Palacio Real

This was a long day for Merrie and me––we started out from our hotel about 9:30 a.m., and with only a short visit back to the hotel during the day, we didn’t return until after 10 p.m. After a very good buffet breakfast at our hotel, we started our Madrid sightseeing at the Palacio Real (the Royal Palace), a short distance from our hotel. We asked our hotel if they knew if we could visit the palace that day and they said yes it was open. However, when we arrived at the palace, there was a small crowd lined up in front of it. Using her Spanish skills, Merrie was able to determine from a policeman there that the small crowd, which did get much larger, was waiting for the king and queen of Spain to arrive at 11 a.m. We decided to wait as well. This photo is of the Palacio Real with a statue of King Phillip IV in front of it.

Palacio Real

Statue of King Phillip IV

This is the first successful statue made of a rearing horse. Interestingly, it was designed by an Italian named Pietro Tocca from drawings of the artist Velaquez. Galileo made the calculations for it to have the proper balance.

Statue of King Phillip IV

Palacio Real

A side view of the palace. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia do not live in this 2000–room palace but in a nearby mansion. The palace is used instead for state functions. It was built by King Phillip V in the 18th century. Phillip V was the grandson of King Louis XIV of France and was born at Versailles and spoke French. He wanted this palace to be built as his own Versailles

Palacio Real

Palacio Real

Another view of the palace.

Palacio Real

Palacio Real

Close–up of statues on top of the palace.

Palacio Real

Plaza de Oriente

The palace faces the Plaza de Oriente, a beautiful plaza with statues. The white building on the left of the photo is the Teatro Real, Madrid’s opera house.

Plaza de Oriente

Plaza de Oriente

Another view of the Plaza de Oriente with a better view of the Teatro Real.

Plaza de Oriente

Palace Guards

The guards in front of the palace.

Palace Guards

Palace Guards

The palace guards on horses.

Palace Guards

Parade in Front of the Palace

We did not really understand exactly what we were waiting for––Were the king and queen going to wave at us? But we soon found out: We were treated to what would be called a parade except that there were medium–sized breaks between the units. What we were actually watching was parts of a big ceremony moving across the palace and then farther along into the palace yard in preparation for a state event. We found out later that the ceremony was to be in honor of a visit from Tony Blair. The parade begins.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

More of the parade.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

One of the carriages.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

Close–up of one of the carriages.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

Close–up of one of the riders.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

A footman trying to control an unruly horse.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

Onward with the horses under control.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

More soldiers.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

Another group of soldiers.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

Close–up of the soldiers.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

Another carriage.

Parade in Front of the Palace

Parade in Front of the Palace

More soldiers.

Parade in Front of the Palace

The King and Queen

I really thought that the king and queen would be picked up farther on and then return to the palace in one of the carriages, so I didn’t take a photo of the king and queen actually arriving at the palace. But Merrie was quick on the uptake and got a photo of it. This is her photo. It was a somewhat disappointing entrance.

The King and Queen

Inside the Palace Grounds

We walked past the palace to the visitor’s entrance to palace to make sure that we couldn’t visit it that day. We couldn’t. But I got this photo through the bars of some of the parade lining up for Tony Blair’s visit.

Inside the Palace Grounds

Palacio Real

View of Madrid south of the palace.

Palacio Real

Palacio Real

View of Madrid north of the palace. From the palace, Merrie and I hopped on the Hop–in Hop–off bus and the photos that I took while on it will be in the next album.

Palacio Real