Adiós for now! Her Majesty waves off Spain's Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI as they depart Buckingham Palace on the last day of their first UK state visit
- King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain are on the last morning of their three-day state visit to the UK
- The Spanish royals were welcomed by the Queen as they officially kicked off their tour on Wednesday
- Today the Spanish royals visited the Francis Crick Institute in central London with the Duke of York
- Later, the Lord Chamberlain will bid farewell to the Spanish King and Queen on behalf of the Queen
- Thrifty Letizia wore a Topshop skirt in a nod to the British high street on her final day in the country
The Spanish royals have been waved off by the Queen on the final morning of their three-day state visit.
After bidding their hosts farewell at Buckingham Palace, Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI travelled to the Francis Crick Institute, a research centre in central London, to meet members of the Spanish scientific community working in the UK.
Letizia ensured she went out with a bang this morning in her most stylish ensemble yet, pairing a high-waisted dusky pink skirt with a white wrap shirt and towering heels.
The Spanish royals spent their final evening at a show-stopping banquet at Guildhall with royals including Princess Anne after joining Prince Harry on a visit to Westminster Abbey yesterday.
After their visit to the Francis Crick Insitute on Friday, the couple travelled to their final pit stop, Oxford's Weston Library, where dozens of local schoolchildren gathered outside, waving Spanish flags and holding up a giant sign reading Bienvenidos! (Welcome).
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh wave of Spain's Felipe and Letizia marking the end of their three-day state visit to the UK - the first from a Spanish monarch in 31 years. The couple will spend their final day in London and Oxford
Letizia kicked off her final day at Buckingham Palace in style, wearing an elegant pleated skirt with a white wrap blouse and a pair of LODI burgundy suede ankle strap pumps - accessorising with an on-trend raffia clutch bag
Stylish Letizia has won plaudits for her show-stopping outfits this week, despite paring back her normally racy look in favour of more conservative styles. She has turned to her go-to designer Felipe Varela for her more formal ensembles
Pick up the perfect pleated skirt like Letizia in Topshop
Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI of Spain have been on a three day state visit to the UK and today were waved off by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.
The Spanish royals left in style, particularly Letizia who donned a voluminous pleated skirt paired with a chic white blouse. She accessorised with a straw clutch and burgundy heels which set the look off perfectly.
It was the skirt that captured our attention. You may not believe it but this midi number is from the high street despite its swathes of luxe-looking material and perfect pleats appearing to be designer. This exact skirt was a Topshop number but sadly it is now long-gone. Instead click right to shop the current collection.
Want to look pretty in pink pleats like Letizia? Check out an array of similar midi skirts below. From Boohoo to Simone Rocha there's one for every budget.
In a speech over lunch at the nearby Divinity School afterwards, Felipe, 49, praised the university's work in promoting 'the free exchange of ideas' and the 'circulation of talent'.
This week's visit has been seen as an important step in securing relations with Spain as the UK leaves the EU; the last incoming state visit by a Spanish king - Felipe's father Juan Carlos I - was 31 years ago in 1986.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia's trip was postponed twice - firstly because of a political crisis in Spain in March 2016, and then again when the rescheduled date clashed with June's snap general election.
On Wednesday, the couple were formally greeted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on Horse Guards Parade on what will be Philip's last state visit before he retires from public duties in the autumn.
Security was tight for the show-stopping carriage procession, marking the start of the first state visit to take place since the recent terror attacks in Manchester and London.
The couple - parents to 11-year-old Leonor, Princess of Asturias and 10-year-old Infanta Sofía of Spain - then enjoyed a private lunch with the royal family at Buckingham Palace.
The royals have played host to their Spanish neighbours this week, treating them to not one but two lavish state banquets as well as a show-stopping Ceremonial Welcome on Wednesday. The entire state visit comprised some 1,000 troops
During a speech at Wednesday's banquet, the Queen said that a state visit 'can provide an opportunity for great personal happiness', noting: 'So it was, more than a century ago, when your great-grandfather, King Alfonso the Thirteenth, met his future wife, Princess Victoria Eugenie, the grand-daughter of our Queen Victoria, in this very ballroom'
During the lunchtime reception, Felipe VI became what is known as a 'Stranger Knight' or 'Extra Knight Companion' of the prestigious Order of the Garter.
