Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia News - Part 9. June 2005

[carlota]

Originally Posted by marezdote

Anyone know if the whole family will be atttending like they did last year?

normally it's a family event...

[lucys]

Originally Posted by carlota

i really found weird that they accepted this event. it's not in spain, not because of something spanish and spain isn't that important in wine production. i really dont know why their appearence there is so important having much more interesting and appropiate things that they rejected doing...

With all due respect, you could not be more wrong on this one. Spain is one of the worlds top five wine making/exporting countries and has ambitions to greatly expand their export market. So this is in fact a very important industry for them to be supporting.

This event is the most important wine trade event in the world, held biannually. They will be inaugurating the Spanish pavilion, not the entire expo.

I see you are from the USA--even in the US market, Spain is one of the top five. So, I disagree: this is an important event for an important market to the Spanish economy.

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by lucys

With all due respect, you could not be more wrong on this one. Spain is one of the worlds top five wine making/exporting countries and has ambitions to greatly expand their export market. So this is in fact a very important industry for them to be supporting.

This event is the most important wine trade event in the world, held biannually. They will be inaugurating the Spanish pavilion, not the entire expo.

I see you are from the USA--even in the US market, Spain is one of the top five. So, I disagree: this is an important event for an important market to the Spanish economy.

Whether a particular industry is big or not within a country, I still believe that it's important that royals attend functions or events related to those industries because by doing so they bring attention to those industries. All industries, whether or not they contribute in a significant manner to the nation's economy or not, should be considered valuable as they provide jobs for citizens of a nation. And if there wasn't a need or demand for whatever commodities or services offered by such industries, such industries would not exist.

So even if the wine industry was small in Spain (which, as I learned from lucys it is not), it would still be of importance for the royal family to attend such an event as it puts food on the table for some families. No industry should be counted out as being irrelevant just because it's small. To me that is equivalent to saying that if you're not famous or if you're not making a six figure income you're insignificant.

[lula]

Lucys is all the right, the truth is that it surprises a little to me what I have read. Here I copy some data:

Situation of the market: the vitivinícola sector in Spain is of great importance as much by the economic value that it generates like by the population that occupy and the paper that carries out in the environmental conservation. Spain, with 1.2 million of you have destined to the culture of the grape (of which 97 % are destined to transformation), continues being the country with greater extension of vineyard of the European Union and the world (more of a third of the total surface of the UE, followed by France and Italy with 25 % each one, which represents more of 15 % of the world), with a elaboradora wine tradition that goes back to the time of the Romans. The grapevine occupies the third place in extension of the Spanish cultures, behind cereals and the olive grove.


The Spanish wine exports in 2004 ascended to 1,527.64 million euros, a 4.7% more than in the previous year, when they reached 1,455.39 million euros. As far as the sales of Spanish wine to the French market, they were located in 124,31 million euros in 2004, which supposed a remarkable increase of 20.36% with respect to 2003. France is the fourth receiver of this Spanish product, behind Germany, United Kingdom and the United States.

And the activities of the Princes:

Princes de Asturias will go accompanied by the ambassador of Spain in France, Francisco Villar and Ortiz de Urbina, the Secretary of State of Tourism and Commerce, Pedro Mejía and the executive vice-president of the Spanish Institute of Comercio Exterior (ICEX), Angel Martín Acebes.
Within the anticipated activities, Princes de Asturias will make an extensive visit to the Spanish pavilion, that will count in this edition with the presence of 103 Spanish companies, in addition to which participates in individual form. In the evening, they will have a meeting of work with representatives of companies and institutions of the Spanish vitivinícola sector.

[Genevieve]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

Here's Anna's translation of the speech Princess Letizia pronounced in Logroño:


Words of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias, at the sponsorship of the flag to the Unity of Rural Action


Logroño, June 15th, 2005

Thank you for the pictures and translation of Letizia's speech. I thought her speech was very eloquent and thoughtful and acknowledged not just the sacredness of the honour of being the flag's godmother but also the human factor of the flag and the history of such a role.

I find that both Felipe and Letizia always touch on the history, patriotism and culture of Spain in all the things they say publicly which is nice to hear. Obviously they are both very proud Spaniards. They are obviously not two people carried away or wearing rose coloured glasses by their tiles and roles but two people very devoted to their roles and representing Spain to the best of their abilities.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by lucys

With all due respect, you could not be more wrong on this one. Spain is one of the worlds top five wine making/exporting countries and has ambitions to greatly expand their export market. So this is in fact a very important industry for them to be supporting.

http://actualidad.terra.es/nacional/...iva_360395.htm

The XIII edition of Vinexpo, the greatest world-wide fair of wine, opened today its doors in Bordeaux (Southeastern of France), while the European, traditionally dominators of the market, try to restrain the offensive of new producers.

'If in 1994, 90% of the international interchanges took place in Europe; one decade later, the five main producers of the European Union (France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal) weigh just 64% of the market', assured today the French minister of Agriculture, Dominique Busserau, in the opening of the hall (although the official inauguration will take place tomorrow, by the hand of the heir to the Spanish Throne, Felipe de Borbón, and his wife, Letizia).

