A fond farewell: Queen Letizia joins King Felipe at the funeral of his late cousin Juan Gómez-Acebo in Madrid
Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI led mourners at the funeral of the Spanish King’s first cousin, Juan Gómez-Acebo, in Madrid on Sunday.
Juan died on August 12 at the age of 54 following a battle with cancer – less than six months after his younger brother, Fernando Gomez-Acebo, passed away at the age of 49.
Juan’s funeral, which took place at the Cathedral of the Armed Forces in the Spanish capital, was also attended by King Felipe’s parents – former monarch King Juan Carlos I, 86, and Queen Sofia of Spain, 85.
According to Spanish publication TodoAlicante, Juan, who was the son of Infanta Pilar and Luis Gómez-Acebo, kept a low profile working as a painter after studying fine arts.
Before his death, Juan was in a relationship with architect Teresa Véret. He also had a son, Nicholas, 11, from his first marriage to Winston Holmes Carney.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain (pictured) attended the funeral of the Spanish King’s cousin, Juan Gómez-Acebo, in Madrid on Sunday
Queen Letizia, 51, wore a demure black A-line dress with puff sleeves for the solemn occasion
Queen Sofia of Spain (pictured), 85, King Felipe’s mother, was also in attendance at the Cathedral of the Armed Forces in Madrid
Walking arm in arm, Queen Letizia and King Felipe were greeted by royal fans hoping to get a picture of the royal couple.
Both the King and Queen, along with the other mourners, were dressed in black for the solemn occasion.
Tanned after the Spanish royal family’s annual summer break in Mallorca, Queen Letizia, 51, wore a demure black A-line dress with puff sleeves, which she accessorised with a pearl necklace.
She added a pair of patent black kitten heels and a small leather handbag.
The mother-of-two wore her shoulder-length, brown hair in a side-parting and brushed back behind her ears to reveal a pair of silver and pearl earrings.
King Felipe, 56, meanwhile, looked smart in a black suit with a white shirt and black tie.
Queen Sofia of Spain looked equally formal in a long, pleated black skirt and a black jacket with embroidery around the shoulders, which she paired with black shoes with block heels.
The elegant mother of King Felipe wore three strings of pearls around her neck and a pair of dainty earrings, as well as numerous bracelets on her right wrist.
Her husband, Juan Carlos I, who made use of a walking stick, chose a navy suit to pay his final respects to Juan Gómez-Acebo.
King Juan Carlos I (pictured), 86, attended the funeral of his nephew Juan Gómez-Acebo, who died at the age of 54 following a battle with cancer
King Juan Carlos I used a walking stick and was supported as he made his way into the cathedral
The former Spanish monarch, who abdicated in 2016, wore a navy suit for the sombre occasion
Princess Anne of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (right), 85, and her daughter Princess Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (left) attended the funeral on Sunday
King Juan Carlos I was pictured greeting another mourner at his nephew’s funeral
Among the mourners gathered at the Cathedral of the Armed forces in Madrid were Princess Anne of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, 85, and her daughter Princess Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
The King and Queen’s daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, did not appear to be present.
It was only in April that Queen Letizia and King Felipe attended the funeral of Juan’s younger brother, Fernando Gomez-Acebo, who died atthe age of 49 on March 1 from Covid-19.
The royal couple looked sombre as they paid their respects to King Felipe’s cousin at the mass at Castrense Cathedral in Madrid.
Fernando was the Spanish monarch’s first cousin and a nephew of King Juan Carlos.
He was the youngest son of Infanta Pilar and Luis Gómez-Acebo.
When King Felipe and Queen Letizia arrived at the funeral mass, they were welcomed by waving crowds.
There was an air of melancholy as they walked hand-in-hand through the cathedral’s grounds.
Queen Letizia donned a form-fitting black dress with detailing at the waist and cuffs for the occasion.
Crowds gathered near the Cathedral of the Armed Forces in the Spanish capital, with royal fans hoping to get a picture of the King and Queen
Queen Letizia accessorised her demure dress with a pearl necklace and a pair of matching earrings
The mother-of-two, 51, wore patent black kitten heels and carried a small handbag
King Felipe wore a black suit with a white shirt and black tie for the occasion
Walking arm in arm, the royal couple appeared to greet onlookers in Madrid
Queen Letizia wore her shoulder-length brown hair loose and brushed back behind her ears to reveal a pair of pearl earrings
King Felipe and Queen Letizia both bowed their heads as they paid their respects
Queen Sofia of Spain accessorised her black outfit with three strings of pearls and numerous bracelets
She accessorised her outfit with a black leather handbag and stunning pearl brooch.
Queen Letizia kept her make-up subtle and wore her brunette locks in a simple style.
King Felipe paid respects to his cousin in a navy blue double-breasted blazer and matching trousers. He paired the suit with a crisp white shirt and a black tie.
Fernando’s funeral came soon after another poignant event for the Spanish royals – a remembrance service for victims of terrorism.
At the commemorative event paying tribute to the nearly 200 victims of the 2004 train attack in Madrid, Queen Letizia looked sophisticated in a navy long-sleeved gown.
The royal acessorised her outfit with matching kitten heels and a leather clutch bag for the event, which took place at Spain’s Royal Collection Gallery.