Letizia in March 2020

As the whole world is going the Covid-19 pandemic, Spain is facing the worst situation day by day. During this time, King Felipe and Queen Letizia are leading the world with example. The couple is attending virtual meetings with the Authorities and Charitable organizations.

The couple held a meeting via video conference with Spanish Red Cross. They already had the first conversation last week with the president of the Red Cross, Javier Senent. The royal couple found out the details of the application of the Cruz Roja Response Plan in coordination with all public administrations in a video conference in which three Red Cross operational managers have participated – Iñigo Vila Head of the Emergency Unit, Mercedes Mora volunteer CRE in Barcelona currently logistics and Raquel Bernedo responsible for Information Management in operations.

In the first ten days, the Red Cross has carried out more than 200,000 interventions throughout Spain thanks to the collaboration of 11,200 volunteers. Aimed at people in situations of vulnerability and the general population, the plan contemplates action and response for the next two months and aims to reach coverage to more than 1,350,000 people with an estimated budget of € 11 million and the mobilization of 40,000 people voluntary.

In the last hours, the Kings have also continued in direct communication with different Spanish hospitals, with a special interest in the smallest patients.

Later in the day, King Felipe and Queen Letizia held a videoconference today with Carsten Isensee, SEAT President and Vice President of Finance, Christian Vollmer, Executive Vice President of Production and Logistics at SEAT, Xavier Ros, SEAT Vice President of Human Resources and Organization, Patricia Such, SEAT’s Director of Health, Safety and Emergencies.

In which all managers and production managers have explained the conversion project from manufacturing cars to manufacturing respirators. Since the beginning of the epidemic, various initiatives were launched at SEAT to collaborate with the health system. 150 employees, from different areas of the company, are working to help the nation and after making 13 prototypes they have already achieved a final model that is subjected to a long-term test and is in the process of being approved.

From the company, it is highlighted that everything is being possible thanks to the solidarity collaboration of its employees and the common task with the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products and with other companies and public and private entities.

Efforts to fight from the automobile industry against the spread of the virus, producing the materials most requested by hospitals, have also been present in talks held today by HM the King with representatives of the ANFAC sector employers, from the international engineering group Automotriz GESTAMP and Grupo Antolín, a Spanish multinational company that designs and manufactures components and parts. All engaged in industrial reconversion to contribute to the health emergency.

Once again, keeping her look sombre and professional, Letizia wore a black blazer with grey ribbed top and her bamboo hoops.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain are monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Spain and around the globe from the Royal Palace of Zarzuela. Due to the pandemic, all the public engagements of the couple have been cancelled for the time being. Today the royal couple held two video conferences. Earlier in the morning, Felpe and Letizia talked with the management teams of the Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities (CERMI), led by its president, Luis Cayo.

In these times of health emergencies, explained that its primary mission is to ensure disabled people and their families. People with disabilities represent 10% of the Spanish population, more than 4 million people (if they join this group their families would be 12 million people). They stressed that it is a social group that is especially vulnerable in emergency situations, and therefore requires more intense attention and support from the public authorities and society.

Later Felipe and Letizia get in touch with the Caritas. Cáritas is one of the largest Spanish voluntary organizations for resources, projects, volunteers and implantation in the national territory. Spain announced the National alert on March 15th  due to the impact of the global coronavirus epidemic that has forced the Cáritas Confederation to activate its response mechanisms to the social emergency generated by this crisis.

This response is being carried out in four areas: support for the basic needs of people in social situations of greater vulnerability and social exclusion; advocacy work to safeguard the rights of citizens in more precarious conditions against the impact of COVID-19; social awareness to strengthen attitudes and processes of reception, listening and community and social accompaniment to the people and families most exposed to the effects of the coronavirus; and fundraising.

Yesterday also Felipe and Letizia held a video conference with the president of Mercadona, Juan Roig. Accompanied by his management team, Roig has expressed his pride in the work and effort of the 90,000 Mercadona workers. The President highlighted the value of the agrifood chain, in which 2.5 million people (farmers, ranchers, transporters and industry) work daily, to supply businesses with the necessary products daily. 

In addition, Roig has stressed that it is very important that the economy does not stop but always guaranteeing the safety and health of workers.

Yesterday, Queen was wearing a navy blazer and trousers with a striped top and blue loafers. I will update the post once the pieces are identified.

Today Queen was wearing a blue blazer with blue trousers, white top and Uterque loafers. Her Karen Hallam ring is present on her ring consistently.

Spain extended its coronavirus lockdown on Thursday as the death toll from the respiratory disease rose to 4,089. Both King Felipe and Queen Letizia went under the Coronavirus test that later on came back negative but Letizia went under precautionary medical watch. The couple had to go through the test as Queen Letizia met with equality minister Irene Montero during APRAMP meeting, who has since been diagnosed with coronavirus.