This week, Prince Charles seemed more excited than usual to accompany Queen Letizia on a trip to Bishop Auckland, England, to see some art. On Tuesday, the future king of England and the current queen of Spain met at Auckland Castle to see Francisco de Zurbarán's new exhibition of Spanish art. Charles greeted the prince with both hands clasped warmly in his. He kissed her on the back of her hand and then on each cheek after that.
Since 1756, the castle has housed twelve of the thirteen canvases that make up Zurbarán's famous series "Jacob and His Twelve Sons," and the pieces were once exclusively available to guests of the Bishop of Durham because they were housed in the castle's Long Dining Room. The Church of England Commission was considering auctioning off the paintings in 2010. However, in 2012, philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer purchased both the paintings and the castle, preserving them for the nation and displaying them to the public.
Queen Letizia was already in the United Kingdom, as she was one of several European royalty members who attended Prince Philip's Thanksgiving Service at Westminster Abbey last week. In honor of the late Duke of Edinburgh, she joined Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family, including Princess Anne and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in wearing a dress exclusively in the colour of "Edinburgh Green." The color green was Prince Philip's official livery, and it was used on a variety of items associated with him, including staff uniforms, private cars, and even the Land Rover that carried his coffin at his funeral last year.
Selena Mattei