King Felipe travelled to London to attend the gala dinner celebrating the 135th anniversary of the creation of Spain’s Chamber of Commerce in the UK, and, while in London, he stopped at Clarence House to visit King Charles III.
The Spanish Monarch arrived at RAF Northolt with the Spanish State Secretary for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, and they were welcomed by the Spanish Ambassador to the UK, José Pascual Marco, and King Charles’ representative, Viscount Younger of Leckie.
Before attending the gala dinner, King Felipe made a stop at Clarence House, which has remained King Charles and Queen Camilla’s residence, since Buckingham Palace is currently under renovation.
Neither side has made public what the two Monarchs discussed in their private meeting, but it was remarkable to see them together, as they were the last two Sovereigns to accede to the throne in Europe.
King Felipe was sworn in on the 19th of June 2014, while King Charles assumed the role on the 8th of September 2022, and is still awaiting to be crowned, a ceremony that will take place on the 6th of May 2023.
The two of them are related from two different branches; both of them are direct descendants of Queen Victoria, but they also share a Greek connection. The late Prince Philip’s father and Queen Sofía’s grandfather were brothers, which makes King Felipe and King Charles 5th cousins.
Following the meeting, King Felipe departed Clarence House for the Landmark Hotel in Marleybone, where the dinner took place. Before speaking and eating, His Majesty held a brief meeting with authorities of the Spanish Commerce Chamber in the UK, as well as UK representatives and entrepreneurs.
After posing for a group photograph, the King of Spain entered the dining hall and gave a speech, in which he remarked, in part, that “our Kingdoms are advanced economies that share the same values and, for that reason and our geographic proximity, we are top rate trading partners”.
Following the dinner, King Felipe was escorted back to RAF Northolt, from where he made his way back to Spain, where he was expected the following day to hold some audiences at Zarzuela Palace.
