Spanish Royal Family Attend Anniversary Mass for Don Juan

Madrid – June 20th, 2013

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia presided over a solemn anniversary mass at the magnificent Capilla Real de Madrid to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the King’s late father, Infante Don Juan de Borbón, Count of Barcelona.

Also attending the mass were the entire extended Spanish Royal Family: the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Infantas Elena and Cristina, Don Felipe Juan de Marichalar, Infanta Pilar, Infanta Margarita, Don Carlos Zurtia Duke of Soria, the King’s aunt in law Infanta Alicia, Dowager Duchess of Calabria with her son and daughter-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Calabria. Also present was the Spanish Prime Minister and members of the Spanish Government, the ex-King and Queen of Bulgaria, Simeon and Margarita, and the Duke and Duchess of Bragança.

Noticeably absent were the Infantas Leonor and Sofia as well as Doña Victoria Federica de Marichalar and the children of Infanta Cristina, who were at school.

Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona was born on June 20th, 1913 as the third surviving son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg. In October 1935, he married Princess María de las Mercedes de Borbón Dos-Sicilias y Orleans and the couple had four children: Infanta Pilar, King Juan Carlos I, Infanta Margarita and Infante Alfonso, who was tragically killed in 1956.

The Count of Barcelona died in April 1993 after a long battle with cancer and was buried with full honours at the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

Filed under Historical Royals, Spain
Tagged Anniversary, Biography, Birth, Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón, Felipe VI of Spain, Infanta Alicia Duchess of Calabria, Infanta Cristina of Spain, Infanta Elena Duchess of Lugo, Infanta Margarita Duchess of Hernani and Soria, Infanta Pilar Duchess of Badajoz, Juan Carlos I of Spain, Juan Count of Barcelona, Mass, Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Sofia of Spain, The Duke of Soria.