On the 50th anniversary of the Spanish Monarchy, King Felipe VI presided over events highlighting the contrast between the Transition's consensus and current polarization. Only PP and PSOE attended the Congress colloquium, while other parties stayed away. Participants praised Juan Carlos I's role despite his exclusion.
On Friday, November 21, 2025, the 50th anniversary celebration of the Spanish Monarchy took place at the Palacio Real and the Sala Constitucional of the Congress of Deputies, a space rich in Transition symbolism, featuring portraits of the seven Constitution drafters and Juan Genovés's embrace painting.
Felipe González, accompanied by his wife Mar García Vaquero and wearing the Golden Fleece order bestowed by the King, attended the colloquium on the Monarchy and Constitution promoted by the Casa Real. He sat with Miguel Herrero de Miñón and Miquel Roca, the two living fathers of the Fundamental Law. No socialists approached to greet him, though PP spokesperson Ester Muñoz did, highlighting paradoxes in Spanish politics where González garners more sympathy from the right than the left.
Speakers—Iñaki Gabilondo, Fernando Ónega, Juan Pablo Fusi, Adela Cortina, Rosario García, and Juan José Laborda—praised Juan Carlos I's historical role, despite his exclusion from the events. Only PP and PSOE representatives attended, united by the Monarchy but opposed on everything else. Adela Cortina urged parties to acknowledge they share “muchos elementos que comparten,” evoking nostalgia for past consensus against current polarization. Heirs of communists and Catalan nationalism, like figures of Jordi Solé Tura and Roca, did not participate.
The atmosphere was tense following the Supreme Court's ruling against the Attorney General the previous day. Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Félix Bolaños sat together by protocol, with no notable conversations. Also present were Isabel Perelló, Cándido Conde Pumpido, María Jesús Montero, and Ángel Víctor Torres; Pedro Sánchez was en route to the G20 summit in South Africa. In the end, the kings and their daughters posed for a family photo, excluding Feijóo despite his invitation as opposition leader. That day, Isabel Díaz Ayuso labeled Sánchez's government a 'dictadura'.