ROYAL VISIT

CROWN Prince Felipe of Spain is no stranger to Majorca as he has holidayed here with his parents, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, and sisters, the Princesses Elena and Cristina, since he was a small child. But his arrival on Monday (May 9) will be different - it is his first official visit to the Balearics accompanied by his wife, Doña Letizia Ortiz.
It is also the couple's first official visit to a Spanish region.
The royal couple are due to arrive at 10am and their first stop will be city hall in Plaza Cort, where they will be welcomed by Mayor Catalina Cirer and greet the public from the balcony. Thousands of people are expected to gather in the Plaza Cort to welcome the couple.
From there they will go to the Consolado de Mar, headquarters of the Balearic government, where they will attend a government meeting before having lunch with the local authorities. The government will present the Prince and Princess with an original 17th century map of the Balearics.
Later in the afternoon, they will visit the Council of Majorca, whose official gift will be a replica of the sculpture known as La Balanguera (The Spinner), and the day will end with a visit to the hostelry school and a meeting and dinner with representatives of the tourist industry. Tuesday will be just as busy, starting off with a visit to the Balearic Parliament, where they will unveil a commemorative plaque. They will also be presented with a replica of the sculpture which Pep Sirvent made for Parliament, unveiled a few weeks ago.
The Prince and Princess of Asturias will then be escorted to the Santo Domingo cloister in Inca, for a meeting with union officials and businessmen. Their next stop is Sa Pobla, where they will visit an agricultural cooperative. After lunch at Formentor, they will return to Palma, where they will visit the University before having dinner with representatives of the world of culture. On Wednesday, the royal couple will be flown to Minorca, where they will visit the Council of Minorca. They will be presented with an etching by a Minorcan artist, have lunch with the local authorities and representatives of the business sector, visit the Coinga cheese factory in Alayor and the Cathedral in Ciutadella, where they will attend a concert. After visiting the seminary and attending a reception, they will return to Palma, but only for the night. On Thursday morning, they will go to Ibiza, where a similar round of visits awaits them. The official gift of the Council of Ibiza-Formentera will by typical jewellery.
On Friday, the last day of the royal visit, the Prince and Princess will go to the Ses Sitjoles centre for recovering drug addicts in Campos, and Valldemossa, where they will visit the Costa Nord and have lunch with representatives of environmental organisations. They will also have a meeting with the directors of the local media.
Their final engagement will be a reception at La Lonja in the evening, after which they will return to Madrid.