By Ben Kerrigan
King Felipe VI of Spain are enjoying their first state visit to the UK for 31 years, and arrived to a red carpet welcome. The Spanish royals were greeted by the Queen and Prince Phillip, and have made their way to Buckingham Palace.
Commentators believe they may use the visit to urge Britain to give up sovereignty over Gibraltar, diplomats said today.
The king and Queen Letizia were welcomed with a carriage procession along The Mall and a royal salute fired from Green Park and the Tower of London.
The Queen will host the three-day tour which includes a speech to Parliament and talks at 10 Downing Street with Theresa May and senior ministers from both countries.
Spain’s claim to sovereignty over Gibraltar is not part of the agenda, but diplomats expect the king to raise it either in his speech today to MPs and peers or during political talks tomorrow. In September, 2016, Felipe used a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York to attack “the colonial anachronism of Gibraltar”. The Sovereignty of Gibraltar is currently a sore topic, with Britain holding unto their colonial claim over Gibraltar.
The dispute between Spain and Britain over the Penninsula off the Spanish Coast is an overseas British territory since the 18th century , but the Spanish still lay claim to it. In April, Michael Howard suggested that the dispute could lead to a war between Britain and Spain, a suggestion that was quickly rubbished by Mp’s and commentators.
During their visit, the Spanish royals will be feted at a grand state banquet in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace tonight attended by Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. They will later visit the Crick Institute and Oxford University and, with Prince Harry, carrying out his first state visit, will visit Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath and visit the tomb of Eleanor of Castile, the 13th-century Spanish princess who married Edward. Gibraltar has come up over the years as a contentious issue between Britain and Spain, with the British Government taking an adamant stance on the Sovereignty of Gibraltar. Last April, the issue came up over trade relations shortly after Article 50 was invoked by Theresa May to formalize Britain’s departure from the EU.
At the time, Michael Howard suggested that the dispute could lead to a war between Britain and Spain- a suggestion that was quickly rubbished by commentators and Mp’s alike, since both countries are NATO countries. If the issue is raised during this visit, it could prove incredibly awkward for both parties, and lead to a tense debate which could spoil the trip of the Spanish Royals