King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, accompanied for the second consecutive year by their two daughters, met this Tuesday with more than half a thousand representatives of civil society from the Balearic Islands at the traditional summer reception held on the occasion of the Royal Family’s vacation in Mallorca, the major institutional event of their summers on the island. Joining the meeting, as has happened every year, was Queen Emerita Sofía, who also did not miss this event that for five years has been organized in the gardens of the Marivent Palace, the private residence that the Kings use during their stays on the island and which they chose as the setting instead of the Almudaina Palace.
For the second summer, the focus of attention and the gazes have been on Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, who debuted as hosts at this event last year, when both had already reached the age of majority. This Tuesday was the first public photo of the entire Royal Family during their island vacation. Until now, only Queen Letizia had been seen, who last Sunday attended the closing gala of the Mallorca Atlántida Film Festival, where she shared the spotlight with actors Javier Bardem and Vicky Luengo, who presented El ser querido, a film by director Rodrigo Sorogoyen. Meanwhile, Felipe VI was seen on Monday and also today at the Palma Royal Nautical Club.
The Kings and their daughters went out to the Marivent gardens a few minutes after 9:00 p.m., the scheduled time, in a sultry atmosphere heightened by the soaring humidity in Mallorca these days. First came Felipe and Letizia, followed by Doña Sofía between her two granddaughters. After waiting at the palace entrance, the more than 600 guests at the event passed one by one through the usual hand-kissing to greet them.
As usual, the group of attendees is an eclectic mix: artists, politicians, unionists, representatives and spokespeople of professional associations, social entities, and sports clubs. Attendees are invited to leave their vehicles in the parking lot of the nearby Porto Pi naval base, from where shuttle buses transport them to the royal grounds. In one of the adjacent buildings, they wait with fans for about an hour until the event begins, a wait usually eased by the drinks served by the person in charge of the dinner catering.
Guests began to parade shortly before 9:00 p.m. along the paved path that connects both buildings in strict protocol order. The first to greet the Kings was the President of the Congress, Francina Armengol. Later, it was the turn of the political authorities of the islands, led by the President of the Balearic Government, Marga Prohens, accompanied by almost all of her consellers. As usual, the representatives of MÉS per Mallorca declined the invitation from the Royal House as a demonstration of their opposition to the existence of a “hereditary” institution “incompatible with the democratic values” they defend.
Among the guests on this occasion was singer Jaime Anglada. A friend of Felipe VI, with whom he always meets during the Kings’ stay in Mallorca, the artist is still in rehabilitation from the traffic accident he suffered when he was hit by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle through the center of Palma, an accident that will mark its first anniversary on August 8. During the hand-kissing, the singer exchanged a brief conversation with all family members.
Also accepting the invitation were designer Sybilla, jeweler Isabel Guarch, director Rafa Cortés, painter Domingo Zapata, chef and participant in Supervivientes 2025 Koldo Royo, Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of the Meliá chain, Fiona Ferrer, and designer Pablo Erroz, who this Monday was recognized, along with actor Michael Douglas and eight others, with the new Mallorca, Terra d’Honor distinction, promoted by the island government to recognize personalities who have projected to the world the “essence, identity, and way of life” of the island. This year, however, neither Rafa Nadal — who was named Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca by Felipe VI in June last year — nor Rudy Fernández, usual attendees, were present.
Attendees shook hands with the Kings, their daughters, and the Queen Emerita, some stopping briefly to chat. After the greetings, the more than 600 guests dispersed across the main esplanade of the palace, outdoors and surrounded by huge gardens, where high tables were set up with the gastronomic proposal, which on this occasion was handled by three Mallorcan chefs. Marga Coll, Maca de Castro, and Santi Taura were responsible for the menu with 15 savory courses and three sweet ones — as they had done alone in the past. Their dishes highlighted local products: traditional Mallorcan tumbet, seriola with peppers, pickled eggplants with cured Mahón cheese, tomato with dry ray from Formentera, trampó with smoked sardines and sea fennel, Mallorcan veal with capers, porc negre skewer, crispy Mallorcan rock mullets with snail herb mayonnaise, sobrasada omelet, Italian-style Mallorcan red cow bonbon, or Ibizan flaó.
Among the men attending, the guayabera shirt was again abundant — including the King — a dress code proposal first introduced in 2025 that was very successful since it allows leaving the jacket at home. Among women, short dresses were required. It has been 12 years since Felipe VI and Letizia changed the strict gala dinner that Juan Carlos I and Sofía offered only to political and military authorities, a clear gesture of opening the monarchy to society. The meeting, which lasts about two hours, allows the family to chat and exchange ideas with the guests, with whom they mingle throughout the event.
This Tuesday’s reception is the first official event of the entire Royal Family at the start of their summer vacation. The King began his agenda in the Balearic Islands on Friday, July 24, receiving the main political authorities of the islands, but then traveled to participate in the inauguration of the President of Peru, Keiko Fujimori. A couple of days earlier, he visited with Queen Letizia those affected by the fires in the Community of Madrid and Ávila. Last Wednesday, the Monarch held the traditional summer briefing with the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez. This Monday and Tuesday he was already photographed at the Porto Pi base, where the crew of the Hispania, the new boat he will captain in the 44th Mapfre King’s Sailing Cup held in Palma Bay until August 8, when the trophies are awarded to the winners, awaited him. In the middle of the competition, Felipe VI plans to attend the inauguration of the new President of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, which will be held next Friday in Cali. But the next day he will be back in Palma to present the competition trophies at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina.
As for Letizia and her daughters, they have no more official events on the island, although they are expected to make some private outings as happens every year, usually to dine at a restaurant in the Balearic capital.
This summer in Palma was also marked by the return of Juan Carlos I after seven years. It was at the end of July when the emeritus king traveled to the island to celebrate a friend’s birthday and took the opportunity to visit Queen Sofía at Marivent.
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