Spain Commemorates Día de la Hispanidad 2025 with Military Parade Amid Political Divides
Spain's 2025 Día de la Hispanidad featured a military parade led by the royal family amid political tensions including protests against the Prime Minister and significant absences due to extreme weather impacts.
- • Nearly 4,000 military personnel participated in the Día de la Hispanidad parade in Madrid, marking the 20th anniversary of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME).
- • King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofía attended the event, with Princess Leonor appearing in military uniform.
- • President Pedro Sánchez faced booing from parts of the crowd, and Vox leader Santiago Abascal chose not to attend the royal reception to avoid legitimizing the government.
- • More than 1,000 guests attended the royal reception, including victims of terrorism, cultural figures, and mayors from municipalities affected by last year's deadly DANA floods.
Key details
On October 12, 2025, Spain celebrated the Día de la Hispanidad with a grand military parade in Madrid, presided over by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, alongside their daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía. Nearly 4,000 military personnel, including 524 women, marched along a 1,540-meter route from the Glorieta de Carlos V to Plaza de Colón. The event marked the 20th anniversary of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME) and featured an abbreviated aerial display due to cloudy skies, replacing the traditional Patrulla Águila with the new Formación Mirlo flight instructors. The parade showcased 74 aircraft and 162 military vehicles and lasted approximately one and a half hours.
Princess Leonor notably attended in military uniform, and the event attracted thousands of spectators, though political tensions surfaced as President Pedro Sánchez faced boos and whistles from parts of the crowd. Sánchez, who expressed pride in Spanish culture and diversity in a social media video shared for the occasion, highlighted Spain's commitment to social justice and public services. Despite the reception's solemnity, Santiago Abascal, leader of the Vox party, declined the royal invitation to avoid legitimizing Sánchez's government, and several regional presidents, including those from Valencia, Balearic Islands, and Murcia, missed the event due to the severe effects of the DANA Alice weather system.
More than a thousand guests attended the royal reception at the Palacio Real, including military chiefs, business leaders, prominent cultural figures such as Cervantes Prize laureates Álvaro Pombo and Sergio Ramírez, representatives of persons with disabilities, and terrorism victims. In addition, over fifty mayors from municipalities affected by last year's DANA floods, which caused 229 deaths, were specially invited. The Unidad Militar de Emergencias was actively engaged beyond the celebrations, deploying 150 personnel and multiple vehicles to assist with flooding in Ibiza caused by DANA Alice.
The day's events also revealed political tensions, as far-right parties like Vox emphasized Hispanidad with pre-constitutional symbols and historical images during separate gatherings, contrasting with the official celebrations. Nonetheless, the day was marked by a strong sense of national pride and reflection, as highlighted by the King's presence and the attendance of various societal representatives in Madrid.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