Altogether, the fair welcomes 2400 exhibitors, coming from 47 countries, until next Thursday, with a loaded program of activities that go from conferences to auctions, meetings with the best tasters of the world, or the usual dégustations'.

Vinexpo is not only the display cabinet of the French wine production, but also the greatest international display cabinet of the sector', said Bussereau in his speech.

In a delicate context for the wine sector in general, the presence of the Princes of Asturias (who will visit tomorrow the stands of the 157 Spanish companies represented in Vinexpo) is seen, first of all, as a gesture of support to the Spanish wine.

[carlota]

Originally Posted by lucys

With all due respect, you could not be more wrong on this one. Spain is one of the worlds top five wine making/exporting countries and has ambitions to greatly expand their export market. So this is in fact a very important industry for them to be supporting.

This event is the most important wine trade event in the world, held biannually. They will be inaugurating the Spanish pavilion, not the entire expo.

I see you are from the USA--even in the US market, Spain is one of the top five. So, I disagree: this is an important event for an important market to the Spanish economy.

does "you could not be more wrong on this one" mean that i was really wrong some time before?

i accept my ignorance but i did not know that spain was so important in the wine industry. however, they still rejected many other activities (some requested patronages for letizia in a journalist activity- dont remember which one- for example) that i personally think that are more suitable in some way due letizia's previous carrer, or for example the 46664 concert against aids for nelson mandela's fundation where letizia (and felipe as well) was their "godmother" and did not attend, unlike mette marit who attended the 46664 artic as its godmother as well.

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by carlota

however, they still rejected many other activities (some requested patronages for letizia in a journalist activity- dont remember which one- for example) that i personally think that are more suitable in some way due letizia's previous carrer, or for example the 46664 concert against aids for nelson mandela's fundation where letizia (and felipe as well) was their "godmother" and did not attend, unlike mette marit who attended the 46664 artic as its godmother as well.

Being a small royal family, and time being limited, I think the Spanish royal family (as all royal families) have to pick and choose the events that they wish to attend. I am sure that on a daily basis their presence is requested at dozens of events and the royals themselves and the royal court decides which events are more important.

What might seem of greater importance to you or to others may not be so for the royals, whether it's for political or social reasons or personal interest.

Perhaps the Spanish royal court felt that while the Nelson Mandela councert was very important, it would likely attract other public and media interest simply because it is Nelson Mandela and that the wine function would not attract so much public or media interest if a royal was not present.

Also, we don't know when the request for the royal presnce came in for these various events. Perhaps the invitation for the wine event came in before the Nelson Mandela event and that invitation was accepted before there was knowledge of the Nelson Mandela or journalism event.

Letizia and Felipe can't be in five places at once, so I think they and the royal court make the best choices they can at a given time.

[lula]

As far as the Concert of Nelson Mandela, in the Spanish case, Nelson Mandela did not come to Spain, and Norway if. I imagine that that also is necessary to have it in account.

As far as which it says Alexandria is necessary to consider that Spain is a country with 40 million inhabitants, while Norway or Denmark has around 5 million. That can give an idea of the dimensions of the countries and the different acts that the Royal Families must or not take care of. In addition, in Spain there are security questions that also are due to consider and which they do not allow as much facility of movements.

[fanletizia]

Acording to www.casareal.es, Princess Letizia does not attend the inauguration of Vinexpo

[Lunalu]

Originally Posted by fanletizia

Acording to www.casareal.es, Princess Letizia does not attend the inauguration of Vinexpo

i'll say a huuuge "bravo" to anyone who took that decision !

it's just way too hot !

[lucys]

Imagine Scandinavia posted some photos from last week. I won't post them all because they are similar to others, but here ar few from last wednesday and thursday:

[lucys]

Imagine Scandinavia

[lula]

Finally Letizia has not gone to Burdeos. It is normal, cannot go the life of the airplane to the helicopter. Tomorrow they have an act in Guadalajara, we hope that Letizia goes, because with the heat wave that there is that way it can enough be tired.

[lula]

Martes, 21 de junio de 2005

PRESENTACIÓN DEL INFORME DE SOSTENIBILIDAD 2005
Pastrana. Guadalajara

[lula]

I feel Elsa, but the bar of directions of the computer has disappeared me and I cannot copy them, only can say the Web

[Elsa M.]

O.K, thanks Lula! I added it myself :)

[LaChicaMadrilena]

Hello everyone, it's my first post here as a member of The Royal Forums family! I just want to say that all photos and articles posted by you are great! When
will this reception in Guadalajara take place?

[Anna_R]

http://actualidad.terra.es/provincia...ion_362214.htm

The Princes of Asturias preside in Pastrana the presentation of the first Report of Sustainability

The president of Castilla-La Mancha, José María Barreda, will accompany Their Royal Highnesses the Princes of Asturias in the act of presentation of the first Report of Sustainability at the Ducal Palace of Pastrana.

[fanletizia]

The Princess of Asturias does not attend the activity of today in Guadalajara :(