King Felipe and Queen Letizia have undertaken their last engagement in Madrid before their annual summer trip to Palma de Mallorca.
They officially inaugurated the Royal Collection Gallery, a new art facility that will display parts of the royal collection held by the National Heritage.
And it proved to be a headline making moment in more ways than one as they stood shoulder to shoulder with politicians just hours after an inconclusive general election in Spain that has left parties jostling to form a government.
On Tuesday, 25th July, King Felipe and Queen Letizia arrived at the Royal Palace in Madrid, where they were welcomed by acting Government members, including acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and acting Minister of Culture Miquel Iceta, as well as authorities like the President of the Administration Council of the National Heritage, Ana De La Cueva FERNÁNDEZ, and the President of Santander Bank, Ana Botín.
After posing for a picture next to the commemorative plaque, King Felipe and Queen Letizia sat down in the auditorium, where they listened to cellist Guillermo Pastrana play Bach’s “Suite No 1” on a 1700s Stradivari instrument.
It was then time for a short speech from the President of the Administration Council of the National Heritage, before a video was projected showing the new installations, followed by another musical break and the speech by acting Prime Minister Sánchez.
King Felipe closed out the speeches portion of the day, by remarking that the Royal Collections Gallery “presents a journey through the history of Spain, through the continuity of the Monarchy symbolised in the Royal Collections”.
It was then time for a tour of the facility. The space was designed to offer the public a downwards journey, which starts from the ground-level entrance next to the Almudaina Cathedral in the Royal Palace complex and extends down three floors.
One floor down, the journey begins with a look through the era of the Catholic Kings, with pieces by artists like El Greco, Tiziano, Velázquez and Caravaggio. The next floor goes through the history spanning the construction of the new Royal Palace in Madrid all the way to the dawn of the 21st century, with pieces that range from Tiepolo paintings to photographs. The final floor “could be defined as the 21st century floor”, according to the Gallery’s official website, and hosts a digital cube that shows 3D renderings of various royal sites. There is also a space for temporary exhibitions.
The facility was designed by Emilio Tuñón Álvarez and Luis Moreno Mansilla, and has won several architecture awards. The project was created with energy efficiency in mind, and came to life in four separate phases between 2006 and 2015.
It also houses offices and labs, as well as storage rooms, since one third of the pieces will be on a rotation, meaning that others will need to be stored in controlled environments.
The idea for the project was first formed in 1935, but it was soon shelved soon afterwards when civil war erupted in 1936. The idea was brought back up in 1998, and construction began in 2006, with this historic inauguration coming 17 years later.
The inaugural event was supposed to take place on the 28th of June, but was postponed to avoid interfering with the electoral campaign for last Sunday’s elections, which will mean an early return to Madrid and straight back to work for King Felipe as politicians negotiate possible coalitions.
The Royal Collection Gallery will be open to the public 7 days a week (excluding National holidays), with the primary access being located next to the Almudaina Cathedral, in the Royal Palace complex. The entrance fee is €14, with a reduced tariff of €7 being offered to people under 16, people over 65 and students under 25; children under 5 will not pay a fee.
