The Diplomat
Spain yesterday recovered the military parade and the reception of the King and Queen at the Royal Palace, which are traditionally held on 12 October, National Day, and which were suspended last year due to the pandemic.
Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, accompanied by the Infanta Sofía, presided over a military parade on the Paseo de la Castellana, in which 2,656 troops, 68 aircraft and 115 vehicles took part on this occasion, a smaller contingent than in previous years. The Princess of Asturias, Leonor, was unable to attend the parade as she is studying at a school in Wales, in the United Kingdom.
Among other authorities, all the members of the government were present, with its president, Sánchez, at the head, and including the ministers of Unidas Podemos. Although the public who attended the parade were away from the guest stands, numerous boos, whistles and shouts of resignation could be heard against Sánchez when his arrival was announced over the public address system.
The same booing and shouts of ” get out” and “resignation” directed at the head of the Executive could be heard at the end of the parade, in contrast to the applause directed at the King and Queen at all times.
Later, at the Royal Palace, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia offered a reception, which was attended by only about 150 people, in contrast to the 1,500 who used to be invited to the event before the pandemic.
The King and Queen of Spain wanted to revive the tradition, albeit in a limited way, inviting on this occasion, in addition to the government and the presidents of the highest state institutions, a small group of representatives of civil society. The Diplomatic Corps was represented only by its dean, the Apostolic Nuncio, Monsignor Bernardito Auza.
The guests passed in front of the King and Queen quickly, without stopping to greet each other, and the final cocktail in the halls of the Royal Palace, which used to be a favourable place for socialising and contacts between the attendees, including journalists, was suspended.
In the Spanish embassies abroad, small receptions were held when the evolution of the pandemic allowed it, while some ambassadors opted to record videos and send them to the authorities and political and social forces in the different countries.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, released a video yesterday via his department’s account, in which he expressed his congratulations especially to those outside Spain and stressed that “there is a European and Ibero-American way of being in the world” and that Spain has these two souls: European and Ibero-American. He also referred to two important events for Spain in the coming years: the NATO summit, at the end of June 2022, and the Presidency of the EU Council, in the second half of 2023.
For her part, the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, congratulated the Spanish troops deployed abroad by videoconference, to whom she expressed her pride in the important work they are doing in defence of peace and freedom in the world, and assured them that they are carrying “Spain’s flag very high”.
