Felipe and Letizia: State visit to the UK

The King and Queen of Spain are making a State Visit to the UK. The trip, which will take place in March next years, was announced this afternoon following several weeks of speculation.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain will make a State Visit to the UK in March 2016

Buckingham Palace said that Felipe VI and Letizia would make a three day State Visit from March 8th to March 10th and they would stay at Windsor Castle - the trip is just three weeks before Easter and the Queen traditionally spends that part of the year at the castle.

Windsor Castle, where Felipe and Letizia will stay during the State Visit

The visit will include a State Banquet as well as a formal ceremonial welcome and carriage ride. And there will be plenty of engagements involving innovation and business - the State Visits are designed to strengthen links between the two countries involved.

The Queen will host King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain on a State Visit in March 2016

This will be Felipe and Letizia's third State Visit. Their first was to France and took place in June 2015, three months after it was scheduled to happen as the Spanish king and queen postponed following the Germanwings air crash in March. And then in June 2015, the royals headed to Mexico for their second State Visit.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia during their first State Visit, to France, in 2015

This will probably be the most high profile of their State Visits so far and will come thirty years after Felipe's parents, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, made the trip. There will be much speculation about a Kate/ Letizia fashion showdown and comparisons, too, between the shortest reigning and longest reigning monarchs in Europe.

Felipe VI became King of Spain on June 19th 2014

But this event will be steeped in history and pageant. Roll on March, this should be good.