Buckingham Palace said the last foreign royal to be invested as a Knight of the Garter was King Harald V of Norway in 2001. The decision demonstrates the cordial nature of the royals' relations with their Spanish counterparts.
On Wednesday afternoon the Spanish couple, who wed in Madrid 2004, viewed the Palace's Royal Collection before meeting the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall for tea at nearby Clarence House.
The royal couple later met Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they were feted with the grand state banquet in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace.
The Mall was decked out in Spanish flags ahead of the visit and gun salutes were fired from Green Park and the Tower of London to welcome the King and Queen of Spain.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York plays host to the Spanish royals on the final day of their UK visit at the Francis Crick Institute. The couple will later travel to to Oxford before flying back to Madrid this evening
No pomp and ceremony here! The Duke of York greets Letizia with a kiss on both cheeks - a far cry from the formalities of last night's state banquet which saw Andrew's sister, Princess Anne, perform a deep curtsy when meeting the royals
The Duke shared a joke with Letizia outside the research centre before heading inside. Once there, they will meet members of the Spanish scientific community working in the UK before heading to their final pit stop, Oxford University
Hola! The couple greet research scientists during their visit to the Francis Crick Institute in central London
Elegant: Royal watchers remarked that Letizia's white wrap top bore similarities to a ballet dancer's wrap top
The stunning royal added a sweeping A-line skirt, which nipped in her tiny waist while giving her look a feminine edge. They later headed to Weston Library, where they were shown a copy of a Ptolemy, with the Coat of Arms of the Catholic Kings
Onto Oxford: Dozens of local schoolchildren gathered outside the library today, waving Spanish flags and holding up a giant sign reading 'Bienvenidos!' (Welcome!) as the royals prepared to fly back home to their two daughters
Inside the library, they will be greeted by Lord Patten of Barnes, Chancellor of Oxford University. The royals will view an exhibition of Spanish treasures from the Oxford University archive before proceeding to the Divinity School for lunch
Spot the royal! Letizia and Felipe pose for a photograph with pupils of Tyndale Community School. Next, they will proceed to the Divinity School for lunch at which the King will give a speech
Youngsters from Tyndale Community School fool around outside the Weston Library as the await the royals' arrival. According to the Spanish royals' official website, they were shown a manuscript of the Codex Mendoza inside the library, chronicled by Antonio Mendoza, Viceroy of Mexico between 1535 and 1550, which includes the history of the lords of Tenochtitlan
On Wednesday afternoon, the King and Queen visited the Palace of Westminster, where they were welcomed by the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker. The King delivered an address in the Royal Gallery to Parliamentarians and other guests, followed by the royal banquet where they dined with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
William and Harry have a shared history with the Spanish King. As youngsters, they holidayed with Felipe, his father King Juan Carlos and their family in Mallorca several times throughout the 1980s. Felipe and Letizia were also guests at the Duke and Duchess's wedding in 2011.
The Cambridges are already viewed as the Royal family's unofficial Brexit ambassadors, and are setting off on another diplomacy tour next week - heading to Germany and Poland for five days with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte in tow.
The last supper: Felipe and Letizia sit for lunch at the Divinity School, Oxford, their penultimate pit stop before flying home. Earlier, they visited a nearby Conservation Workshop and an exhibition of works by local primary school pupils
In a speech, King Felipe gave a short speech in which he emphasised that the concept of knowledge and progress 'is and should be open and available to society'
Addressing the crowds, Felipe added: 'Concepts such as transnational scientific collaboration and the free exchange of ideas, as well as mobility and the free circulation of talent, are in the very essence of the University, and are also the basis of modern knowledge management'
The ancient building of the Divinity School provided the perfect backdrop for Felipe and Letizia's final lunch before heading back to Spain. The royals are no doubt looking forward to being reunited with their daughters, Princesses Leonor and Sofía
This week's visit has been seen as an important step in securing relations with Spain as the UK leaves the EU ; the last incoming state visit by a Spanish king - Felipe's father Juan Carlos I - was 31 years ago in 1986
Royal welcome: The Mall was decked out in Spanish flags ahead of the royals' arrival this week, and gun salutes were fired from Green Park and the Tower of London to welcome the King and Queen of Spain
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visit Exeter College, Oxford, as they prepare to head back to Spain tonight. Letizia donned a Topshop skirt which is currently just £30 in the sale in a clear nod to the British high street
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