King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have completed a total of 18 official state trips abroad since the start of their reign in June 2014, and they will soon add one more to the list. According to the Royal Household, the monarch and his wife will pack their bags to visit Finland from October 5 to 7. This marks the first state visit of the Spanish monarchs to the Scandinavian nation, following the one by Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía in 1989.
At that time, the now-retired king delivered a speech in which he described Finland—which had just joined the European Council—as a prosperous, industrious and brave country, that enjoys a very high standard of living and that has managed to develop high technology. The father of Felipe VI also highlighted the beauty of this land and the many virtues that adorn its people.
This state visit, in which they will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, is part of Spain’s commitment to strategic autonomy and Europe’s security and defence across all its borders. And it also constitutes an opportunity to continue strengthening the close bilateral ties that bind the two countries, partners in the European Union and allies in NATO.
This visit will take place only a few days after the Spanish kings welcome Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron at the Royal Palace of Madrid in their last visit to Spain before leaving the Élysée. And it is also in line with the announcement by the Prime Minister, , that our country will join NATO’s mission of advanced ground forces in Finland to protect the Arctic region.
Tourism, Meetings and Gala Dinner
The kings Felipe and Letizia will be officially welcomed on their arrival in Helsinki by the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and his wife, Suzanne Innes-Stubb. During their first day in the country, Felipe VI will hold meetings with Finland’s prime minister, Petteri Orpo, and the president of the Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho. The agenda also includes business meetings and engagements related to the teaching of Spanish in the Arctic nation.
Felipe VI greets the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, in 2022.
After being hosted with a State Dinner in his honor at the Presidential Palace, the following day the Spanish kings will head to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland. In this tourist city located in the northern part of Finland, they will visit a military base and participate in a seminar on security and cooperation at Europe’s borders.
Rovaniemi is especially famous for hosting Santa Claus Village, an all-year-round theme park built right on the Arctic Circle. We do not know if it is planned that Felipe and Letizia will meet Santa Claus in person, but they will meet with representatives of the Sami, the last indigenous people of Europe who have lived for centuries in northern Finland, Sweden, Norway and the northwest of Russia.
The Last State Visit to China
The last time King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia packed their bags for a state visit was last November, and their destination was the People’s Republic of China, a country they had already visited as princes in 2006. With the aim of continuing to strengthen the ties between the two countries, the trip took them to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, and to Beijing.
In his speech before the Spanish community in Beijing, at the final act of the State visit, which took place within the framework of the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Spain and China, Felipe VI highlighted how our country maintains with the Asian nation a fruitful dialogue that is European and unique at the same time. And he defended the shared will to continue building a pragmatic relationship based on dialogue, mutual respect and benefit, friendship, and broad and ambitious cooperation.
