. I wonder what the Saudis think about the decision to complain publicly. If Zarzuela puts so much emphasis on privacy, they could have sent a private note with their complaint to the Royal House of Saud instead of circulating it via media

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

what i can't understand is the fact of letizia being able to attend if it is a private dinner and not being able to attend to the official dinner or the official farewell activities. i'm sure both events took the same amount of time and considering the formal outfits they are wearing, they were of similar formality and protocol. i also believe both detracted equally from her lactancy duties as mother to sofia.

I agree. Now the media will jump on it why Letizia does attend events - despite being on official maternity leave - but only those that are "private" and excluding the common press. Guess Zarzuela has scored an own goal with their strategy in this matter.

 

[Larzen]

Talk about creating a storm where there is none. If they were so set on having it private then why allow pictures to be taken in the first place? And also quite a snub to the guest, does the King not practically own the press agency?

 

[BeautyLeonor]

LA PRINCESA DE ASTURIAS ALMUERZA EN PRIVADO CON EL REY DE ARABIA SAUDÍ
__________________
" *Love Is Like A Rose In Winter, Only The Strong Survives* My Favorite Rose: Felipe & Letizia"

 

[mapian]

I will try to explain it:

The Spanish news agencies were not present (private act), only the official photographers of the SRH and the Arabic press agency.

the Spanish press is annoying because this princess photo was published before in the foreign press. They called to the SRH and protested because they did not have the photos, for that reason the SRH is annoying, have created them a problem with the Spanish press.

This dinner was in the palace of the Zarzuela, for the princess is not a problem to take care of her daughter there, the gala dinner was in the Royal palace, she had to get dressed, etc... and to travel there, in addition to remain hours, could not leave before the end, is not comparable to go in Gala dinner to a dinner deprived in her house, I think.

 

[mapian]

Why is Letizia sitting besides King Abdullah? Shouldnt Queen Sofia be seatted beside him?

I think it is because they aren't women in arabic delegation, they have Russian protocol, the king seatted in front to the queen, etc... in the middle of the table. If Arabic king will have his woman in this dinner, she will be seatted beside king Juan Carlos. Off course, is a private dinner and protocol isn't strict.

sorry for my English.

 

[lula]

This answers to the typical anger of certain press of this country to which to speak about Letizia gives a lot of money. It isn´t the first time, that the agency of a Chief of State does public images of private meetings to which the Spanish press is not in the habit of having access because the photographer of the Royal House does the photographies. Last year, the Russian agency published photos of Putin inside the Zarzuela, and recently there has appeared the photo of the President of the United Nations.

http://new2.isifa.com/photo/preview/11687307.jpg
http://new2.isifa.com/photo/preview/11687524.jpg
http://press.contrastphoto.com/images/db/screen/11884/11884892.jpg

From the beginning the Royal House has said that, though she should not come to public acts, Letizia was supporting her activity of office and was coming to some meetings in La Zarzuela. The Zarzuela is to 5 minutes of her house, and but in it there are rooms where the baby can be.

Letizia has the right to raise her daughter, and Sofia has also the right on which her mother feeds her and takes care of her in the first months of life. It seems to me to be totally absurd that in the S.XXI the rights by maternity are discussed , be the Princess of Asturias or the cleaner of the Royal Palace. It is a right not only of the mother, but, quite of the baby of receiving the care and the love of her mother. A babysitter can be marvellous, but isn´t a mother ... and but it is told to the European princes who were taken care by babysitters and already older they complained about it ... thing that the Spanish never did because the Queen took charge raising them when they were little.

Rania, since good has corrected Mapian, it was 30 Anniversary of the first democratic elections ... 25 Anniversary of the Constitution was several years ago. That one if it was an important act, to that, certainly, also there came the Infantas, whose presence was not considered to be necessary in this occasion. Certainly, of this act also they were absent, Felipe Gonzalez, Prime minister for 10 years and Aznar, Prime minister during 8; this absences yes were out-standing.
Last year Letizia if Juna Carlos' anniversary came to 30 as King, and then, the critiques were, because she went away a bit before to feed Leonor. Do what she does they are going to say something .. or has she to give up feeding her daughters?

 

[kartheina]

I, on the other hand, think that it is the Spanish media that loves to make a big fuss out of nothing. Considering their record, it's not unthinkable that they have again made a non-issue into a Letizia-issue.

On the photos... if Casa Real filed a complaint I would believe that it would be based on the principle of keeping something private as private (not because Letizia's face was captured on cam). If there had been an initial agreement between them and the Saudi house that the event (which I understand took place after the official farewell ceremonies) will be private and will not be covered by media, then any pictures taken by official photographers will be for private documentation only. Releasing those to the public will go against this principle, and in retrospect, they should have just declared this event public in the first place. Letizia appearing in the photo, I believe, is coincidental. It's just one could also understand how irked the photographers wishing to cash in on her first appearance since Sofia's birth would be -- considering that the Saudi royal house "unfairly" beat them to it.

As for Letizia looking out of place beside the Saudi king... A review of photos of lunches and dinners would show that male heads-of-state and husbands of female heads-of-state are usually seated between the Queen and the Princess of Asturias. With that in mind, one can even say that it's King Juan Carlos who's out of place; but since he's king and he might have wanted to stay beside his close friend, then he's forgivable.

This is getting long, but I must add... if Letizia were a slacker and she does not do her share of work when she is not pregnant or has just given birth, I would also frown on the possibility of her using the circumstances as an excuse to get off from work. But considering her work history, this just seems out of character; so, I think that maternity leave for her is maternity leave. But, if she'd rather spend a few hours of her leave in some private activities within the Zarzuela (e.g. reporting to the office like it happened on the day of their wedding anniversary, or attending this 'private' farewell luncheon for the Saudi King), then that is her prerogative. I don't think that that makes her a bad mother, especially considering that her daughters are probably just a few paces away when they (especially the little baby) need her.

 

[Avalon]

Several posts were moved to What's your opinion about Felipe & Letizia? thread, since the theme and thone of the posts best suited that thread.

Once again, I ask not to continue the discussion here.
This thread is for the visit of the Saudi King and it deserves better then being turned into a discussion about Princess Letizia's appearances, based on reports with no credible source and a less-then-credeible journalist.

If you want to express your opinion about it, it will be great to hear it, but in the appropirate thread - in this case it is What's your opinion about Felipe & Letizia? thread.

 

[zarzuela]

Congratulations to the Queen, she looked fabulous at the gala dinner! Bravo for Her Majesty...

And congratulations to Letizia too for being there at the private luncheon!

 

[adelaide]

http://i17.tinypic.com/6chymir.jpg

( thanks to cover )

I don't know the date of this pic but it seems that it was at least ten years ago! The King of Spain have the habit to give as gift to the King of Arabia Saudi marvellous spanish horse!

 

[Mr. Peter]

How many times a Saudi Arabian Sovereign visited Spain? Was this the first time? Thanks.