Last weekend, Seville hosted the UN summit, whose welcome dinner was presided over by the king and President Pedro Sánchez. The Alcázar was dressed up to welcome its distinguished guests, and it was there that an unexpected event occurred. At the moment of greetings, the President left without posing for the photo with King Felipe.
The evidence leaves no room for doubt: Sánchez appeared with his wife, Begoña Gómez, and after greeting the king and queen, they left. Seconds later, they had to repeat the greeting, but this time with the reminder that they needed to stay for the official photo.
Pedro Sánchez's mistake before King Felipe sparks wave of criticism
President Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe met again last weekend at the UN summit held in Seville. Until Thursday, leaders from all over the world will parade through the Andalusian capital in one of the year's most relevant events. As expected, the king and queen were in charge of presiding over the welcome dinner.
The chosen venue was the Alcázar of Seville, where Felipe and Letizia greeted the guests upon their arrival. The most talked-about moment was led by President Pedro Sánchez upon his arrival at the Alcázar, accompanied by his wife, Begoña Gómez. The President greeted the king and queen but headed inside without realizing that they hadn't posed for the official photo.
The statement describes what happened as an obvious protocol error, and the evidence confirms it. Next, they were asked to return to repeat the greeting, and both went back to the Patio de las Doncellas to comply with the required photograph. Zarzuela's chief of protocol noticed the mistake and apologized to President Pedro Sánchez for not warning them properly during the event.
He admitted that he didn't warn Sánchez and Gómez about the need to stay for the official photo session and made them repeat the hand-kissing ceremony. This time, the photo was indeed taken.
The President replied with a smile, trying to downplay what had happened. Once the photo was taken, Sánchez spent a few seconds talking with King Felipe and Letizia in a close and natural manner.
Pedro Sánchez fails protocol before King Felipe
This wasn't the only mistake President Pedro Sánchez made during the reception with King Felipe. During that second opportunity, Sánchez stood incorrectly next to his wife and in front of the king, prompting another intervention to rearrange his protocol position.
The President had to move to stand to the left of Letizia, finally respecting the order established by protocol and correcting the initial mistake. The incident caused several reactions, with experts in communication noting that Sánchez "struggles a bit with protocol arrangements."
In any case, President Pedro Sánchez himself downplayed the mistake, keeping a relaxed and cordial attitude during the second greeting and subsequent conversation. Finally, the official photograph was taken correctly, the four smiling remained together, solved the misunderstanding, and continued the reception without further incident.
Although the protocol incident drew attention, it didn't alter the pace of the event or the diplomatic relevance of this major international occasion for Spain. However, it made clear the President's difficulties when acting at events that require a certain protocol.
President Pedro Sánchez had already made similar protocol mistakes at official events with King Felipe, such as receptions at the Palace and military parades. That's why, once again, all comments have focused on the President.