The Royal Household received a total of 301 institutional gifts last year at various events, ranging from a pen, a stuffed animal, two candlesticks, to a chef’s jacket. These gifts have been disclosed on the institution’s transparency portal, detailing the recipient, date, gift, and the entity or individual who presented it, as mandated by the Transparency Law. In previous years, the number of gifts received by the Royal Household has fluctuated, from 326 in the first year of disclosure to 378 in 2016, peaking at 440 in 2018, and dropping to 246 in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year, 301 gifts were received, with half of them going to King Felipe VI, followed by Queen Letizia, Princess of Asturias, Infanta Sofia, and Queen Sofia.
Gifts received by the Royal Household become part of the National Heritage, as stated by the law. Notably, there were no gifts allocated to former King Juan Carlos, who retired from public duties in 2019 and moved to reside in Abu Dhabi a year later. Among the standout gifts received in 2023 include a guayabera shirt from the Governor of Puerto Rico at the International Tourism Fair, various books, a stuffed animal from a trip to New York, two candlesticks from the President of Chile, and a personalized chef’s jacket from chef Koldo Royo. Queen Letizia received a personalized San Fermín scarf from the Mayor of Pamplona and a wallet from the wife of the Dutch Prime Minister at the European Political Community summit held in Granada.
Gifts presented to Queen Letizia, Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofia included three jerseys from Jaén CF football club and a copy of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the Charter of Fundamental Rights from the Prime Minister during the swearing-in ceremony of Princess Leonor. Later in the year, King Abdullah II of Jordan presented Queen Letizia with a coat on December 12, 2023. These gifts aim to strengthen diplomatic relations and honour cultural exchanges between countries, while also showcasing the diverse range of items received by the Royal Household. The disclosure of institutional gifts adds a layer of transparency to the workings of the Royal Household, allowing the public to understand the exchanges and relationships that are cultivated through such gestures.
