Pope Leo XIV meets Spanish royals, renewing crown's historic bond with Basilica of St. Mary Major

ROME (OSV News) -- Pope Leo XIV received King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace March 20, ahead of a solemn ceremony in which the Spanish king renewed a centuries-old bond with the Basilica of St. Mary Major by taking possession of his hereditary title as its protocanon.

A Holy See communique said that the discussions in the Apostolic Palace touched on domestic issues facing the country, the role of the Church in Spanish society, and broader regional and international concerns, underscoring the importance of commitment to peace.

Queen Letizia attended the papal audience wearing white, a distinction reserved only for Catholic queens from Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco and the House of Savoy, known as the "privilège du blanc."

The royal couple subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who oversees the Holy See's relations with states and international organizations.

The visit sets the stage for Pope Leo's apostolic journey to Spain scheduled from June 6 to 12, the first papal trip to the country since Pope Benedict XVI traveled there in 2011. The pope is expected to visit Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.

Pope Leo will be the first pope to visit Spain during King Felipe's reign, which began in June 2014 following the abdication of his father, King Juan Carlos I.

Felipe and Letizia had previously met Pope Leo in May 2025 following the Mass marking the beginning of his pontificate, at which time they extended an invitation for him to visit Spain. That invitation was jointly extended by the king and the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

The afternoon ceremony at the Basilica of St. Mary Major renewed a bond between the Spanish Crown and the basilica that dates to 1603, when King Philip III was invited to serve as its protector and protocanon. The gilded wooden ceiling of the basilica was commissioned by Pope Alexander VI, the Spanish-born Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia.

Felipe and Letizia were married in Madrid's Cathedral Santa María la Real de la Almudena in May 2004 by Archbishop Antonio María Rouco Varela, then archbishop of Madrid and president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. The couple have two daughters, Leonor and Sofía.

The last time the Spanish royals had a formal audience at the Vatican was in June 2014, when they were received by Pope Francis shortly after King Felipe's accession to the throne.