Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, Current Events Part 5: February - May 2005

[Elsa M.]

From Europa Press / Telecinco:

http://www.informativos.telecinco.es/dn_1549.htm

A contained emotion has presided over the funerals of José Luis Ortiz, grandfather of Doña Letizia Ortiz. The Princes of Asturias and their closest friends have said good bye in the small chapel of El Carmen, in Ribadesella.

The Princess of Asturias entered the church a few moments before six o’clock in the afternoon, accompanied by her husband, the Prince of Asturias, her father, Jesus Ortiz, and her aunt, Henar Ortiz.

Doña Letizia, dressed in a black suit and exhibiting a calm gesture, entered the temple, to where some neighbours had approached and were waiting in the outside.

On this occasion, there were no greetings. One of the more emotive moments of the office has taken place when the son of Jose Luis Ortiz and father of Doña Letizia, Jesus Ortiz, told the assistants to remember their parents.

«How great you were daddy», he said in memory of his father. And he added that the six letters which can better described Jose Luis Ortiz were those which complete the word “gracias” (thanks). «G of generous, R of robust, A of animated, C of caring, I of insatiable, because his North was love (fifty-six years of marriage love celebrated on the 28 of March), and S of simplicity, with that kind of British humour», enumerated a moved José Luis.

For expressive request of the family, the crowns, one of the Princes of Asturias, and the flowers were placed outside the chapel. The interior of the temple did not have any special ornamentation. The mortuary ashes had been placed on a catafalque, on the left hand of the altar, near his children. The corpse of the grandfather of Princess de Asturias was incinerated on Wednesday.

Among the personalities that passed through the chapel of El Carmen, there were the Asturian Advisor of the Presidency, María José Ramos, and the delegate of the Government in Asturias, Antonio Trevín, who did not wait for the funerals. Who attended it was the director of the Foundation Prince of Asturias, Graciano García, accompanied by his wife.

Some of the neighbours were crowded outside of the chapel, although showing a deep respect towards the family and the privacy of the act. The choir of Manín closed the homily with a Salve Maria, and moments later, the family left the temple.

The widow, Menchu Álvarez del Valle, dressed in black and with a gesture of serenity, left the church embraced by her son, Jesus Ortiz. The Princes of Asturias and the rest of the family waited a few moments outside the temple, to receive the greetings from some of the closest friends.

[carlota]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

so I see no problem at all in two citizens of Asturias attending the main ceremony of the Principality...

mmmm... well... not all the citizens can attend if they wanted to... :)

[Elsa M.]

Article from EFE:

http://www.efe.es/includesasp/notici...n=1&id=7871641


And another photo, from DPA:

[Elsa M.]

mmmm... well... not all the citizens can attend if they wanted to...

It would be impossible to the Campoamor theatre of Oviedo to recieve everybody who wanted to attend the ceremony. Last year, the number of requests to assist it had more than duplicated, according to the Prince of Asturias Foundation...
But really, it's nonsense to discuss if the grandpa of the Princess who was presiding the ceremony had or not the right to be one of the Asturian people who were fortunate to attend the ceremony... especially given this sad day...

[Sue-]

My cordial condolence of the family. I really can imagine that it's special hard for Letizia... Very sad that Telma couldn't attend the funeral and say a last goodbye. Hope they can go on in their life soon and all the best through this sad time.

[Elsa M.]

More photos, from GettyImages:

[Elsa M.]

Still from GettyImages:

[Elsa M.]

Some more of Letizia's father, aunt and grandmother:

[lapopdiva]

friday, 1 de abril de 2005INAUGURACIÓN DEL MUSEO DE ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN (MUSAC)
Asiste con S.A.R. el Príncipe de Asturias
León

[GrandDuchess]

From Colourpress: Sardeu, Spain - THE PRINCES OF ASTURIAS, FELIPE AND LEZITIA AT THE FUNERAL FOR JOSÉ LUIS ORTIZ, THE PRINCESS´ GRANDFATHER WHO DIED YESTERDAY, MARCH 30TH DUE TO A LUNG CANCER. THE COUPLE ARRIVED THIS AFTERNOON TO SARDEU, THE VILLAGE WHERE JOSÉ LUIS AND HIS WIFE, MENCHU ÁLVAREZ LIVED. THE FUNERAL STARTED AT SIX PM IN THE SMALL CHURCH WHERE THEY USED TO ATTEND TO MASS.

It must be a really hard time that they are going through now, Letizia looks so pale...

[Elsa M.]

