MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

King of Spain to UK will be rescheduled announced Madrid

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, are due to tour the UK from June 6-8 after it was announced in March that he had accepted an invitation from the Queen.

The King of Spain’s state visit to the UK is likely to be rescheduled after his country’s foreign minister indicated that staging it during the UK’s general election would not be appropriate. King Felipe VI, accompanied by his wife, Queen Letizia, are due to tour the UK from June 6-8 after it was announced in March that he had accepted an invitation from the Queen.

 But Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to hold a snap general election on June 8 has thrown the visit in doubt.

Spain’s foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, said Madrid does not deem it appropriate to continue with the state visit when politicians will be on the campaign trail and parliament has been dissolved.

King Felipe was due to make a state visit to the UK in March last year but this was postponed due to a political crisis in Spain.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “We are in discussions with the Spanish about plans for the visit and will make an announcement in due course.”

Following Mrs May’s announcement of plans for a snap election earlier this week, Number 10 indicated that it expected the visit to go ahead as planned. When the dates of the Spanish monarch’s trip were announced, it appeared to confirm speculation that US president Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK would be held in October.

Spain’s foreign minister said future dates would be worked out and announced later by both royal houses. The last Spanish state visit to Britain was made by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia in 1986, while the Queen made a state visit to Spain in 1988.