Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla are expected to visit Spain next year for the first official state visit by a British monarch in almost four decades.
The trip will mark another important step in the long relationship between the two countries.
The British royal couple plans to visit Spain during the second half of 2027. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will welcome them during the visit. Officials have not yet announced the exact dates, but many already see the trip as a major diplomatic event.
First British state visit since 1988
The late Queen Elizabeth II made the last state visit to Spain by a British monarch in 1988. She travelled with Prince Philip after King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía invited them.
Since then, members of both royal families have met at official events, commemorations and overseas engagements. However, no British monarch has returned to Spain for a full state visit.
King Felipe invited Charles and Camilla to visit Spain shortly after Charles became king in 2022. Preparations for the trip now appear to be moving ahead.
A busy programme expected
The visit will likely include a formal welcome ceremony, meetings between the two royal couples and a state banquet.
The programme should also feature cultural events and engagements that celebrate the strong historical, political and economic links between Spain and the United Kingdom.
Spain remains one of the UK’s closest European partners. Millions of British tourists visit Spain every year. Hundreds of thousands of British nationals also live there, especially in areas such as the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and the Balearic Islands.
Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía are also expected to join some of the official events.
A symbolic moment for both countries
The state visit will highlight the importance of UK-Spain relations. Both countries continue to strengthen their diplomatic and economic cooperation.
The trip will also become one of King Charles’ biggest overseas engagements since he succeeded Queen Elizabeth II. It follows a number of major international visits during his reign.
Officials still need to confirm many details, but the visit already looks set to become one of the biggest royal events of 2027. It will bring together two of Europe’s best-known royal families for the first British state visit to Spain in almost 40 years.
