Spain's Royal Family gathered on Saturday at the El Pardo Palace for a private lunch marking the 50th anniversary of the parliamentary monarchy. Attendees include emeritus kings Juan Carlos I and Sofia, King Felipe VI and Letizia with their daughters, in the first full reunion since 2023. The event remains strictly private, following Juan Carlos's absence from Friday's official ceremony.
The gathering occurred on November 22, 2025, at the El Pardo Palace in Madrid, where the full Royal Family sat down for lunch at 13:30. Early arrivals came just after 13:00, though La Zarzuela prevented any public images. Photographers managed to capture Juan Carlos I's car, but he avoided appearing.
This reunion represents the first time in two years that the monarchy's past, present, and future—embodied by Juan Carlos I, Felipe VI, and Princess Leonor—have shared a table, since the heiress swore allegiance to the Constitution upon turning 18 in 2023. Invitations extended to the broader family, including Felipe VI's sisters, Infantas Elena and Cristina, and their nephews.
The backdrop involves Juan Carlos's self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi and the recent release of his memoirs 'Reconciliación', published in France and set for Spain on December 3. The book has stirred controversy by criticizing, among other things, Queen Letizia. Thus, his involvement was confined to this private lunch, skipping Friday's official event at the Royal Palace.
During that formal ceremony, Felipe VI praised his father's role in Spain's democratic Transition after Francisco Franco's dictatorship, noting his contribution to national stability. The current king awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece to his mother, Queen Sofia. Former Prime Minister Felipe González, who received the same honor alongside Miguel Herrero Rodríguez de Miñón and Miquel Roca, recalled Juan Carlos I, Adolfo Suárez, and Santiago Carrillo's parts in the Transition process.