King Felipe of Spain celebrates birthday
King Felipe celebrated his 56th birthday today
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The King of Spain, Felipe VI, celebrated his 56th birthday earlier today at his Royal Palace.
Felipe kept busy for his special day with three public audiences at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.
This morning, the King met the new Governing Board of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.
When asked how his birthday was by the press, the King smiled and said: “We’re going along.”
King Felipe undertook three royal engagements on his birthday
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King Felipe looked smart as he was photographed on his birthday in a grey suit and a dark purple tie.
The Spanish King was born in Madrid in 1968 and studied abroad later in his life in the US, Canada and Brussels.
Felipe usually spends the day with his two daughters, Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia, but this year is one of the first times he will not celebrate with them.
Princess Leonor is currently participating in sports activities organised by military academies in Murcia and Infanta Sofia is studying in the UK.
The King at the Zarzuela Palace earlier today
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Tomorrow the King will receive birthday wishes from Spanish ambassadors at a traditional reception at the Royal Palace alongside his wife, Queen Letizia.
Letizia and Felipe married in 2004 after meeting at a mutual friend’s dinner party two years earlier.
The Spanish King has a master’s degree in international relations as well as a law degree.
He loves astronomy, skiing and sailing; the King competed in the 1992 Olympics as a member of the Spanish sailing team.
King Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia
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King Felipe with his daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia
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The King’s birthday comes shortly after his sister finalised her divorce after 26 years of marriage.
Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin finalised their divorce in December as the former couple signed the papers in a notary office in Barcelona, according to Hola!.
The couple were married at Barcelona Cathedral on October 4, 1997 having initially met during the Atlanta Summer Olympics in 1996.
Rumours around the couple’s split began in January 2022 after Iñaki, a former handball player, was pictured holding hands with another woman.