The King and Queen, together with the Princess of Asturias, preside over the Pascua Militar (Spain’s annual military ceremony marking the beginning of the year)

Their Majesties the King and Queen and His Royal Highness Princess Leonor

The King and Queen of Spain, accompanied by Princess Leonor, presided on January 6th over the celebration of the Pascua Militar at the Royal Palace in Madrid. This solemn military ceremony marks the beginning of the military year and was also attended by the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles; the Chief of Staff of the Army (JEME), Army General Amador Enseñat; and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Alejandro Escámez, among other civilian and military authorities.

The military ceremony began on the Royal Palace parade ground, where Their Majesties the King and Queen and His Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias received customary military honors. King Felipe VI then inspected the troops, accompanied by the Chief of the Defence Staff (JEMAD), Admiral Teodoro López; the Chief of the Military Household of His Majesty the King, Lieutenant General Eduardo Diz Monje; and the commanding colonel of the Royal Guard.

Following the inspection, Their Majesties the King and Queen and His Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias proceeded via the Ambassadors’ Staircase to the Gasparini Antechamber, where they received the greetings of the official delegations.

Subsequently, King Felipe presented decorations to 20 members of the delegations. Remarks by the Minister of Defense preceded those of His Majesty the King, in which he emphasized that “our constant presence in so many theaters and our commitment to international security, to multilateralism, and ultimately to a rules-based global order would not be possible without the level of preparedness that has earned us — and continues to earn us — great prestige worldwide.”.

Pascua Militar at FUTER

The Pascua Militar in the rest of Spain

The Pascua Militar was also celebrated in other parts of the country through various ceremonies. In Seville, Lieutenant General Carlos Melero, Commander of the Land Force (FUTER), accompanied by civilian and military authorities as well as representatives from the Army, Navy, the Emergency Military Unit, and the Civil Guard, presided over the celebration at the General Headquarters of FUTER, located in the Captaincy General building. Likewise, the traditional Pascua Militar was observed by the Canary Islands Command (MCANA). The ceremony in Santa Cruz de Tenerife was presided over by its commanding general, Julio Salom, and took place at the Captaincy General of the Canary Islands. The General Commands of the Balearic Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla—subordinate to MCANA—also held celebrations of this annual event in their respective garrisons.

In Valencia, Lieutenant General Luis Sáez, Chief of the High Readiness Land Headquarters (CGTAD) and the Armed Forces’ Institutional Representative in the Valencian Community, presided over the military ceremony, which took place in Tetuán Square and continued inside the Santo Domingo Establishment, the former Captaincy General and current headquarters of CGTAD. Likewise, the Army General Inspectorate, based in Barcelona, commemorated the occasion under the presidency of Lieutenant General Manuel Busquier, Inspector General of the Army..

Pascua Militar at MCANA

Meanwhile, at the Captaincy General of La Coruña, headquarters of the Maneuver Support Command, the ceremony was presided over by General Marcial González Prada, who, representing the King, extended Pascua Militar greetings to all military commanders of the Armed Forces and the Civil Guard attending the event.