The long-awaited visit to Ceuta and Melilla by the kings of Spain now has dates. According to sources from the Royal Household and La Moncloa confirmed this Thursday, Felipe and Letizia will visit the two autonomous cities on the coming 13th and 14th of October. Thus, the monarch and his wife will pack their bags just hours after presiding over the traditional parade of the Armed Forces on October 12 and the subsequent reception at the Royal Palace.
The decision to finally set a concrete date comes after two months of speculation about the most appropriate moment for the kings of Spain to travel to Ceuta and Melilla. A visit that, as reported at the time from Zarzuela, was already planned before the migrant crisis erupted at the end of last July. The program of that trip, which has been agreed upon between the Government and the Royal Household, will be announced in the coming days.
At the time, Moncloa asserted that the visit would take place when «the appropriate conditions were met». And Pedro Sánchez stated in Congress that it would serve to have Felipe VI convey «the absolute commitment of the State» to Ceuta and Melilla. This will be the first time that the King of Spain visits both autonomous cities, almost 20 years after Juan Carlos I did so in 2007, in a trip that provoked a diplomatic crisis with Morocco.
In this sense, and regarding a possible conflict with Rabat, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has stated that «nobody threatens Spain» nor decides where the kings go when it comes to Spanish cities. In statements to the Al Rojo Vivo program on La Sexta, he added that »they have every right in the world to go to Ceuta, to Melilla, to Valladolid or to Madrid«.
Felipe VI calls for EU Cooperation
The King of Spain spoke about the situation in Ceuta during the recent state banquet on the occasion of the state visit of the French president. Felipe VI then called for strengthening cooperation among the European Union member states in the face of «the massive intrusion of tens of thousands of people into Ceuta violating a Spanish border» which, he noted, is also European, a fact he has deemed «unacceptable.»
The Kings of Spain, during the gala dinner with the Macrons.
During his speech delivered in the presence of Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron, Felipe VI also stressed the need to be “more effective and united in protecting the Union’s external border.” He added that “the countries bearing the greatest pressure from being on the European Union’s external border cannot face this responsibility alone, a responsibility that belongs to all.”
After stating that this migratory crisis “poses a huge challenge, from the standpoint of security, public order and humanitarianism,” Felipe VI stressed that “this is when we need the best version of Europe.” For his part, the French leader likewise advocated for the work that Spain and France are doing to defend an international order based on the Rule of Law and dialogue.
His Next State Visit
The presence of Felipe and Letizia in Ceuta and Melilla will take place a week after they undertake their first State Visit of this 2026. The Kings of Spain will travel to Finland on the 5th and 7th of October, a trip that is framed within our country’s commitment to the security and defense of Europe in the Arctic.
The itinerary of the trip, in which they will be accompanied by Minister Albares, will include stops in Helsinki—where they will be received by President Alexander Stubb— and Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland. Business meetings, engagements related to the teaching of Spanish in the Scandinavian country, and meetings with leaders of the Sámi people will be part of the Kings’ program.
