
After a bit of rest following the events that began celebrations for the tenth anniversary of the accession of King Felipe VI, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía stepped out once again and were driven to the Galleries of Royal Collections.
There, the two sisters met with 40 young people, all between the ages of 17 and 20, all of whom had won the awards scheme “What is a King to you?”, created for school students to engage with the idea of monarchy, and to present suggestions on how they would carry out the role of Sovereign and Head of State.
Upon their arrival, King Felipe’s daughters were welcomed by the Director of the Gallery, as well as other members of the team at Patrimonio Nacional. Also present was writer María Dueñas, who has been selected as part of the team of people who will conduct the tour.
The royal sisters arrived at the gallery shortly after 8pm, after having changed clothing, with Princess Leonor switching from her red suit to a skirt and top ensemble in grey with black beads, while Infanta Sofía switched her navy jumpsuit for an all-white top and trouser combo.
Around 9:30pm, members of the press revealed that King Felipe and Queen Letizia had joined the group, when they were more or less half way through their guided tour, much to the surprise of everyone.
The 42 young men and women were guided through a tour of the Gallery of Royal Collections, which King Felipe and Queen Letizia inaugurated last year, in June of 2023, after almost 30 years in the making.
The building, which was created as an extension of the complex that houses both the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral, was an opportunity to showcase the art pieces that Kings and Queens of Spain have collected over the centuries, as well as demonstrating the many sites that are managed by Patrimonio Nacional and the efforts and techniques being used to preserve them.
At 9pm, the music unit of the Royal Guard is expected to give a concert, during which there will be the world premiere of a piece by composer Óscar Navarro titled “Ouverture King Felipe VI”, while at 10:45pm there will be a projection of a 4 minutes video on the façade of the Royal Palace, which will be attended by members of the Royal Family and will mark the end of day 1 of celebrations.