State Visit from the King and Queen of Spain: July 12-14, 2017


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Well, so far I am thrilled with this State Visit and it is on the first few hours!

I very rarely listen to speeches, but on this occasion I listened intently to every word spoken by King Felipe and the two Speakers. The speeches are a reminder of, and underline, the close ties that exist between Britain and Spain on a number of levels, but especially between the two countries' societies.

Someone mentioned that King Felipe's speech was quite long - it's true, but I think there is much to be said after 31 years since the last State Visit!
 
Spanish State Visit

King and Queen arriving ahead of a Joint Session in The Parliament at Westminster Palace in London.

PPE Agency

Display at the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace

PPE Agency
 
What Felipe said about our amazing Queen:
Before you, the representatives of the British nation, I also wish to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in this year of Her Sapphire Jubilee. Her Majesty is a key figure in the history of this great nation.

Patriotism, statesmanship, devotion to her subjects and enduring commitment to service have marked her reign for the benefit of all of the citizens of the United Kingdom.

Like other nations whose form of government is a Parliamentary Monarchy, the United Kingdom has achieved renowned levels of democratic, economic and social development, and Queen Elizabeth has embodied and upheld this Parliamentary Monarchy in an extraordinary manner since Her coronation. Her Majesty has been and remains an example around the world.

For all these reasons, Honourable Members of Parliament and My Lords, please allow me to congratulate you and all of your people on your admirable Queen.
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RumPunch said:
For all the coverage, not one person in my workplace today mentioned it. Media is massively over-estimating the interest in this from what I can see. We care about Wimbledon at this time of year, or the Premier League transfer market! We don't care about 2 powerless heads of state who can change nothing about the world we live in!

Felipe and Letizia could walk down Oxford Street and not be bothered because 95% of people wouldn't know who they were!
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On a different comment though, does anybody think this state visit would get that much coverage if Felipe were a "Presidente de la República Española" rather than the Bourbon King of Spain ? That should remind the Spaniards of the value the monarchy adds to their country and how they would miss it if Spain became a republic. At least, that's how I see it.
 
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RumPunch said:
For all the coverage, not one person in my workplace today mentioned it. Media is massively over-estimating the interest in this from what I can see. We care about Wimbledon at this time of year, or the Premier League transfer market! We don't care about 2 powerless heads of state who can change nothing about the world we live in!

Felipe and Letizia could walk down Oxford Street and not be bothered because 95% of people wouldn't know who they were!
Click to expand...

Well we are all aware that the average Joe isn't too interested in these things.
But I also don't get why you are here then and not at Wimbledon. :bangin:
 
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RumPunch said:
For all the coverage, not one person in my workplace today mentioned it. Media is massively over-estimating the interest in this from what I can see. We care about Wimbledon at this time of year, or the Premier League transfer market! We don't care about 2 powerless heads of state who can change nothing about the world we live in!

Felipe and Letizia could walk down Oxford Street and not be bothered because 95% of people wouldn't know who they were!
Click to expand...

Of course the vast majority of people in Britain don't care about the state visit or the Spanish royals. Has there ever been a state visit that most people cared about? Maybe Obama?

Felipe and Letizia have no power but it's not like it's their job to do any negotiating re: actual diplomatic issues. They show up, act pleasant, he reads the speech that was written for him, they go to some events that are hopefully interesting to all parties involved, they go home. It's the warm and fuzzy part of diplomacy.
 
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RumPunch said:
For all the coverage, not one person in my workplace today mentioned it. Media is massively over-estimating the interest in this from what I can see. We care about Wimbledon at this time of year, or the Premier League transfer market! We don't care about 2 powerless heads of state who can change nothing about the world we live in!

Felipe and Letizia could walk down Oxford Street and not be bothered because 95% of people wouldn't know who they were!
Click to expand...


I´m quite surprised about your post...:whistling:
Well, state visits, no matter royal or not ( german, austrian, greek oder italian presidents do not have political powers as well. Still they´ll be sent to pay their state visits by their respective governments, too), are being taken serious by a lot of influential, both political and economist, people from both the visiting as well as the receiving country!
That your collegues don´t care is of no one´s interest at all. Most heads of states wouldn´t be reckognized by the average citizen if they´ d go down a street. So what? What´s your point?
I guess improving 2 country´s relations or trade deals being made "behind the scenes" that might go along with a visit like this (of course not being made by the Queen of the UK or the King of Spain, but by members of their delegations meeting each other on official visits!), is much more important and has much more important influence on people´ s lives than Wimbledon tennis matches...
 
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An Ard Ri said:
And also that Letizia won't receive any British orders .
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Queen Consorts usually don't recive British orders. Queen Silvia and Queen Sonja has none while King Carl Gustaf and King Harald has the Royal Victorian Order, Royal Victorian Chain, and the Order of the Garter. Queen Sofia has none while King Juan Carlos has the Royal Victorian Chain and the Order of the Garter. Queen Paola has none while King Albert has the Royal Victorian Order. While in Luxembourg Jean has the Order of the Garter and Henri has the Royal Victorian Order while Josephine-Charlotte had none and Maria Theresa have none.
 
It is, and indeed in the netherlands it's a similar situation as you describe in a previous post: i find a lot more info and pics on these forums than in all dutch media together :lol:

It's just that these forums are generally visited by pro-royal posters (world wide) so there probably are not that many who are in your position (actually living in the monarchy you're commenting on) and share your opinion :flowers:
 
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In the end royals have little to do with it. It's their respective governments thar agree on these visits.

I don't see what the trouble is. In many countries the president has barely any power and their state visits are mostly ceremonial as well.
 
I think that state visits like this are vitally important, regardless of the actual power either of the monarchs possesses. It's a chance to celebrate respective histories and culture with an ally.

On the more personal side of things, I think its very nice for the UK to have a state visit this summer from a country whose monarch is a member of what Queen Mary called "the Old Family", if indeed it is to be Prince Philip's last hurrah regarding state visits.
 
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Combative posts and replies to these posts have been deleted. As we want to keep this thread open for tonights banquet, the mod. team did not have the opportunity yet to clean up the entire thread.

Please stick to the topic of this thread, which is not incest.

Thank you.
 
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I don't get why Gibraltar is even an issue?


It's been put to a vote several times, and the residents don't want Spanish sovereignty, or even shared sovereignty!


So why keep on about it?
 
Marengo said:
Apparently members of the Conservative party of PM May was not happy with the speech of the king:
King of Spain prompts fury from Tory MPs by raising Gibraltar during speech in Houses of Parliament

He did not mention the government of Gibraltar in his speech, as the PM of Gibraltar was quick to point out on Sky television.
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When you read the article the only dissenting voice from within the Conservative Party is Andrew Rosindell MP. He is always rather outspoken and comes up with some interesting ideas (to say the least!)
 
I also fail to understand why Gibraltar is still an issue. The results of the referendums couldn't be more clear.

It's not like nobody has asked the people of Gibraltar what they want.
 
Mirabel said:
I don't get why Gibraltar is even an issue?


It's been put to a vote several times, and the residents don't want Spanish sovereignty, or even shared sovereignty!


So why keep on about it?
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Well, this is about territory - always a very delicate issue between nations!
 
Sugarwork Red Carnations decorate the plates for the Petit-fours at tonights Banquet.
They are the National Flower of Spain
 

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H.M.King Felipe VI addresses Parliament


 
Felipe is very grey....I thought of him as being youngish...
 
I wouldn't say so, and I'm not much older myself. I have't seen a pic of Juan C lately but I vaguly remember HIM as middle aged, so I suppose I hadn't realised that Felipe is no spring chicken.
 
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