Great day for the Princess Leonor. This Friday, the heir to the throne traveled to Lisbon on her first official trip abroad alone. On her arrival in the neighboring country, the daughter of Felipe VI and Queen Letizia was received by the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Belém Palace. After being awarded the Order of Christ, the president offered a lunch in her honour, where Leonor made her first international speech.
With her words, the Princess of Asturias has highlighted the special relationship of her parents the Kings with Portugal, a country they have visited several times both in their public and private life, and has praised “sincere friendship” and the “deep and mutual respect” between the two countries.
“Thank you very much, Mr. President, for your kind words, for the hospitality and for the immense affection with which you are receiving me here, in Lisbon, in Portugal, on my first official trip abroad.“, Leonor said at the beginning of her speech.
In her words, the granddaughter of Don Juan Carlos and Doña Sofía praised the special relationship of Don Felipe and Doña Letizia with Portugal and said that she feels at home there. “Ten years ago this beloved country was the first destination of my parents as King and Queen of Spain, so I cannot deny how special it is for me to be here today. They, who have been here on so many occasions,have spoken to me with great affection, ‘com saudade’, of their visits to Portugal, of the love they have received in its streets and how you have always made them feel at home. That’s how I feel today“This is a trip I was really looking forward to and it makes me very happy,” he said.
Beyond pointing out how special the neighbouring country is for the royal family, the Princess of Asturias has assured that the proximity of Spain and Portugal goes beyond geographical proximity.Portugal and Spain share a neighbourhood that goes far beyond mere geographical proximity; it is a neighbourhood that encompasses many dimensions and that translates into a sincere friendship and a deep and mutual respect between our two countries.“.
The toast followed, when the Princess of Asturias said in perfect Portuguese: “I would like to toast these magnificent relations, to Your Excellency, dear President Rebelo de Sousa, and to the dear Portuguese people, whom I hold in such high esteem. Cheers.“.
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