This Friday, Princess Leonor de Borbón, heir to the Spanish throne, will make her first official trip abroad to Portugal.
This country has a special significance for her family, as King Felipe VI speaks Portuguese and Spain has close relations with Portugal.
Princess Leonor’s First Official Trip Abroad
Leonor’s visit will be to Estoril, a place steeped in family history. Her great-grandparents, the Counts of Barcelona, Juan de Borbón and María de las Mercedes, lived there in exile during Franco’s dictatorship.
His grandfather, King Juan Carlos I, spent his youth in Estoril, and his father, King Felipe, knows the place well, having visited it many times.
Portuguese Social Democratic Party (PSD) deputy Paulo Neves, who was involved in the preparations for the kings’ state trip in 2016, highlighted the symbolism of this visit.
“It is very symbolic that the future queen’s first official visit outside Spain is to Portugal,” commented Neves, recalling that Madrid is often the first stop for Portuguese presidents after taking office.
In 2016, King Felipe had the honor of delivering a speech before the Portuguese Parliament, something unusual for foreign mandarins.
Neves recalls, “He made a very good speech, he spoke in Portuguese, and that was very important. There were many comments that the king spoke perfect Portuguese”.
Ambassador Antonio Almeida Lima, former head of Protocol of the Portuguese State and in charge of organizing the king and queen’s visits to Portugal in 2014 and 2016, explained that the organization of these events is complex due to the importance of Spain for Portugal and the numerous requests for meetings and visits.
Despite the challenges, Almeida Lima fondly recalled the lunch in 2014 at the Palácio de Queluz, where a more relaxed entrance through the garden was proposed.
Tense Moment
One of the most tense moments for Almeida Lima was when King Juan Carlos and President Cavaco Silva were trapped in an elevator during a visit to the Citadel Palace in Cascais.
“It was my worst nightmare as chief of protocol,” Almeida Lima said. However, King Juan Carlos took the situation in stride and told him, “Don’t worry, this happens in the best families.”
Princess Leonor’s visit to Portugal promises to be a significant event, which will further strengthen the ties between the two countries giving continuity to the tradition of close relations between the royal families of Spain and Portugal.