La Zarzuela Palace, Madrid

[Toledo]

One of the Zarzuela anecdotes I recall hearing about when I was a kid in Spain was that Juan Carlos used to scare the hell out of visitors because of his pet cat running around the rooms unsupervised. This 'cat' was a Cheetah gifted to him by a foreign government.

I wonder what happened to him or if he ended later at the Madrid Zoo, which as a sad anecdote was a place where I got lost around age 5 when I wandered away from my family maybe in '65 or '66, before the king had his Cheetah pet.

 

[Blog Real]

"Alexander Distributes Wealth Among His Friends", a tapestry by Jakob Geubels II and Jan Raes, from the late 16th century, located in the Audience Chamber.

https://c7.quickcachr.fotos.sapo.pt/i/G72180db1/22705000_7lynJ.jpeg

 

[An Ard Ri]

The facade of Zarzuela in 1634

 

[An Ard Ri]

An engraving of the then Zarzuela Hunting Lodge in 1659 by Louis Meunier

 

[Blog Real]

Today, during the audiences that Queen Letizia had at the Zarzuela Palace, we can see a room in the palace that has never been seen before.

https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencial.com/casas-reales/2025-04-10/letizia-muestra-sala-nunca-vita-zarzuela-foto-jura-leonor-libros_4106323/

 

[An Ard Ri]

It could be part of Letzia's Office?

 

[Elly C]

It could be part of Letzia's Office?

I think that’s a good guess. I love these little glimpses we get into the living quarters of these great palaces.

 

[An Ard Ri]

I think that’s a good guess. I love these little glimpses we get into the living quarters of these great palaces.

Minimal and nothing overly sentimental to reflect Letizia's personal taste.
Its decor is in stark contrast to the rest of the residence and vastly different to the Offices of the king and his mother.

 

[Blog Real]

In this photo, we can see behind the TVE journalist what must be one of the entrances to the Zarzuela Palace.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0iFlsk1RBWgGfZI5VlUrI77nbGWuEhb3jFlsLHYwvnV2h473btKpCf0v9FC7nvyohTjfNna6x7jvBAmX3rDsK1sx6JIPWmrKm8VZLXyOi4udvFAvpyhP5wZcRjPfiY3IxUUlPAyqK-oZaee3x31EVZ6sASE_2s89Gfdb7d95rN0wox_hZrx_H_GdzjC-/w640-h356/Captura%20de%20ecr%C3%A3%202025-04-22%20014923.png

 

[An Ard Ri]

In this photo, we can see behind the TVE journalist what must be one of the entrances to the Zarzuela Palace.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0iFlsk1RBWgGfZI5VlUrI77nbGWuEhb3jFlsLHYwvnV2h473btKpCf0v9FC7nvyohTjfNna6x7jvBAmX3rDsK1sx6JIPWmrKm8VZLXyOi4udvFAvpyhP5wZcRjPfiY3IxUUlPAyqK-oZaee3x31EVZ6sASE_2s89Gfdb7d95rN0wox_hZrx_H_GdzjC-/w640-h356/Captura%20de%20ecr%C3%A3%202025-04-22%20014923.png

It looks like a car park.