With a meeting with the Queen of Spain. This is how the first lady of the United States has started her agenda in Madrid, where she will spend the next few days on the occasion of the NATO Summit, which begins on June 29 in the capital. Jill Biden arrived at the Torrejón Air Base on Sunday night. After resting in one of the hotels where the American delegation to the summit is staying, Joe Biden’s wife moved to the Zarzuela Palace on Monday morning. The meeting with Queen Letizia was held at the request of the American first lady, who wanted to meet Felipe VI’s wife personally.
Doña Letizia received the first lady at the gates of Zarzuela and later they held a meeting in the Queen’s office room. It is the first time that this area of the office that the wife of Felipe VI inherited from Doña Sofía has been shown. As the Queen herself has confirmed to journalists, it was the first time they saw each other and the meeting went “phenomenal”. The Queen has also assured that Jill Biden is “charming and intelligent”.
After that meeting, Doña Letizia has met the first lady again at the offices of the Spanish Association against Cancer. The first lady wanted to know the multidisciplinary work of the association to deal with cancer from prevention and early detection. Both women are very involved in the fight against the disease. For Queen Letizia it is a priority issue on her agenda, she is in fact honorary president of the AECC. Jill Biden, on her side, has promoted the Cancer Moonshot initiative with which they try to correct the inequities caused by cancer and increase cancer survival. It is a disease that touches the American “first family” very closely, since a son of Biden died in 2015 from a brain tumor at the age of 46.
During the tour, the ladies have visited the cognitive stimulation workshop and have been able to speak with some patients and their families. They were also interested in the oncology physical exercise unit for patients as well as the cancer research projects between the two countries.
Doña Letizia and Jill Biden have been accompanied by the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, and the United States Ambassador, Julissa Reynoso.
After the visit, the first lady has gone to her hotel. At five in the afternoon, she is scheduled to have a private meeting with Begoña Gómez, wife of the president, Pedro Sánchez. As reported by official sources, it is a meeting this time at the request of the Presidency. As the president’s wife does not have any formal position, it is not planned that there will be diffusion of images or press accreditation.
Next Tuesday, the Queen will meet again with the first lady. This time they will visit the Center for Reception, Attention and Reception of Ukrainian refugees in Pozuelo de Alarcón. Once again, this visit will be made at the request of Jill Biden, because in a conversation she had with Zelensky’s wife, she promised to watch over the mental health of the refugees and she wanted to meet some of them in Madrid. For Queen Letizia and the Crown, support for Ukraine and commitment is constant, which is why she revisits the center that she already visited last April with the rest of the Royal Family.
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