"In a unified and diverse Spain, based on the equality of and solidarity between its people, there is room for all of us. And for all of our feelings and sensitivities and our distinct ways of being Spaniards."
-Felipe VI of Spain
In order to appreciate this little ‘ole Air BnB we need to take a brief stop here on the road. (see below) Behind the plaque lies a quaint church. In 1906 Spain’s King Alfonso XIII and his new bride, Victoria Eugenie, emerged into the bright Spanish sun here. They had just gotten married and outside crowds of his subjects were waiting to greet the royal couple.
Flowers were thrown in celebration. Across the street at the apartment building up on the 2nd floor was an anarchist. Terrorists were called anarchists then and he did not wish the newlyweds well. In fact he wanted them dead.
He tied to his flowers a bomb and threw it towards the couple. He had a bad arm. It missed and sailed over their heads. However, it landed in the crowd just beyond. Twenty-eight people died. The plaque commemorates that attempt.
The King and new Queen hurried just down the road to this small humble Air BnB - The Royal Palace. We visited there today.
This location has been the seat of Spanish power since the ninth century. It is Europe’s third greatest palace after Versailles and Vienna’s Schoenbrunn, with 2800 rooms and a total of 1.5 million square feet.
You can be forgiven if you think it somewhat resembles Versailles Palace. It was built by King Phillip V, the grandson of France’s Louis XIV. Phillip was born at Versailles. The Bourbon dynasty from France has ruled Spain for many years.
Over the years each successive King added to the place with further lavish splendor. It is ridiculously supersized and is filled with priceless treasures.
During the dictatorship of Franco, the building lay empty. When Franco died he was succeeded by King Juan Carlo who restored the monarchy but made it a constitutional one only. Spain finally became a democracy and joined the rest of Western Europe as a leading nation in the 1980’s. Juan Carlo would later abdicate to his son the current and very popular King Felipe VI.
The current Royal family does not live here. They have a home in Madrid, a modest one compared to this behemoth. The lavish building is still used for state occasions but now is mostly a museum.
Here is where we circle back to that faithful day in1906. Despite the assignation attempt, King Alfonso and Queen Victoria (The Spanish one) lived to be a ripe old age.
King Felipe VI is a direct descendant of Alfonso and a member of the long Bourbon dynasty.
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