On February 22, 2012, Their Majesties King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain attended the LXII Promoción de la Carrera Judicial in Barcelona.

Their Majesties were accompanied by the Minister of Justice, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, the President of the Constitutional Court, Pascual Sala, the Chairman of the Supreme Court and the General Council of the Judiciary, Carlos Dívar, the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Artur Mas, and the Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias.

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Source: Casa de Su Majestad el Rey

On February 16, 2012, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Asturias attended the opening of the 31st Edition of the Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo ARCO Madrid  in Madrid, Spain.

The royal couple were accompanied by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, Mr. José Ignacio Wert, the Mayor of Madrid, Ms. Ana Botella, and the ambassadors of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Spain, Mr. Peter Paul Van Wulfften, the Portuguese Republic in Spain, Mr. Álvaro Mendonça and the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr.  Ayuman  Zaineldine.

During their visit Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia viewed various artworks including two by the late Catalan artist, Antoni Tàpies, who passed away on February 6, 2012.

To learn more about Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo ARCO Madrid please click here.

Click the links below to watch a video as well as to view photos.

• VIDEO (in Spanish)
• Gallery One
• Gallery Two

Source and photo courtesy of Casa de Su Majestad el Rey

On February 15, 2012, His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain held an audience with representatives from the Verspieren Group, a company which began in 1880 in the French town of Roubaix, “…to meet a need for services in the sector of insurance brokerages generated in the textile industry of the time.”

Meanwhile, Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain attended the awards ceremony, Iñigo Alvarez de Toledo, held at the headquarters of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.  Accompanying Her Majesty were the Minister of Health, Social Services and Equality, Ms. Ana Mato, the Minister of Health of the Community of Madrid, Mr. Javier Fernández-Lasquett, the President of the Superior Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Mr. Emilio Lora, and the Board of Trustees from the Fundación Renal Íñigo Álvarez de Toledo.

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

His Royal Highness Prince Felipe of Asturias visited the exhibition, La Orden del Toisón de Oro: 1430-2011, at the Fundación Carlos de Amberes on February 15, 2012.  The heir to the Spanish throne was accompanied by the president of the Fundación Carlos de Amberes, Mr. Miguel Aguilar, and the curator of the exhibition, Mr. Joaquín Martínez-Correcher.

La Orden del Toisón de Oro: 1430-2011 displays the history, prestige, and traditions of the Order which began in 1430 by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy to, “… uphold the knightly ideals and whose sovereignty passed to the Crown of Castilla when Philip the Handsome, son and heir of Mary of Burgundy, married Juana I de Castilla.”

To learn more about this exhibition please click here.

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

On February 14, 2012, Their Majesties King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain held an audience at Zarzuela Palace with  members of Team Spain who won the Davis Cup.

During the meeting, Team Spain presented Their Majesties with a replica of the Davis Cup trophy — which looks like a giant salad bowl — the team won in Seville.

Source and photo courtesy of Casa de Su Majestad el Rey

Her Royal Highness Princess Letizia of Asturias participated in a meeting with the Federación Española de Enfermedades Raras (Spanish Federation for Rare Diseases) in Madrid, Spain on February 14, 2012.

The purpose of Princess Letizia’s attendance at today’s meeting is to strengthen her commitment to support the fight against rare diseases, especially through research and awareness.  During the meeting the princess gave a speech stating,  “…that let’s all remember that there are three millions of people with rare diseases in our country.  And, many are committed to the task of improving the lives of these people.”

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

On February 9, 2012, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Asturias attended the opening of the newly restored Catedral de Santa María de la Huerta in Tarazona, Spain.

The royal couple were accompanied by the President of Aragón, Luisa Fernanda Rudí, the President of the Cortes de Aragón, José Angel Biel, the Mayor of Tarazona and President of the Diputación Provincial de Zaragoza, Luis María Beamonte, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Tarazona, Monsignor Eusebio Hernandez Sola.

After a prayer and a few words from the Bishop of the Diocese of Tarazona,  Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia watched a video about the lengthy restoration (which began in 1984.) Afterward, the architects responsible for the restoration, Fernando and José Ignacio Aguerri, explained to the royal couple about the restoration as well as other projects ongoing at the Catedral de Santa María de la Huerta.

Click here to view photos. 

Source: Casa de Su Majestad el Rey