The Duke of Edinburgh and his family ties with Spain

The Duke of Edinburgh would have turned 100 on June 10. However, two months before this designated date, Queen Elizabeth II's husband has died, having been the longest-serving consort in the history of the British Crown. The reactions to his death have not been long in coming and the Spanish Royal Family has shown its deepest condolences. The husband of Queen Elizabeth II always maintained a close link with Spain due to his relationship with Queen Sofía, whose uncle he was in the second degree, and somewhat more distantly with King Juan Carlos, since all three, like the sovereign British, were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria.

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Felipe de Edimburgo was born in 1921 in the same villa where Doña Sofía spent the summer, on the Greek island of Corfu, and was the grandson of George I of Greece on his father's side and first cousin of Pablo I, the father of Doña Sofía The Duke and Queen Sofía were therefore uncle and niece in the second degree. Their stay in Greece was short-lived. After being born in the Mon Repos village, a year before the official announcement of the engagement of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, and being baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church, the Duke of Edinburgh left the country with his family as a baby, for which did not give him time to learn Greek.

Throughout the years the Duke's affection for Spain due to his family ties has become visible. The two royal couples established a close relationship and showed their affection in each of their encounters. In April 1986, Don Juan Carlos and Dona Sofía staged the first official visit by a Spanish king to the United Kingdom in more than a century, when Queen Elizabeth presented Juan Carlos I with Queen Victoria's necklace.

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As a thank you for their stay, the King and Queen of Spain entertained the British monarchs with a reception at the residence of the Spanish ambassador in London. And as an anecdote, he highlighted the moment in which King Juan Carlos, showing off his sense of humor, told the Spanish journalists gathered there: "Come, I'll introduce you to my cousin", referring to Queen Isabel II. . They have always maintained a special complicity and closeness, which is why the Spanish Royal Family has referred to the Queen of England on more than one occasion as "Lilibeth", as she is known in her most intimate circle.

Two years later, in 1988, the British sovereign traveled to Spain for the first time, and on that visit, the first by an English queen, she received the Golden Fleece, one of the most prestigious and oldest orders of chivalry in Europe. Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh made a trip through our country in which they visited cities such as Barcelona, ​​Palma de Mallorca, Granada and Seville. These were his first official trips, which were later followed by more that revealed the good relationship and closeness that existed between both families.

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Both Don Juan Carlos and Doña Sofía as well as the rest of the Spanish Royal Family have been aware of the Duke's state of health. Let us remember that Sofía was also one of the first visits that Felipe from Edinburgh received in the hospital after exploratory surgery in 2013. Doña Sofía's brother, Constantino de Grecia, who has lived in London until 2013, has also maintained a very close relationship with the English Royal Family, and especially with Prince Charles. Not surprisingly, Felipe VI's maternal uncle is Prince William's godfather at the baptism.

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One of the last visits in which Felipe from Edinburgh was with the Spanish Royal Family was on the occasion of the state trip of Felipe VI and Letizia to the United Kingdom in July 2017. Two years later, in 2019 they went to the proclamation of the monarch as a knight of the Order of the Garter, the highest knightly distinction of the British Monarchy that was awarded to him by Queen Elizabeth II, but in which the Duke of Edinburgh no longer participated after retiring from public life in 2017 .

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As soon as King Felipe and Queen Letizia learned of his sad death, they expressed their sorrow and sent him their most sincere condolences. "Dear Aunt Lilibet, we have felt profound sadness upon receiving the news of the death of our dear Uncle Philip. In these painful moments, we want to convey our heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Government and the Spanish people, as well as all our closeness and support We will never forget the occasions we were able to share with him or the lavish service and dedication to the Crown and the United Kingdom that he always carried out by your side.Our thoughts and prayers are with your majesty and with all the family.With all our love and affection, Felipe, Letizia".

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