The Spanish Royal Family had a relatively quiet year in 2022 but one event dominated. The much anticipated but brief return of King Juan Carlos I to the country he reigned over for close to four decades brought controversy and became the hallmark of twelve months where the past was as present as the future.
The year began as usual with King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s attendance at the traditional ceremony of Pascua Militar, which takes place annually on the 6th of January, a day in which the country at large also marks the end of the holidays on Epiphany Day, also known in Spain as Dia de los Reyes.
After the traditional diplomatic reception, which this year was held on the 17th of January, King Felipe managed to celebrate his birthday with his family, since it fell on a Sunday. Shortly after, he was forced to spend 12 days in isolation following a positive Covid test. He was the first, but unfortunately not the last: Queen Sofía would test positive in May, and Queen Letizia caught the virus in July, a few days after both her and the King had taken part in a ceremony commemorating victims and celebrating the work of healthcare professionals during the pandemic.
But then, as February came to a close, the world as we know it changed: with Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine, many royals all around Europe shifted their schedules to accommodate visits with refugees fleeing the conflict, as well as meetings and forums to discuss humanitarian aid, defence and the economic implications that this conflict brought along. The first Spanish joint visit to a crisis unit came one month after the invasion, on the 23rd of March; however, the King had attended emergency defence councils as soon as the crisis unfolded. Queen Letizia made a striking statement by wearing a traditional Ukrainian blouse to an event, to show her support for the country.
The year was also marked by a return of official and State visits, which included countless lunches offered to foreign heads of State and Government who were visiting Spain, the welcoming of many foreign dignitaries for the celebrations of Spain’s 40th anniversary as a NATO member and Madrid hosting the organisation’s 32nd summit, a trip to New York to take part in the UN’s mental health summit and one in Los Angeles to open the new headquarters of the Cervantes Institute for Queen Letizia.
The year also brought two sad visits to London. In April, to attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s Thanksgiving service and, in September, to join leaders from around the world mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth. Her Late Majesty’s funeral was attended by King Felipe and Queen Letizia as well as King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
There was also a trip to Washington DC to celebrate the centenary of the Master of Science in Foreign Service programme for King Felipe.
The most important trip, however, was a State visit to Germany in October, which had strong implications for the close ties that Spain and Germany share, as both EU and NATO members, two organisations that are especially relevant at the current time.
Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía also had their moments to shine, particularly during the summer, when, in connection with the Princess of Girona Awards, they undertook two engagements: one related to the future of the Foundation and the young people it aims to support, and the other, during which they listened to a lecture on how to get young people passionate about coding.
Infanta Sofía also took part alone in the celebration for National Day for the second year in a row, since her older sister, Princess Leonor, was still at school in Wales. The heir to the throne, however, made it back to Spain in time for the events of the Princess of Asturias Awards. The entire family made the trip to Oviedo, and made it through the receptions, the talks and the actual awards ceremony, before a gastrointestinal virus forced Infanta Sofía to skip the visit to the Exemplary Village prize recipient, Cadavedo, and Princess Leonor to make the trip back to join her mid-way through the visit. Her speech was instead read by Queen Letizia.
But it was also a year that was very much business as usual for the King and Queen, who continued supporting the causes that they are passionate about: culture, innovation, and the Spanish people. King Felipe also undertook a vast number of military-related engagements, including the participation in a training session for a Spanish contingent that was set to deploy to Latvia to protect NATO’s borders. He had also a number of engagements strictly related to his functions as Head of State, the most recurring of which is undoubtedly the welcoming ceremony for new Ambassadors arriving to the country, who have to present their Letters of Credential.
Queen Letizia, for her part, continued to fight to give voice to those who find it difficult to advocate for themselves: people with disabilities, both mental and physical; people with rare diseases; women trying to make their way up the ladder in fields that have been so far predominantly male-dominated; journalists, who fight daily to keep the press free, independent and objective; and so many more.
However, it was a handful of days in the life of Spain’s former monarch that got the most attention. In May 2022, King Juan Carlos returned, briefly, to Spain for the first time since going into self imposed exiled in August 2020. There was huge interest in his arrival, with media packed around the airport where his private plane landed. The sight of the man who had ruled Spain for 38 years returning to the country made the front of every paper.
King Juan Carlos, who left because of the huge controversy surrounding his money and allegations of financial impropriety, found himself greeted by enthusiastic crowds when he attended a sailing event with his every move followed keenly. A crowd also turned out to see him arrive at the Zarzuela Palace for the first time since quitting Spain. However, the meeting between King Juan Carlos and King Felipe was private with just a brief statement issued afterwards. The two wouldn’t be seen together until September 2022 when they stood, side by side, at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Sofia was also at the Zarzuela meeting, despite having Covid at the time. The queen remains one of the most popular members of Spain’s royal family although her engagement schedule has slowed in recent times. Queen Sofia continues to split her time between Spain and her native Greece, where her siblings live. With her brother’s health on the decline, it is to be expected that she and Princess Irene will make more frequent trips to visit King Constantine.
Queen Sofía also seems determined to continue supporting her son’s work in any way she can: she undertook a number of official engagements, mostly related to causes she already supported through her time as Queen Consort, but also attended the Princess of Asturias Awards Ceremony, like she does every year.
Another notable event for the King’s family was the announcement of the separation of Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarín, following the publication by Spanish media of pictures of Mr Urdangarín with another woman, who was later revealed to be Ainhoa Armentia, a colleague at the legal firm in Vitoria where he found employment following the relaxation of his prison sentence conditions. Infanta Cristina and her husband put out a joint statement announcing the “end of their marital relation”, and asking for privacy.
All in all, a pretty busy but normal year for the institutional life of the Monarchy, but a turbulent one for the personal life of King Felipe. The family can now look forward to the holidays, before they will enter an extremely special year for Princess Leonor and the Monarchy: on the 31st of October 2023, she will turn 18, marking yet another crucial step on her path towards becoming the next Queen. She will reach this key milestone having already graduated from UWC Atlantic, her school for the past two years, and will have probably taken important decisions regarding her future education, whether she will undertake some military training, or start her university journey, or both.
However, even as she steps into a changing future, the shadow of the past lingers. King Juan Carlos I remains a constant in the life of Spain’s royal family despite his exile. His influence continues and 2022 showed his ability to dominate, even on a pavement outside a sailing club before a brief lunch with friends. Aligning that with the future of the throne he was so determined to restore remains a conundrum for Spain’s royals as 2023 begins.
