On Wednesday morning, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia officially welcomed King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain. Felipe and Letizia are on two days long state visit to Sweden and after arrival yesterday, they met with the Spaniards living in the Scandinavian country.
The day began at the Royal Stable of the Stockholm Palace from where it was a carriage ride to the Palace for both royal couples. This is Felipe and Letizia’s first state visit to Sweden since ascending the throne in 2014. The Royal Palace in Stockholm is the official residence of the Swedish Monarch and the setting for most of the official receptions of the monarchy.
The combination of the royal residence, workplace, and cultural-historical monument open to visitors all year round makes the Stockholm Royal Palace unique among royal residences in Europe. The Palace was built in the Baroque style by the architect Nicodemus Tessin and designed as a Roman palace and has more than 600 rooms divided into eleven floors with the main room overlooking the city and smaller living rooms facing the inner courtyard. In addition to the Royal Apartments, there are three museums full of royal history, the Treasury with royalties, the Tre Kronor Museum that portrays the medieval history of the palaces, and the Gustav III Museum of Antiquities.
The official ceremony began with the National Anthems of both nations and was followed by the inspection of Grenadier Guards of the Life Guards by King Felipe and King Carl Gustav. Following the military parade, the official welcome ceremony continued with the introduction of King Felipe and Queen Letizia to members of the Government and the Parliament of Sweden, while King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia were introduced to the Spanish delegation.
The Kings and Queens were joined by Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia at the Palace once the military ceremony concluded.
King Felipe and King Carl Gustav addressed the guests at the Lovisa Ulrika Hall of the Palace.
After receiving the warm welcome from the Swedish Royals, King Felipe and Queen Letizia headed towards Nobel Museum on foot with King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia, to see the exhibition “Synapse – Art and science of Spain. From Ramón y Cajal to our days ”, the exhibition disseminates the work of Spanish scientists that takes as a starting point the drawings of neurons by Nobel Prize Ramón y Cajal.
Both the couples walked through the Christmas market and stopped for a cup of hot chocolate.
The exhibition is organized by the Embassy of Spain in Sweden and AECID, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Ministry of Education and Professional Training, Spanish Cultural Action, Cervantes Institute, Provincial Council of Huesca and with the collaboration of the Museum of the Stockholm Nobel Laureates. Its objective is to disseminate the advances of science in Spain, incorporating the point of view of artists. The exhibition takes as its starting point the drawings of neurons of the Nobel Prize in Medicine Santiago Ramón y Cajal, an internationally recognized example of the relationship between art and science, while at the same time reflecting his influence on artists who were his contemporaries such as José Luis García Lorca or Salvador Dalí.
After the museum visit, Queen Letizia joined Queen Silvia for the visit to the Karolinska University Hospital, where she held a meeting with representatives of organizations of Rare Diseases, spinal cord damage, and organoselective endovascular therapy. The Karolinska Institute (KI) is Sweden’s largest academic medical research center and offers the widest range of medical courses and programs in the country; is one of the main universities dedicated to medicine in the world
The Karolinska Institute was founded by King Charles XIII in 1810 as an “academy for the training of qualified army surgeons”. Since 1901, the Nobel Prize Assembly at the Karolinska Institute has been in charge of selecting Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine. Queen Letizia of Spain works actively to bring awareness about Rare Diseases back home.
A video of the day.
For the day, Queen Letizia of Spain chose a stunning outfit. Thanks to letizia_de_princesa_a_reina on Instagram for all the ids.
Letizia was wearing a bright Carolina Herrera Kimono Sleeve Sheath Dress. The dress is part of the label’s 2014 collection so I am going to assume it has been in her wardrobe for some time now.
Queen topped the outfight with Carolina Herrera faux fur cape in a beige tone.
Making it a rare occasion, Queen Letizia was wearing a headband – Cherubina Giulia Headband. The €140 Handmade headband is made in coral silk abaca with feathered flowers in the same color.
Queen teamed up the outfit with Camel suede CH Carolina Herrera pointed-toe pumps with tonal stitching throughout and covered heels.
Letizia was wearing a pair of diamond and citrine earrings that she has had in her wardrobe for some time now.
She was carrying Carolina Herrera Doma Insignia Satchel bag is handcrafted in Mocan leather. The bag feature a subtle and regular grain, and is detailed with the raised Insignia Seal on its flap, replicating House of Herrera’s 35th-anniversary bracelet and initials.
In the evening, The royal couple will attend a State Banquet hosted by the Swedish Royals at the Stockholm Palace.
