An Unprecedented Reception at the Royal Palace
This Saturday, June 7, Spain is preparing to welcome Pope Leo XIV on a visit that promises to be memorable. At 10:30 AM, His Holiness will land at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, where he will be greeted by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. This meeting will mark the beginning of a week full of activities that will culminate on Friday, June 12.
At 11:30 AM, the Pope will make his triumphant entrance in the Plaza de la Armería of the Royal Palace, escorted by the Royal Escort Squadron on horseback. The ceremony will feature a honour guard formation, which will include the Honour Guard Squadron and the Music Unit. This military display is a symbol of respect and the importance of the event.
Upon arrival, Leo XIV will be welcomed alongside the Kings and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía. The Royal Battery will perform a 21-gun salute, a tribute reserved for heads of state. During this act, the national anthems of both the Vatican and Spain will be played, highlighting the international significance of the moment.
After the formal greeting, a private meeting will take place between the Royal Family and the Holy Father in the Gasparini Hall. Subsequently, both will deliver speeches before approximately 250 distinguished guests, including government officials and diplomatic representatives.
This will be the ninth occasion that a Pope visits Spain; from John Paul II to Benedict XVI, significant milestones have marked this relationship between the Vatican and the Iberian country. The first visit took place in 1982 with John Paul II, who returned several times before Benedict XVI did so between 2006 and 2011.
Throughout his stay in Madrid, various religious activities will take place. On Sunday the 8th, the Kings will attend a Holy Mass in the Plaza de Cibeles; while on Monday the 9th, Queen Sofía will participate in a tribute to the Virgin of Almudena presided over by Leo XIV. Wednesday the 10th will culminate with another mass officiated by him at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia.
Friday the 12th will be a significant day when Felipe VI bids farewell to the Pope at Tenerife North Airport after seven days filled with meaningful meetings and cultural exchanges.
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