The King and Queen of Spain present one of the world's most lucrative literary awards Credit: CasaReal
Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have rounded off a landmark week of royal engagements by presenting one of the world’s most lucrative literary awards, following historic visits to Ceuta and Melilla that carried a powerful message about Spain’s sovereignty and support for its residents.
The royal couple attended the 75th Premio Planeta ceremony in Barcelona on Thursday, October 15, where Chilean author Isabel Allende won €1 million for her unpublished novel La hora antes del alba.
Queen Letizia also attracted attention with a striking black designer gown and a sentimental piece of jewellery, while her warm greeting to the celebrated author provided one of the evening’s most personal moments.
The appearance followed an unusually significant few days for the Spanish monarchs, whose first official visits to Ceuta and Melilla since Felipe VI became king in 2014 brought them to two territories at the centre of a longstanding diplomatic dispute with Morocco.
Queen Letizia’s elegant black gown and sentimental bracelet
The Queen chose a black dress by Spanish designer Sybilla for the Barcelona gala, featuring a fitted silhouette, a flared skirt and geometric cut-outs around the neckline and shoulders.
She completed the look with understated accessories and a diamond bracelet she had previously worn at the pre-wedding dinner for Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary in May 2004, shortly before her own marriage to Felipe.
The bracelet’s return offered a nostalgic detail more than two decades after the royal couple married. Letizia’s choice of a Spanish designer also provided a fitting fashion statement for an important occasion in the country’s cultural calendar.
The Queen appeared particularly pleased to congratulate Allende, greeting the author with a warm embrace during the ceremony.
Isabel Allende wins one of the world’s biggest literary prizes
Allende received the €1 million Premio Planeta for La hora antes del alba, a novel that returns to the world of her internationally acclaimed 1982 book The House of the Spirits.
The Chilean writer, whose books have sold more than 80 million copies worldwide, revisits Alba, a central character in the original story, exploring the consequences of political repression and dictatorship.
The award is the most financially valuable literary prize for an unpublished novel, with €200,000 also going to runner-up Sergio Hernández Carrasco for La añoranza.
This year’s competition attracted 1,424 submissions, and the anniversary ceremony brought together leading figures from politics, business and the arts at Barcelona’s Fira de Montjuïc.
King Felipe presented the award and reflected on the prize’s 75-year history, highlighting how the novels recognised over the decades had reflected Spain’s changing society.
Established in 1952, the Premio Planeta has become a major fixture in the publishing calendar. Allende’s victory adds another international milestone to the competition, while her new novel brings a much-loved literary story to a new generation of readers.
A historic visit to Ceuta amid tensions with Morocco
The Barcelona gala followed the King and Queen’s landmark visit to Ceuta on Tuesday, October 13.
The trip was their first official visit to the North African Spanish city since Felipe’s accession to the throne in 2014. It was also the first time in Spain’s modern democratic era that a reigning monarch had stayed overnight in Ceuta.
The visit carried particular significance following a major migration crisis in July, when tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into the city. The incident resulted in numerous deaths and intensified political tensions over border security and migration.
Felipe reaffirmed Ceuta’s position as an integral part of Spain and highlighted its importance as a frontier of the European Union. He also called for relations with Morocco to be based on trust, mutual respect and good faith.
The royal couple paid their respects at the Muslim cemetery of Sidi Embarek, where victims of the deadly July crossing were buried. They also met local representatives and visited a school, as crowds gathered to welcome them.
The visit was closely watched because Morocco maintains claims over Ceuta and neighbouring Melilla, while Spain regards both as integral parts of its territory.
Royals continue to Melilla before heading to Barcelona
On Wednesday, October 14, Felipe and Letizia travelled to Melilla to complete their historic tour.
As in Ceuta, the couple met local authorities and members of the community, received the city’s keys and visited a school. Their presence was intended to underline the monarchy’s support for residents of both Spanish autonomous cities.
The previous royal visit to Ceuta and Melilla took place in 2007, when Felipe’s father, Juan Carlos I, and Queen Sofía travelled to the territories. That trip provoked a diplomatic dispute with Morocco.
The latest visit was therefore significant both symbolically and politically, reaffirming Spain’s position while giving the King and Queen an opportunity to meet residents directly.
After two days dominated by questions of national identity, migration and diplomacy, the couple travelled to Barcelona for the Premio Planeta celebrations on Thursday evening.
Where are Felipe and Letizia going next?
The royal family’s public engagements continue this month, with the Princess of Asturias Awards in Oviedo among the major events on the October calendar. The main ceremony is scheduled for October 23 at the Teatro Campoamor, although the latest Casa Real diary should be checked for confirmation of the King and Queen’s individual attendance.
The Barcelona gala marked a very different kind of engagement from the politically sensitive visits earlier in the week, but both offered an opportunity for the monarchy to demonstrate its role in public life.
For Letizia, the evening also brought a fashion moment with a personal touch. For Felipe, presenting the €1 million prize provided a chance to celebrate a major cultural institution.
Together, the engagements made for a particularly eventful week for Spain’s King and Queen, taking them from the North African frontier to one of the country’s most prestigious literary ceremonies.