Pope Leo XIV got a royal welcome as part of the pontiff’s official six-day visit to Spain.
After arriving in the country this morning, Leo received a state welcome at the Royal Palace in Madrid, with King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, the heir to the crown Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofia all in attendance. While the king and the two younger women wore traditional black in deference to His Holiness, Letizia exercised her right as one of only a handful of royal women granted the “privilege of the white,” opting for a crewneck, long-sleeve white lace dress with matching pumps.
Following the welcome ceremony, the Pope was set to meet privately with the king and queen, followed by an engagement with the diplomatic corps. It’s just the first day of a nearly week-long itinerary of events that will see the pontiff meet with representative of the Spanish government, clergy, and charitable organizations. During his time in the country, Leo will also given multiple masses, including, most notably, an inaugural mass for the Tower of Jesus Christ, the final tower of the century-long construction project at the Basilica of the Sagrada Família.
The tower is the 18th such structure designed by architect Antoni Gaudí, and the final one to be completed in the famously long creation of the basilica. The tower was completed in February, officially making Sagrada Familia the world’s tallest church, standing at 172.5 meters (566 feet)—just shy of Montjuïc hill nearby, in keeping with the devout architects belief that a human construction should not attempt to surpass the work of God.
In a nod to Gaudi, Leo’s inaugural mass on June 10 will also fall on the centennial of the iconic architect’s death.
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.townandcountrymag.com ’
