Spain State Visit to UK (2017) - Schedule

Day 0 - Tuesday, July 11th 

• King Felipe and Queen Letizia arrive in the UK at Luton airport. They will be met at the Airport by Viscount Brookeborough, Lord-in-Waiting.
• King Felipe and Queen Letizia stay at London Hotel.

Day 1 - Wednesday 12th

• Greeted at London hotel by Prince Charles & Duchess Camilla
• Official Welcome at Horse Guard Parade 
• Inspect Troops
• Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace
• With Queen, Philip, Charles & Camilla
• Lunch with the Queen & Royal Family at Buckingham Palace 
• Exchange Official Gifts
• View Royal Collection Display
• Tea at Clarence House with Charles & Camilla
• Visit Parliament 
• Speech by King Felipe
• State Banquet at Buckingham Palace 
• Speech by the Queen
• Spend the night at Buckingham Palace 

Day 2 - Thursday 13th 

• Attend a UK-Spain Business Forum at Mansion House
• with Prince Andrew
• Speech by King
• Visit Westminster Abbey
• Lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior 
• With Prince Harry
• Attend reception for members of the Spanish Community at Spanish Embassy
• Meeting with Prime Minister at Downing Street 
• Banquet hosted by Lord Mayor of London
• Speech by King Felipe
• With Princess Anne & Vice Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence 
• Spend the night at Buckingham Palace

Day 3 - Friday 14th 

• Working Breakfast
• Say Goodbye to the Queen & Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace
• Visit the Francis Crick Institute 
• With Prince Andrew
• Day of Engagements 
• Visit Weston Library in Oxford
• View an exhibition of Spanish treasures 
• Lunch at Oxford's Divinity School
• King will give speech
• Visit Exeter College, home of the King Alfonso XIII Professorship of Spanish Studies and the Queen Sofía Fellowship in Spanish. 
• Official End of Tour
• King Felipe and Queen Letizia depart. They are seen off at RAF Brize Norton by Lord Chamberlain

Queen Máxima of Netherlands - Birthday Reply (2017)

A lovely reply arrived from the Netherland's today. I had written to Queen Máxima in May for her 46th birthday.

The envelope is the usual from the Netherland Royals.  The message under the Blue Crown reads Dienst Van Het Koninklijk Huis (Bureau of the Royal Household).



Inside is a simple pre-typed thank you note, with the Queen's monogram on top. The reply is exactly the same as Máxima's  Birthday reply from last year.



The reply arrived less than a month after I wrote, so it is a great response time. It was a little earlier than last year's reply.

I haven't gotten a reply for the letter I wrote for King Willem-Alexander's Birthday in April. His birthday is a few weeks before his wife. But it's understandable that they are busy, especially since it was his 50th Birthday this year. I have seen other people get a reply for his birthday, so I expect mine shortly. 

Also Check Out:
Other Replies
Replies from the Netherlands
Writing to the Royals

Current British Royal Staff

This is obviously not a complete list of staff. While I will try to keep this up-to-date and thorough, most staff appointments are not officially announced. So, we don't always know exactly when people start, leave, get promoted, etc. We have also tried to keep this focused on the more important Staff (as well as those who reply to letters). 

To help denote how up-to-date this information is, staff names are:

• Black: NOT confirmed they still work for the Royals as of 2025. But obviously, since they are still on the list, I don't have reason to believe they have left. 
• Colour Matching Royal: Confirmed they are working for the Royal as of 2025

We reset this every January. 

Note: Some staff members are referred to multiple ways on things like the Court Circular. We have included in (parenthesis) included other names they are referred to. In a lot of cases it is a woman being referred to by their husband's name. (E.g. Annabelle Galletley is sometimes referred to as "Mrs. Angus Galletley"). 

