The anticipation was at its peak in Ceuta to welcome King Felipe and Queen Letizia, who arrived in the autonomous city a day after presiding over the National Fiesta parade, and 19 years later. Two and a half months after the massive entry of around 80,000 migrants into Ceuta, both were greeted with cheers on their arrival by a large number of Ceutíes, in a climate marked by the presence of a broad deployment of officers from the National Police and the Civil Guard.
Thousands of people, accompanied by flags of Spain, waited for Felipe and Letizia in Plaza de África with shouts of «a Caballa never gives up» or «Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta defends itself».
The first stop of the Spanish royal couple’s itinerary began this noon with a visit to the City Hall, where they were received by Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas. Alongside him were his Government team and the deputies of the autonomous Assembly.
Accompanied by the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, Felipe and Letizia led a long greeting to the people who had been waiting for hours in the surroundings of Paseo Alcalde Sánchez Prados. The Kings of Spain did not stint on selfies and gestures of affection toward the inhabitants of the autonomous city, in what was a veritable sea of people.
The Kings of Spain greet the Ceutans.
For this visit, Queen Letizia opted for a sober and elegant look, where the main protagonist was a gray tweed jacket signed by Hugo Boss that she has worn on several occasions since first wearing it in 2020. She completed her outfit with a dark top and black suit trousers.
After the reception, Felipe and Letizia were presented with the keys to the city of Ceuta during this visit. This is the highest honorary distinction that a municipality or local government can confer on a head of state or distinguished visitor and symbolizes that the “doors of the city” are fully open to them.
In Ceuta, which still retains its imposing Royal Walls, this gesture recalls its past as a fortress in the Strait of Gibraltar. After the ceremony, the Kings went out onto the balcony of the city hall to greet the attendees who were still waiting for them.
Queen Letizia and King Felipe on the balcony of Ceuta’s city hall.
The agenda of Felipe and Letizia in Ceuta
After meeting with the authorities and holding a working meeting with representatives of Ceuta’s society, to whom they conveyed the Crown’s support to the autonomous city’s institutions, Felipe and Letizia have several evening events planned. The first will be a visit to Vicente Aleixandre Primary School, located in the Manzanera neighborhood, noted for its educational project and its multicultural coexistence.
Felipe and Letizia with the keys to the city of Ceuta.
Next, the Kings of Spain will participate in a solemn ceremony at the Sidi Embarek cemetery. There, Their Majesties will preside over an ecumenical tribute in memory of the people who died at sea during the migrant crisis on July 30 and 31. The event will include representation from the four religious confessions of the city.
Finally, the official visit agenda to Ceuta will conclude with an official reception at the Parador de Ceuta with representatives of Ceuta’s civil, cultural and business sectors, where Felipe VI will deliver a speech. The King of Spain had already spoken on this matter during the gala dinner in honor of President Macron, when he stated that “we cannot face a responsibility that is everyone’s to shoulder alone.”
Felipe and Letizia will sleep in Ceuta
Another notable aspect of the Spanish royal couple’s trip to Ceuta is their decision to spend the night in the autonomous city before continuing tomorrow their journey to Melilla. There, Felipe and Letizia will begin their schedule at 11:45 with a visit to the Melilla Assembly and will move in the afternoon to the Pintor Eduardo Morillas Kindergarten and Primary School. Subsequently, they will hold a meeting with a representation of the Melilla society, where Felipe VI will deliver another speech.
This marks the first time in democracy that a head of state spends the night in the Autonomous City. To recall a similar situation, we must go back to 1927, when Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia visited Ceuta, but spent the night aboard the battleship Jaime I moored off the North African coast. In the trip undertaken by the kings Juan Carlos I and Sofía in November 2007 to Ceuta, they spent the night in Málaga before heading to Melilla.
