SPAIN/Madrid (Agencies) Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived yesterday in Madrid from Portugal for the start of their first official visit to Spain, which will also include a stop in Seville as well as a private visit to the Duke of Wellington's estate near Granada. Spain's Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia (photo), the official hosts of the visit, welcomed the British royals as they stepped out of the black Mercedes that took them to the Pardo Palace on the outskirts of Madrid where they will stay while in the Spanish capital. Letizia, who wore a charcoal gray wool coat with matching shoes, kissed Camilla, who donned a cream-coloured dress, on both cheeks while the princes shook hands.>The two royal couples then stood on a red podium for a review of Spanish royal troops.Around one million British nationals live in Spain all or part of the year, according to Britain's embassy in Madrid.
Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, met yesterday with some 300 volunteers who help British residents in Spain at a reception at the the the official residence of Britain's ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman.
"Although it is impossible for the royal couple to meet everybody, their presence is a tribute to each and every person who helps our British residents," Paxman said in a statement.
The British royals will attend a gala dinner in their honour later on Wednesday at Spain's Royal Palace in the historic centre of Madrid where Prince Charles is expected to make a brief speech during a toast.
Prince Charles and the Duchess will attend a lunch hosted by Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at their residence, the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, on Thursday before moving on to the southern city of Seville on Friday.
The couple will spend time at a private estate near Granada before travelling to Rabat where they will wrap up their three-nation tour.
The 10-day trip is focused on commercial and military links between Britain and the three countries.
It is the first joint visit to Spain by Prince Charles and Camilla, who were married on April 9, 2005.
In August 1987, Charles and his then wife Princess Diana spent a family holiday as guests of the Spanish royals at their summer palace on the island of Majorca, where tensions between the couple were evident.
He attended the funeral for Don Juan, the father of Juan Carlos, in April 1993 and was a guest at the May 2004 wedding of Felipe and Letizia in Madrid.
Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, met yesterday with some 300 volunteers who help British residents in Spain at a reception at the the the official residence of Britain's ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman.
"Although it is impossible for the royal couple to meet everybody, their presence is a tribute to each and every person who helps our British residents," Paxman said in a statement.
The British royals will attend a gala dinner in their honour later on Wednesday at Spain's Royal Palace in the historic centre of Madrid where Prince Charles is expected to make a brief speech during a toast.
Prince Charles and the Duchess will attend a lunch hosted by Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at their residence, the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, on Thursday before moving on to the southern city of Seville on Friday.
The couple will spend time at a private estate near Granada before travelling to Rabat where they will wrap up their three-nation tour.
The 10-day trip is focused on commercial and military links between Britain and the three countries.
It is the first joint visit to Spain by Prince Charles and Camilla, who were married on April 9, 2005.
In August 1987, Charles and his then wife Princess Diana spent a family holiday as guests of the Spanish royals at their summer palace on the island of Majorca, where tensions between the couple were evident.
He attended the funeral for Don Juan, the father of Juan Carlos, in April 1993 and was a guest at the May 2004 wedding of Felipe and Letizia in Madrid.
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