For her final public engagement of 2020, Queen Letizia joined her husband King Felipe VI in Barcelona to deliver the Miguel de Cervantes 2019 Prize for Literature in the Spanish Language.

The prize is the highest recognition of the creative work of Spanish and Hispanic American writers whose work has enriched the literary heritage in the Spanish language. The award is named after Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language. The annual event is held on 23rd April at the University of Alcalá in the town of Alcalá de Henares, commemorating the death of Miguel de Cervantes, however, this year the pandemic prevented the event from going ahead.

The jury awarded the 2019 prize to Joan Margarit, a Spanish poet, architect and retired professor.  After the formal greetings at the Palacio de Albéniz, Their Majesties presented the award which was followed by a conversation with the winner and his wife, Mariona Ribalta.

Queen Letizia brought back the cream asymmetrical dress featuring frayed finishes. 

She premiered the piece earlier this year for the Solemn Opening Ceremony of the XIV Legislature. The designer still remains unidentified.

Letizia again opted to accessorize the dress with her studded snakeskin pumps and clutch by Magrit.

Their Majesties are expected to resume royal duties in the first week of the new year when they preside over the traditional celebration of the Pascua Militar on 6th January 2020. I suspect it may be a scaled back ceremony due to COVID restrictions.

Feliz Navidad and Happy New Year to all my readers!

- Elizabeth xo
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On Friday the King and Queen of Spain inaugurated the monument-sculpture 'El Árbol de la vida' (The Tree of Life) in tribute to all health professionals in Spain, in recognition of their work, effort and commitment during the COVID-19 crisis, at Plaza de los Sagrados Corazones, Madrid.  

After the welcome, the tribute began with a minutes silence for the health workers who have lost their lives during the pandemic. The president of the General Council of Official Medical Associations and the president of the AMA Foundation gave speeches and Their Majesties received an explanation of the monument, by the artist Jaume Plensa.

Later in the afternoon, Their Majesties visited the Caritas Diocesiana Care Center for the Elderly 'Santa Catalina de Alejandría' in the Madrid municipality of Brea de Tajo.

Caritas, Spain, is the official confederation of the social and charitable action organisations of the Catholic Church in Spain, which was established in 1947. The Brea de Tajo Centre opened in 2019 with the aim of guaranteeing that the elderly within the region have their basic needs met and that they can retain a certain quality of life without leaving their environment. At the centre, a daily menu is prepared for more than a hundred users who are 65 years and above. The program provides a good diet and helps combat loneliness elders may feel with a multipurpose room where memory workshops take place, film screenings or reading clubs.

After the formal greetings, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia received a presentation on the Caritas project for home assistance. The visit concluded with a tour of the Centre's facilities. ​

​The Queen of Spain began her second day in Honduras with a meeting with the Spanish NGOs active in the humanitarian response to hurricanes ETA and IOTA in the Sula Valley area. It is estimated that the hurricanes have affected 40% of the population and have caused a magnitude of damage which has been exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic. 

After the meeting, Her Majesty travelled to the Coronel Armando Escalón Espinal Air Base, where she was received by the President of the Republic of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández and First Lady Ana García. At the hangar, a meeting was held on the devastation caused by the hurricanes ETA and IOTA, the Queen also saw a sample of the material aid sent by the Spanish cooperation.

Afterwards, Queen Letizia went to the Oswaldo Lopez de Arellano Basic Education Centre accompanied by the President and First Lady, where she received explanations of the educational project by the Secretary of State for International Cooperation.

The Queen then travelled to Instituto Patria where she toured the shelter established there. During the visit, Her Majesty had the opportunity to converse with displaced people and aid workers. Concluding the two-day trip, a lunch was hosted by the President of the Republic of Honduras at the Operations Center of the 105th Brigade. 

Queen Letizia arrived in a casual ensemble wearing slim olive chinos teamed with her ivory Carolina Herrera Belted Linen Jacket and Panama Jack boots.  

On Monday the Queen of Spain arrived at the Coronel Héctor Moncada Air Base (La Ceiba), to begin a two-day humanitarian aid trip to Honduras. 

During the trip, Her Majesty will learn first hand of the devastation caused by the hurricanes ETA and IOTA. A large volume of aid will also be delivered which constitutes as the greatest effort in the last ten years by the Spanish Cooperation, which will be distributed among the Honduran population.    

The trip will be the prelude to a long-term recovery and reconstruction plan that goes beyond emergency aid. The Queen's visit also aims to contribute to raising awareness and mobilising the international community to redouble efforts in critical areas such as education, health and climate change. ​​

Queen Letizia arrived in a casual ensemble wearing slim beige chinos teamed with her white Massimo Dutti epaulettes shirt and Panama Jack boots.   

The King and Queen of Spain accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses, Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Girona and Infanta Sofia held a meeting with the Board of Trustees of the Princess of Girona Foundation (FPdGi) at the Royal Palace of El Pardo, Madrid. 

The FPdGi is a private foundation, which was created in 2009. It is promoted by approximately 90 top-level employers, King Felipe VI is the honorary president on behalf of his eldest daughter, Princess Leonor.

​The foundation aspires to be a benchmark at the state level in supporting young people in their professional and personal development, placing special interest in the detection of talented young people who serve as contemporary references to other young people (FPdGi Awards), as well as programs for the improved employability (Talent Rescuers) and educational transformation of young teachers.

During the meeting, the Board approved the 2020 activity report and the action plan for next year.  ​

The Queen of Spain held a working meeting with the Fundación del Español Urgente FundéuRAE (Foundation of Emerging Spanish) board of trustees, at the Royal Spanish Academy, Madrid.  ​

The FundéuRAE is a non-profit organisation founded in February 2005, the result of an agreement between the EFE Agency and the BBVA bank, with the advice of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), whose main objective is to promote the good use of Spanish in the media. Its team of journalists, linguists, lexicographers, orthotypegraphers, proofreaders and translators offer recommendations and answers daily queries, to aid those who use the language in their work.  ​

During the meeting, Her Majesty was informed of the objectives of FundéuRAE, which since last September has been integrated with the RAE and the EFE Agency. In addition, they also discussed its relaunch, which seeks to enhance its founding purposes and continue working to offer advice on the proper use of Spanish to the media.

The Queen of Spain inaugurated the opening of the exhibition 'Raphael en Palacio. Tapestries for Felipe II' on Thursday afternoon.

The temporary exhibition is the National Heritage homage to Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (1483-1520) an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, known as Raphael, on the V centenary of his death.

​The exhibition takes place in the Gallery of the Royal Palace of Madrid, a space in keeping with the architectural structure of the tapestry 'Los Hechos de los Apóstoles' by Rafael. The series dates back to the commission that Raphael received in 1514 by Pope Leo X (1475-1521) to make full-scale cartoons for 10 tapestries that, during the most solemn ceremonies, would dress the lower part of the Sistine Chapel. ​

The technical mastery of the Brussels upholsterers, in Pieter van Aelst's workshop, transferred Raphael's cartoons to tapestries, between 1516 and 1521. ​Her Majesty received a guided tour of nine tapestries which are usually housed in the Vatican Museums, from the curator of the exhibition, Concha Herrero. ​​