Spain Welcomes France With Ceremony — and a Dress With History
France got the full Spanish welcome for the first time in 17 years — cannons, anthems and a dress with history.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron to Madrid for a two-day state visit scheduled for Sept. 29-30, 2026, according to the Spanish Royal Household. It is the first state visit by a French president to Spain since 2009. The palace says the visit is meant to highlight and reinforce ties between the two countries.
The official welcome took place at the Royal Palace of Madrid, the Spanish royal family's large ceremonial palace in the capital. The ceremony included military honors, both national anthems, a 21-gun salute and a review of the Royal Guard. A state visit is the highest-level visit between countries, with full protocol and formal events.
Letizia chose a familiar look for the morning. She wore a pearl gray dress by Pertegaz, the Spanish fashion house, with large floral appliques in pink and coral. The dress has a high neck and long sleeves, as reported by Town & Country.
What makes this stand out is how long she has kept it. It was the first piece she wore from the label after her 2004 wedding dress, which founder Manuel Pertegaz designed. She wore it in 2019 around the Princess of Asturias Awards, Spain's annual prizes for achievement in the arts, sciences and other fields. She wore it again in April 2022 for a luncheon with writers and publishers.
She also wore it last November to welcome His Majesty Haitham Bin Tariq, the Sultan of Oman, at the Palacio de la Zarzuela, the family's working residence outside Madrid. Pertegaz has a personal link for the queen. Manuel Pertegaz embroidered the structured open collar, cuffs and hem of her wedding dress.
The Macrons are not strangers in Madrid. Macron first visited Spain in 2018 after his election as president of France. This week's return puts the ceremony first. The work of the visit follows.
