Princess Leonor is the only one of all the princesses and crown princes of Europe who will not be present at the celebrations held in London this weekend on the occasion of the Coronation of Carlos III. The Spanish heiress, who is going through her last weeks at the Atlantic College of Wales, has her end-of-year exams these days. The events held at Buckingham Palace will be attended, in addition to the Princes of Wales, by Princess Victoria of Sweden, Elizabeth of Belgium and Amalia of the Netherlands, as well as Frederick of Denmark and Haakon of Norway, the current heirs, together with Leonor, of the crowns of Europe.
In addition to her obligations as a student, the reasons put forward by the Zarzuela to justify Leonor’s absence from the London event are based on the princess’s minority, who, unlike her European counterparts, has not yet assumed representation tasks. That is the argument that was given when, last year, on the occasion of the coming of age of Princess Ingrid of Norway (daughter of Crown Prince Haakon), European royalty and all the heirs, including the heirs of the heirs like Estela de Suecia, still a girl.
On this occasion, despite the historical significance of the coronation of Carlos III, the presence of the Spanish heiress has not been considered opportune either. despite the fact that the events take place on the weekend and that Leonor is in the United Kingdom.
The royal houses, whose heads of family will attend the ceremony that will take place on Saturday at Westminster Abbey, are also summoned to the reception that Carlos and Camilla will offer on Friday night at Buckingham Palace. Although the protocol has not been made public, it is certain that it will be a gala meeting, in which the attending kings and princes will wear their royal finery, even if it is in the most austere version possible to continue with the prudential recommendations that will mark all the celebrations.
The solemn coronation ceremony, which will take place on Saturday morning in Westminster, will be attended, along with other heads of state, by the Kings of Spain, Felipe and Letizia; Guillermo and Máxima from the Netherlands; Philippe and Matilde of Belgium, Carlos Gustaf of Sweden and Crown Princess Victoria, as well as Grand Dukes Henri and Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Alberto and Charléne of Monaco. Representing the heads of their respective royal houses at Westminster Abbey will be Frederick and Mary of Denmark; Haakon and Mette Marit from Norway and Akishino and Kiko from Japan. Everyone will also be at the reception that Carlos and Camila will offer on Friday night at Buckingham Palace.
As in the funeral of Isabel II, in the coronation of Carlos III will be the heads of non-reigning royal houses such as Pablo de Grecia, together with his mother Ana MarÃa; Alexander of Serbia and other relatives of the Windsors. The kings Juan Carlos and SofÃa, who were at the farewell to the deceased British queen, will not be, however, at the coronation of the new monarch. Neither Zarzuela nor Buckingham Palace have given an explanation for this absence, beyond the fact that the Foreign Oficce (the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs) has been in charge of issuing the invitations.
