Infanta Cristina has joined her parents and siblings at mass for her late paternal grandfather, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona at the Basilica of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Also in attendance was Their Majesties King Felipe, Queen Letizia, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía and Her Royal Highness Infanta Elena.
The mass commemorated the 25th anniversary of the death of King Juan Carlos’s father, who died on 1 April 1993 at the Navarra University Clinic in Pamplona, Spain, at 79-years-old. He was buried in the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. His remains will soon be moved to its Pantheon of Kings as remains are initially taken to a pudridero or decaying chamber in the monastery and later moved to its final location.
In total 250 people were in attendance alongside the royals including members of the Royal Family of Bulgaria and other family members of King Juan Carlos, along with representatives of the Spanish government.
It was officiated by Monsignor Juan del Río, Archbishop of Castile, and the National Anthem was played at the beginning of the service.
After the ceremony, King Felipe, Queen Letizia, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía greeted the attendees in the Chapter Rooms.
This is the first time Cristina has joined the family since 11 May 2017 when she attended the funeral of Infanta Alicia, Duchess of Calabria. She has largely remained out of the public eye after the Nóos Case. She was acquitted of charges, but her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, was convicted and sentenced to several years in prison. The scandal was, in part, blamed for the abdication of King Juan Carlos and the low approval rating of the Spanish Royal Family upon Juan Carlos’s renouncing of the throne.
As a result, Casa Real did not post any images of Infanta Cristina at mass on their website in their informational article about the service.