King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia attended the National Culture Awards ceremony, which took place in Madrid on Thursday, 10 October, with the participation of leading figures from the Spanish cultural sphere.
The awards recognize the careers of various professionals, including academics, filmmakers, designers, playwrights, and illustrators, among others.
However, a small mistake made by the Royal Household team created an awkward moment for the royal couple.
The attendance of King Felipe and Queen Letizia at the National Culture Awards takes place in a sensitive media context, given that the Royal Family has been under public scrutiny due to the recent controversy related to former King Juan Carlos I’s extramarital affair with Bárbara Rey.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia at the National Culture Awards
Throughout the ceremony, everything went according to plan, except for the aforementioned mistake.
This was reported in the Spanish press when it was discovered that the list of award winners published on the Royal Household’s website had mistakenly included Oscar-winning actress Penélope Cruz.
Although this detail went unnoticed at the time, it soon caused quite a stir.
It is important to note that, although Penélope Cruz had been awarded in 2022, her name should not have appeared in this year’s award ceremony, as she was not among the winners.
The confusion led many to believe that the actress was to receive another award on this occasion.
Despite this incident, the ceremony proceeded normally and the error was quickly resolved, with the King and Queen seemingly unaware of the controversy at the time.