King Felipe and Queen Letizia have decided to take an important step that could have very negative consequences. As part of the transparency and naturalness policy they want to give the Spanish monarchy, this change they've made could be counterproductive. That's what protocol experts claim, warning about what could happen after Felipe and Letizia's decision.
It seems that the royals have ignored the advice and are choosing to change the rules for their vacations in Marivent. From now on, the king and queen are establishing another rule that affects everyone who appears before Their Majesties in Mallorca.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia change the rules
The summer reception at Marivent has become a key symbolic showcase where the Crown projects territorial closeness, historical continuity, and institutional prestige. For this reason, King Felipe and Queen Letizia have prepared something completely different for this year.
As has been confirmed, the royals have decided to relax the "dress code" required for the reception at Marivent. This summer, Felipe and Letizia are making the traditional men's dark suit and women's cocktail dress more flexible, allowing guayaberas and more informal options. The decision aims to harmonize protocol and Mediterranean climate, broaden the social diversity of guests, and convey modernity.
However, this change carries certain risks that could be very negative for the institution. At certain highly significant celebrations, clothing functions as a system of signs that expresses hierarchies, contexts, and roles. When the code is relaxed, as in this case, guests improvise, creating visual heterogeneity that weakens the cohesive image the Crown seeks to project.
"It carries the risk of emptying the royal ritual of meaning," explains María José Gómez Verdú, protocol expert, to Lecturas. According to her, one must not forget that this is King Felipe and Queen Letizia, with all the protocol weight that entails.
For the official photo, this new dress code could cause the royals to go unnoticed. When the goal is to convey the institutional nature of heads of state.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia relax the rules in Marivent
Despite the risk involved in relaxing the dress code, King Felipe and Letizia want to give a new twist to their stay in Marivent. This year they've decided that everything will be different and much less rigid than in previous occasions.
In addition to the new "dress code," the royals have also introduced a change to their guest list. In a few days, Marivent Palace will open its doors to different people from various ranks of Mallorcan society. With this, Queen Letizia and King Felipe seek diversity in a gathering that marks the beginning of their summer vacation.
It should also be noted that, for the first time, Leonor and Sofía will attend the official reception scheduled for August 4. This adds a new change to the royal family's stay at Marivent Palace.
The presence of Felipe and Letizia's daughters will give the evening a youthful and cordial touch in line with the new dress code. All that remains to be seen is how the guests respond to this change and whether they succeed with their outfits without overshadowing Their Majesties.
This is something the protocol expert predicts as more than possible and a very risky measure on Felipe and Letizia's part. "How do you distinguish what's appropriate from what's too casual?" she asks. "A guayabera can evoke freshness, but it can also convey a lack of respect if its fabric or cut is too beach-like," she explains.
Meanwhile, she advises as an alternative that, "if the goal is to generate empathy with the people," the ideal is "to promote local fashion." This is a less risky idea and keeps the institution's image intact.