King Charles & Queen Camilla

• Private Secretaries
• Clive Alderton
• Private Secretary to Charles & Camilla (2015-Present)
• Private Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (2009-2012)
• Deputy Private Secretary (2006-2008)
• Theophilus (Theo) Rycroft 
• Deputy Private Secretary (2025-Present)
• Sophie Densham (or Sophia)
• Private Secretary to the Queen (?-2025-Present)
• Deputy Private Secretary to Camilla (? - ?)
• Assistant Private Secretary to Camilla (2005 - ?)
• Belinda Kim
• Private Secretary to Camilla (?- 2015 - Present)
• Muna Shamsuddin
• Assistant Private Secretary to King Charles (2023-Present)
• Lord Steward of the Household
• Earl of Rosslyn
• Lord Stward & Personal Secretary (2023-Present)
• Master of the Household (?-2023)
• Press Officers
• Tobyn Andreae
• Director of Communications (2022-Present)
• Communications Secretary (2022-2022) 
• Laura Sullivan 
• Communications Secretary (2022-Present) 
• Jilly Hurley
• Assistant Communications Secretary (2018-Present)
• Equerries
• Commander William Thornton 
• Equerry (2024?-Present)
• Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Thompson
• Equerry (2020?-Present)
• Major Oliver Plunket
• Equerry to Camilla (2022-Present)
• Other
• Claudia Spens (Previously Mrs. Claudia Holloway)
• Head of Correspondence Section (1998- 2o22)
• ? (2022- Present)
• Eva Omaghomi
• Director of Community Engagement (2021-Present)
• Deputy Communications Secretary (2013 - 2021)
• Assistant Communications Secretary (2008-2013)
• Ladies of the Household
• Dame Annabel Whitehead
• Lady of the Household (2022-Present)
• Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth (2002? - 2022)
• Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Margret (1971-2002)
• Mary Anne Morrison
• Lady of the Household (2022-Present)
• Lady in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth (1960? -2022)
• Queen's Companions
• Sarah Troughton
• Queen's Companions (2022-Present)
• Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne
• Queen's Companions (2022-Present)
• Lady Katharine Brooke
• Queen's Companions (2022-Present)
• Baroness Carlyn Chisholm
• Queen's Companions (2022-Present)
• Lady Sarah Kewick
• Queen's Companions (2022-Present)
• Jane von Westenholz
• Queen's Companions (2022-Present)

The Waleses

• Private Secretaries
• Ian Patrick
• Prince Secretary to Prince William (2024-Present)
• Lt. Col. Tom White 
• Prince Secretary to Kate (2024-Present)
• Louis Reynolds
• Assistant Private Secretary (2022-Present) 
• Laura Baker (née Osbaldeston)*
• William's Assistant Private Secretary? (2014?- 2020 - Present)
• Worked for Clarence House 
• ?  (2013 ?- 2015?) 
• Research Officer/ Senior Research Officer (2007-2011)
• Natalie Barrows
• Kate's Assistant Private Secretary (2017? - Present)
• Press Officers
• Lee Thompson 
• Communications Secretary (2021 -Present)
• Edwina Iddles
• Deputy Communications Secretary (2021-Present)
• Communications Secretary for Royal Foundation (2020)
• Laura King *
• Communications Secretary (?- 2017 -Present)
• Worked for Buckingham Palace Communications Secretary (?- 2014-?)
• Other
• Natasha Archer
• Personal Assistant (2011- Present)
• Often credited at Kate's Stylist
• James Benbow
• Equerry (2024 - Present)
• David Hunt
• Advisor

The Edinburghs

• Brigadier Alexander Potts 
• Private Secretary (2023-2025-Present)
• Jason Keen
• Assistant Private Secretary (2021-Present)
• Alexander Stonor
• Assistant Private Secretary (2018?-Present)
• Annabelle Galletley (Mrs. Angus Galletley)
• Assistant Private Secretary and Lady-in-Waiting (1993-Present)
• Suzanne Lofthouse-Jackson *
• Assistant Private Secretary and Lady-in-Waiting (2000-Present)
• Jackie Phipps* 
• Secretarial Assistant (?  - Present)

