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King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain have begun a long awaited royal visit to the UK to cement ties between the two countries and relieve tensions over the uncertainty surrounding the post-Brexit future of the coveted rock of Gibraltar.
The three-day visit, the first in 31 years, was planned before Britain’s EU referendum and was twice-postponed, first due to Spain’s political crisis in 2016 and then Prime Minister Theresa May’s snap election earlier this year.
The Spanish royals are to stay at Buckingham palace and will be treated to private audiences with the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister.
Gibraltar, the “rock” claimed by the British in 1704, is expected to be the main focus of discussions between the two Royal families.
Tensions over the peninsula, which Spain wants back, on the southern tip of Spain were renewed after Britain’s EU referendum last year, and both sides are keen to reach an agreement over its 30,000 inhabitants.