Spain’s King Felipe kisses Queen Elizabeth’s hand while his glamorous wife Letizia rides a carriage with Prince Philip as state visit begins
SPAIN's King Felipe has been pictured kissing the Queen's hand as she and Prince Philip welcome their Spanish royal counterparts to the UK.
Britain's head of state and Philip warmly shook hands with King Felipe VI and his wife, Queen Letizia, at Horse Guards Parade, Henry VIII's former jousting yard.
The four are shared a few words before the welcome ceremony began.
It is the first state visit by a Spanish monarch since King Juan Carlos toured Britain in 1986 when he raised the controversial issue of Gibraltar - as his son Felipe is expected to do when he addresses parliamentarians later.
The Queen opted for a vibrant fuchsia coloured coat while Queen Letizia was dressed in an elegant long lemon jacket and yellow dress.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall had escorted the king and his wife from their London hotel to Horse Guards Parade, arriving in chauffeur-driven limousines.
Following protocol the Queen introduced the Spanish couple to leading UK figures, including Prime Minister Theresa May, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick and senior military figures.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia were also shown a display of Spanish items from the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace
The King of Spain was given Britain's highest honour and made a Knight of the Garter by the Queen during his visit.
Felipe VI has become what is known as a "Stranger Knight" or "Extra Knight Companion" of the prestigious Order of the Garter.
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.
During their three-day visit the Spanish monarch and his wife will be dined during a Buckingham Palace state banquet, with Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge expected to attend.
The royal couple are also due to visit the Palace of Westminster, where the King will address parliamentarians and on Thursday Felipe will meet Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street.
But against the backdrop of the visit are strained relations between Spain and the UK over the sovereignty of Gibraltar that has come to the fore because of Brexit with MPs threatening to walk out if King Felipe lays claim to the "the Rock" during his parliamentary address.
Simon Manley, Britain's ambassador to Spain, was questioned by journalists in Madrid last week and when asked if Felipe could talk about the British overseas territory, in his Westminster speech, he replied it was a possibility.
Last September, Felipe used his address to the UN General Assembly in New York to call for a negotiated handover of Gibraltar.
The ambassador, who has travelled to the UK for the visit, went onto say the King's father broached the same subject when he made a state visit to Britain when monarch in 1986.
Juan Carlos, in the first address by a foreign monarch to both houses of Parliament, said he was looking forward to a resolution to the dispute over Gibraltar and that dialogue, underway at the time, was "a step forward".
Spain has a long-standing territorial claim on Gibraltar, which has been held by the UK since 1713, but Mrs May has previously insisted that Gibraltar's status will not be up for discussion during exit talks from the EU.
The Spanish state visit 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.
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The Duke of Edinburgh, who recently spent a short spell in hospital, is due to accompany Felipe as he inspects the Guard of Honour, the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, on the Horse Guards Parade ground.
Security will be tight for the royal carriage procession along The Mall in what will be the first state visit to take place since the terror attacks in Manchester and London.
Glamorous Queen Letizia is the former TV anchorwoman who became Spain's first ''commoner Queen'' while the King has been billed as representing a ''new era of hope'' for Spain's monarchy.
The 49-year-old, who is a towering 6ft 5in tall, came to the throne three years ago when his father Juan Carlos, now 79, abdicated after 40 years as king following ill health and damaging scandals.