Felipe VI is celebrating his first 10 years as head of state with a message to society emphasizing three words: service, commitment, and duty. These concepts are repeated in the King’s speeches and are meant to represent the “renewed monarchy for a new time” that he promised a decade ago. The royal emblem, released by La Zarzuela, features the Coat of Arms of Felipe VI on a crimson background, the constitutional symbol, along with the message “X Anniversary” and the aforementioned motto. The emblem and seal will be valid for one year. A day filled with activities has been planned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Felipe VI’s proclamation as King of Spain, following his father Juan Carlos I’s abdication, at the Cortes Generales.
The day will begin with a solemn flag-raising ceremony at La Zarzuela, followed by celebrations at the Royal Palace and its surroundings. Various units from the Guardia Civil and the three military branches will assemble at the Plaza Mayor in the center of Madrid. They will march along Calle Mayor to the Royal Palace, where a changing of the guard event will take place at the Plaza de la Armería. Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, accompanied by their daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, will observe the event from the palace balcony. The princess and the infanta have traveled to Madrid for the anniversary, with Leonor completing her military training at the Zaragoza Academy in the Spanish Army and Sofía studying in Wales.
Later in the morning, ceremonies will take place inside the Royal Palace where the King and his family will present the Order of Civil Merit to 19 citizens, representing each autonomous community in Spain. Felipe VI will address all branches of the State in a speech. This will be the fourth time he has bestowed this honor, having previously done so in 2015, 2019, and 2021. In the afternoon, the focus will shift to Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, who will participate in a tour of the Royal Collections Gallery with a group of young contest winners. A concert by the Guardia Real will entertain the Plaza de Oriente, where violinist Ara Malikian will perform from a palace balcony. The day will conclude with a projection of images from Felipe VI’s reign on the facade of the Palacio Real.
On Thursday, the royal couple will inaugurate an exhibition of 23 large photos titled Felipe VI 2014-2024. A Decade of Spanish Crown History. The exhibit features significant institutional moments such as Felipe VI’s proclamation and a tribute to COVID-19 victims. It will be open to the public for free until October 20 and will later become an itinerant exhibit visiting cities like Zaragoza, Granada, and Valencia in 2024 and 2025. Overall, the celebrations mark a milestone in King Felipe VI’s reign and highlight the values of service, commitment, and duty that he aims to uphold in the monarchy for years to come.
