The Spanish State Visit

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain began their State Visit to the United Kingdom with a welcome which showed British pageantry at its best. The official arrival ceremony on Horse Guards Parade was followed by a procession down The Mall to Buckingham Palace, and the evening saw a spectacular State Banquet at Buckingham Palace.

During the banquet, The Queen made a speech in which she emphasised the connections between the two countries, saying, 'This State Visit is an expression of the deep respect and friendship that describes relations between Spain and the United Kingdom'.

There were more intimate moments too, when The King and Queen and their hosts viewed items showing the historic links between their two families, and there was a tea at Clarence House for the Royal couple, hosted by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

On Day Two of the visit, The King attended a business forum with The Duke of York in the morning.

In the afternoon, both the King and Queen visited Westminster Abbey with Prince Harry.

Final farewells were said on the Friday morning at Buckingham Palace:

View a video of highlights from the visit: