Their Majesties King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain attended the opening of the Royal Academy Course at the Real Academia Espanola in Madrid on October 18, 2011.  The event was also attended by the President of the Constitutional Court, Pascual Sala, the Minister of Education, Ángel Gabilondo, the director of the Royal Spanish Academy, Jose Manuel Blecua, Under Secretary of Education, Mercedes Lopez Revilla, different directors and presidents of the other Royal Academies, as are the director of the Royal Academy of History, Gonzalo Anes, the director of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Antonio Bonet, president of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Miguel Angel Alario, President of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, Marcelino Oreja, Marquis de Oreja, President of the Royal Academy of Medicine, Manuel Diaz-Rubio, the President of the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation, Landelino Lavilla and the president of the Royal Academy of Pharmacy, Maria Teresa Miras-Portugal, as well as members of the Governing Board of the Royal Spanish Academy.  

During the event His Majesty King Juan Carlos delivered a speech in which he emphasized that the new lecture/course, “Invitation to the Noble studies, Language use, and Language of Art”, would provide “…a new opportunity to reaffirm the continued commitment of the Crown with our Royal Academy, so necessary to continue promoting excellence in the Sciences, Humanities and Arts in our country… ”   Click here to view photos.

On October 19, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Sofia participated in the opening of several new hospital facilities at the Politècnic i Universitari La Fe in Valencia.  During the ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen unveiled a commemorative plaque then toured the facility which aims to become one of the best hospitals in Europe.   

Source and photos courtesy of: Casa de Su Majestad el Rey