The Royal House has congratulated this Monday October 12, 2026 the Day of the National Holiday of Spain with a message focused on unity, shared values and recognition of those who work in service of the country. Through a publication on its official account on X, the institution has disseminated a video in which it appears "Happy #NationalHolidayDay!" and the tags #12deOctubre and #DFN26, used to identify the official celebrations of this year.
The institutional congratulation coincides with one of the most relevant days of the official Spanish calendar, in which the Day of the National Holiday of 2026 has its central event in the military parade that travels the main streets of Madrid, presided over by Felipe VI and Queen Letizia along with their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, whose presence completes the representation of the Royal Family in one of the most important institutional appointments of the year.
Hoy celebramos todo aquello que compartimos y nos une como país, y reconocemos la dedicación y el servicio de quienes trabajan cada día por España.
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) October 12, 2026
¡Feliz #DíaDeLaFiestaNacional!#12deOctubre #DFN26 pic.twitter.com/jsA8lNX8Lq
The official acts are scheduled to begin with around 4,400 military personnel, 144 vehicles, 39 motorcycles, 50 airplanes, and 32 helicopters, in a device that includes units from the three Armies, the Civil Guard, the Military Emergency Unit, the Royal Guard, and other bodies related to security, civil protection, and emergencies.
The route runs through the axis of the reception offered by the Kings at the Royal Palace of Madrid, an institutional meeting that brings together representatives of the powers of the State, political authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, and personalities from different areas of Spanish society.
A message of unity with the Spanish flag as the protagonist
The publication disseminated by the Royal House places dedication and service of those who work every day for Spain, an expression that connects with the recognition of the Armed Forces, the security bodies, and other professionals linked to the functioning of public services, although the message does not expressly mention any specific collective.
The content of the greeting is framed in the institutional role of the Crown, which, according to October 12, has been the National Holiday of Spain since 1987, when the General Courts approved Law 18/1987, of October 7, which officially established this date as a day of national celebration, replacing the normative dispersion that had until then allowed the coexistence of different official commemorations.
The choice of the day is historically linked to the Day of the Hispanicity, its official designation is Day of the National Holiday of Spain, a distinction that explains why the institutions of the State usually use this last expression in their official communications and publications.
The commemoration is also related to the history of Spanish colonial expansion in America, a process that has led to different historical interpretations and debates about its consequences for indigenous populations, the configuration of American societies, and the shared cultural legacy between Spain and the Spanish-speaking countries.
October 12 is also the day of the Civil Guard
The celebration of the National Day coincides, moreover, with the official reception offered by Felipe VI and Letizia at the Royal Palace, a meeting that traditionally allows gathering in one day representatives of the main Spanish institutions, political leaders, military authorities, and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Spain.
The appointment constitutes one of the main protocol events of the Crown's calendar and is celebrated after the military parade, prolonging the institutional character of a day that combines the acts of homage to the flag with the recognition of the Armed Forces and the representation of public powers.