Princess Anne

• Private Secretaries
• Colonel John Boyd 
• Private Secretary (Feb 2024- 2025 - Present)
• Lieutenant Colonel Catherine Skinner
• Commander Anne Sullivan (Mrs. Anne Sullivan) *
• Assistant Private Secretary (?2011- present)
• Ladies in Waiting
• Caroline Nunneley (Mrs. William Nunneley)
• Lady in Waiting (?-1993-present)
• Elizabeth Harriet Bowes-Lyon (Mrs. David Bowes-Lyon) 
• Lady in Waiting (1990-Present)
• Jane Holderness-Roddam (Mrs. Timothy Holderness-Roddam)
• Lady in Waiting (1998?- Present)
• Celia Innes (or Mrs. Malcolm Innes)
• Lady in Waiting (1977-Present)
• Madeleine Louloudis
• Lady in Waiting (?- 1997?-Present)
• Lady McFarlane
• Extra Lady in Waiting (2024-Present)
• Lady Elizabeth Leeming 
• Extra Lady in Waiting (2024-Present)
• Mrs. John Armstrong
• Extra Lady in Waiting (2024-Present)
• Mrs. Dolly Maude
• Extra Lady in Waiting (2024-Present)
• Mrs. Simon Rhodes
• Extra Lady in Waiting (2024-Present)

• Other
• Isabella Ward*
• Office Secretary (?- 2017- Present)
• Captain Fergus Lupton
• Equerry (?-2025-Present)

Duke & Duchess of Gloucester

• Lieutenant Colonel Alastair Todd 
• Private Secretary (2012-Present)
• Lucinda Baker (or Mrs. Grant Baker) (Previously Miss Lucinda Hanbury) 
• Deputy Private Secretary  & Lady in Waiting to The Duchess of Gloucester (?- present)
• Extra Lady in Waiting (2004-?)
• Susan Wigley (or Mrs. Michael  Wigley) *
• Lady in Waiting (?-1982-Present)
• Helen Page (Mrs. Howard Page)**
• Lady-in-waiting (1993-Present)
• Lady-in-waiting to Princess Alice (?-2004)

Duke of Kent

• Nicholas Turnbull 
• Private Secretary (2019-Present)

Royal Response to London Bridge + Borough Market Attack (2017)

Not everyone makes a public statement after an attack. Often they call and send their condolences privately.

Belgium

Our thoughts are with the victims of the attack in #London. Our deepest condolences to the people of the United Kingdom.

— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) June 4, 2017

Luxembourg 

"It is with great pain that the Grand Duchess and I have learned of the terrible attack that occurred at London Bridge and Borough Market yesterday.

"Our most heartfelt sympathy goes out to the victims and their families.

"The Luxembourg people join us in sending to Your Majesty a message of compassion and solidarity, in the face of this new attack in the heart of your capital." - Grand Duke Henri in Letter to Queen

Netherlands

“Opnieuw is GB getroffen door een terreurdaad. Onze gedachten zijn bij de slachtoffers in Londen en bij de mensen die gewond raakten.” 1/2

— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) June 4, 2017

“Met hen en met hun families voelen wij ons verbonden op deze droevige dag.” – WA en Máxima 2/2

— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) June 4, 2017

"Again is Great Britain hit by a terrorist act. Our thoughts are with the victims in London and with the people who were injured. With them and with their families, we joined on this sad day." – WA and Máxima

Spain

El pueblo británico se sobrepondrá a la barbarie y a la sinrazón. Estamos unidos hoy también en el dolor y siempre defendiendo la libertad.

— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) June 4, 2017

"The British people will override the barbarism and unreason. We are today United in pain and always defending freedom."

Sweden

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
LONDON

It is with great sadness I find Your country being struck by a terrible attack a third time this spring. The Queen and I wish to convey our sincere condolences on the tragic loss of lives in London, Saturday evening. We offer our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the people of the United Kingdom.

CARL GUSTAF R

Royal Palace, Stockholm
5 June 2017