Photos from SeegerPress:

1-4. Letizia embraces her father, Jesus Ortiz
5. Paloma Rocasolano, mother of Letizia

[Elsa M.]

Still from SeegerPress:

[carlota]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

It would be impossible to the Campoamor theatre of Oviedo to recieve everybody who wanted to attend the ceremony. Last year, the number of requests to assist it had more than duplicated, according to the Prince of Asturias Foundation...
But really, it's nonsense to discuss if the grandpa of the Princess who was presiding the ceremony had or not the right to be one of the Asturian people who were fortunate to attend the ceremony... especially given this sad day...

just wanted to clarify that there would be lots of more important people who maybe should have been in that place more than letizia's family. i think that the fact they attended and the other more important people involving the subjects in the prizes given did not is unfair not only for the people who had more "rights" to be there but for the ones who wanted to attend just as what we all are, citizens.
but, anyway, let's leave this appart as it's not the right day to think about it, but i only wanted to highlight that.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by lapopdiva

friday, 1 de abril de 2005
INAUGURACIÓN DEL MUSEO DE ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN (MUSAC)

From Terra / Efe:

The Princes of Asturias, Don Felipe de Borbón and Doña Letizia Ortiz, will inaugurate tomorrow the Contemporary Art Museum of Castile and Leon (MUSAC), after an investment of three years and 33 million euros for the construction of a centre dedicated to the most up to date vanguards.



The act will start at noon and will count with the presence of the president of the Chamber of Castile and Leon, Juan Vicente Herrera, and the advisor of Culture, Silvia Clemente, as well as a high representation of the central Government, according to the presidency of the centre.

This first act is supposed to be followed by a second inauguration, that will take place on Saturday morning, then exclusively dedicated to the numerous artists, people in charge of galleries and other museums, as well as guests from the media.

According to what the head of the MUSAC, Agustín Perez Rúbio, explained to Efe, the direction of the centre waits for the visit of almost 1400 guests, coming from all Spain and great part of the world, with representatives of outstanding fairs of contemporary art, like those of Basel (Swiss), London (United Kingdom) and ARC (Madrid).

Pérez Rubio has also emphasized the 'great expectation' created among the mass media, with the attendance of journalists from the North American newspaper New York Times, Italian the La Stampa and the French Le Monde, along with specialized magazines from Mexico and Brazil and others.

The opening of the MUSAC to the public will take place at 17:00 p.m., when visitors will be able to contemplate the first exhibition organized by the centre. Under the title of 'Emergencies', more than fifty Spanish and foreign artists cross the main subjects based on the problems of the present society, like the Environment, Immigration, Women Discriminations, the Inequality and the Alienation of the Humankind.

Prestigious names of the artistic vanguard like Alfredo Jaar, Allan Sekula and Thomas Hirschhorn will share exhibitions with other important values of the national contemporary creation, as Pilar Albarracín, Sergio Belinchón, Rogelio López Cuenca, Enrique Marty and Marina Núñez.

Creation of the National Prize of Architecture Emilio Tuñón and Luis Mansilla, the building of the MUSAC consists of a surface with more than 3400 square meters, presided over by a colourful facade that, in all its perimeter, surpasses the 3300 crystals and whose design is based on the eldest show window of the leonine Cathedral, named 'El Halconero', from the XIII century.

[Elsa M.]

Video of today's funeral, from Antena 3:

http://www.antena3.com/a3n2004/servl...=si&id=9111048

[pdas1201]

Princess Letizia looks really sad and tired, which is absolutely natural when one loses a loved one. From what I have read so far about Princess Letizia and her grandfather shows that they had a very close relationship. Therefore, it must be all the more harder for her to lose him.

May God give her the strength to get through this very tough time.

[pdas1201]

Sorry to deviate from the topic of Princess Letizia's grandfather's funeral. But, I just found these photos of Letizia and Felipe and thought to post them here.

March 28, 2005: Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia visit Letizia's grandparents Francisco Rocasolano and Enriqueta Dominguez in Alicante. Letizia's mother, Paloma Rocasolano also accompanied them.

[agm]

Los Príncipes de Asturias fueron los encargados de inaugurar el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León (Musac) en la capital leonesa.

[Anna_R]

The Imagine Scandinavia versions of the funeral. I found very touching that, on the flowers they sent to Letizia's grandpa, the ribbon said, "With love, from your grandchildren, Letizia and Felipe, Princes of Asturias". It was a nice thing that Felipe considered himself a grandchild of José Luiz:)

[marezdote]

pic from today from casareal.es