King Felipe, Queen Letizia spark controversy with Notre Dome absence

The King and Queen of Spain land in hot water after skipping Notre Dame re-opening event

King Felipe, Queen Letizia spark controversy with Notre Dome absence
King Felipe, Queen Letizia spark controversy with Notre Dome absence

The King and Queen of Spain, Felipe and Letizia found themselves on the verge of yet another controversy.

In a shocking turn of events, the Spanish royals were notably absent from the prestigious reopening ceremony of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Saturday, Dec. 7 after its devastating 2019 fire.

Felipe and Letizia's absence from the mega event is being dubbed as a "real shame" where politicians of the world including Jill Biden, US president elect, Donald Trump, renowned Royal Prince William were also in attendance.

As reported by Spain's daily newspaper, La Vanguardia, an invitation was sent to Minister of Culture Ernest Urtasun, who, "declined the invitation due to 'family reasons'" but was seen attending a circus show in Madrid the same day.

Due to the invitation being "non-transferable," the Spanish Royals could not attend "without a government member."

As per the outlet, the Spanish royal palace failed to address the issue, and neither the government nor anyone else suggested replacing the minister or arranging for the monarchs to attend. 

Furthermore, the royal couple's schedule did not include a planned visit to Paris, hinting that the invitation was declined by the head of the royal household, considering the king and queen's personal commitments.