Speculation is rife that King Charles will visit Madrid in the early part of 2024.

The invitation was originally made in November when King Felipe visited London to mark the 135th anniversary of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK.

During the visit the two monarchs held a private meeting at King Charles´s residence in Clarence House, where the Spanish king”expressed his wish for King Charles to visit Spain soon, given the deep ties between the two countries and both Royal Families”.

Both the British and Spanish Royal Families share a common lineage through Queen Victoria.

Felipe´s great-grandfather, Alfonso XIII married Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, who was his royal consort until he abdicated in 1931 and the Spanish monarchy abolished with the proclamation of the Second Republic.

According to Spanish media reports, the visit is expected to take place at the end of January or beginning of February and possibly in the form of a reciprocal event with the British Chamber of Commerce.

The British Chamber in Spain dates back to 1908 and could be holding a gala dinner similar to the one held in London for the Spanish Chamber.

King Charles, last visited Madrid as Prince of Wales in 2013 and will be the first royal visit since the UK´s withdrawal from the European Union at the end of 2020.

King Felipe and Queen Leticia are both frequent visitors to the UK, having attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth and the coronation of King Charles.

In 2017 the Spanish royal couple made a successful state visit to the UK in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, in which he called for a closer bilateral relationship between the countries.

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