Princess Leonor, heir to the throne of Spain, has joined her parents on their tour around the country to show support for the economy and tourism in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The teenage princess enjoyed an evening of culture with her family as their visits to Spanish regions continued.
Leonor, who is now fourteen, and her thirteen year old sister, Infanta Sofia, began their latest engagement by greeting the wellwishers that had turned out to see the royals as they arrived in Merida, Extramadura, on July 22nd 2020. They greeted officials, alongside their parents King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and spoke to those waiting to see them although social distancing was maintained at all times.
(Casa de S.M. el Rey)
The royal party then headed to the National Museum of Roman Art in Merida where they were given a tour and heard about the crucial role the area played during the Roman era in Spain.
King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia then walked through the Roman Crypt tunnel to the amphitheatre of Merida for an evening performance of the Greek tragedy Antigone. They received a warm reception on arrival and took their seats in the main box for the performance of the David Gaitan interpretation of Antigone.
(Casa de S.M. el Rey)
Afterwards, the royal party met the actors and production crew involved in the show.
The King, Queen and their two daughters then headed back the the Parador in central Merida. The paradores are a string of almost 100 luxury hotels spread across Spain and often located in historic buildings. They were the idea of King Alfonso XIII, King Felipe’s great grandfather, who helped establish the first one in 1928 to promote tourism in Spain. The parador in Merida is a former 18th century convent built on Roman ruins.
The Royal Family were greeted by more wellwishers as they left the hotel on July 23rd 2020 at the end of their stay in Merida.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia have been touring different parts of Spain for the past few weeks to show royal support as the country begins to reopen following the coronavirus pandemic. However, their visits have taken place in the shadow of controversy over the financial affairs of Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos, who is under investigation over corruption allegations.
The response to this latest visit was positive although King Felipe and Queen Letizia have encountered protesters in their last two trips, to the Basque Country and Catalonia.
