Wednesday, 12 July 2017

Spanish State Visit: tea and politics


After a glittering morning to get the Spanish State Visit to the UK under way, it was time for two very British pursuits. Part two involved tea and talking politics. And to prove that this is a big visit for both hosts and guests, that political chatter went straight to the top of the news agenda. Let's start with tea.





The King and Queen of Spain popped into Clarence House for a cuppa with the  Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. It was a chance to look at Letizia's second outfit of the day (red following yellow ticks both the colours of the Spanish flag off the list and we've not even had dinner). It was also a chance to have a nosey at Charles and  Camilla's front room and boy, do they like paintings. Charles was on top form, laughing away, while everyone else smiled politely and waited for him to calm down.



Then it was off to the Palace of Westminster where Felipe was due to talk politics as he addressed a joint session of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, an honour previously given to his father, King Juan Carlos I, during his State Visit in 1986. The King of Spain gave a speech in which he referred to Gibraltar, saying he believed Spain and the UK could start the ''necessary dialogue'' to reach an agreement over the territory that suited both countries. That took this speech straight to the top of the news agenda in the UK.





After the speech, the King and Queen of Spain met members of both Houses as they mingled before heading back to Buckingham Palace to prepare for this evening's State Banquet.

You can catch up with the first photos of the State Visit here.
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