Kings Felipe VI and Letizia are scheduled to attend next Monday, accompanied by Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlène, an exhibition commemorating the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Principality's embassy in Spain, as reported by the Royal Household.
Before traveling to the exhibition, the King will meet at the Palacio de la Zarzuela with the Monegasque Head of State, a meeting that will be followed by an official lunch.
The presence in Madrid of the Princes of Monaco is in response to the inauguration of the exhibition "Monaco and Spain, five centuries of shared history" at the Royal Botanical Garden, organized to mark the 150 years since the establishment of the first Monegasque diplomatic mission on Spanish territory.
Monday's event adds to other previous visits by Albert II to Spain for various reasons in recent years. On several occasions, he has met with Felipe VI, such as in June 2019, when he was received at Zarzuela, or in October 2022, when the monarch hosted him for lunch.
So far, no official state visit has taken place in either direction, although this scenario could change in 2029. As Monaco's ambassador in Madrid, Catherine Fautrier-Rousseau, revealed in an interview with Europa Press, Albert II has extended an invitation to Felipe VI to participate that year in the events for the 500th anniversary of the visit of Charles I of Spain to the Principality.
The commemoration recalls the journey that Charles of Austria made to Bologna to be crowned emperor by Pope Clement VII, between August 5 and 9, 1529. At that time, Monaco was under Spanish protectorate by virtue of the Treaty of Burgos of 1525, a situation that lasted until 1641.