Every August, the royal family repeats a ritual between spotlights and discretion. Carefully staged photo sessions in Palma, regattas, cinema, and then a break far from the public eye. This summer is no exception, but it has sparked an uncomfortable question: How much will Queen Letizia's private getaway really cost?
The interest doesn't come out of nowhere. She has made several appearances in Mallorca before heading off for her rest, while the king has combined his schedule with time at sea. From there, the movements have been deliberately opaque and the debate, inevitable.
From Atlàntida Film Fest to a flight bound for Greece
The queen closed the Atlàntida Mallorca Film Fest in Palma, where she presented the Master of Cinema award and, once again, became the visible face of the event. Days earlier, she had already attended a festival screening with her daughters. All of this, with record attendance figures and a media presence that she masters.
Meanwhile, the king wrapped up the nautical week with the Copa del Rey Mapfre, the classic summer event that keeps Felipe VI in Palma Bay until the end of the regattas.
After that? The trail places a state Falcon jet landing in Greece on the night of August 7 to 8, according to tracking published by Mujerhoy and echoed by other media outlets. The clue fits with what has been reported: Greece, Queen Sofía's country, is once again the refuge for private vacations. However, there is no official confirmation from Zarzuela.
Half a million euros? What is known about the budget and what isn't
A figure has circulated: five hundred thousand euros. The amount, attributed to a high-end stay with reinforced security and tailored logistics, has appeared in recent headlines and has stirred social media. It is a journalistic estimate, not a figure verified by the institution.
The royal household doesn't break down costs for private vacations and, regarding security, the government has avoided providing figures, citing public interest reservations, as transparency resolutions have reported. For official trips, part of the expenses are charged to other programs, which complicates any external audit.
For context: the royal household's budget has remained frozen at 8.43 million since 2021, with the bulk allocated to personnel. It doesn't include an explicit section for "vacations," and any figure regarding private stays falls between estimates and administrative silence.
The supposed "Dutch villa": geographic accuracy before myth
Another piece of the puzzle is the residence. It has been written that Letizia may have booked a villa "belonging to the Dutch royal family" in Spetses. It is worth clarifying: what is documented is that the kings of the Netherlands bought a property in 2012 in Kranidi, on the Peloponnese peninsula, across from Spetses and Porto Heli. There is no public evidence of a mansion owned by them on the island of Spetses itself.
The confusion is understandable due to the geographic proximity, but the precise detail matters when discussing prices and logistics.
Reactions: from the "work team" to the incident report that casts a shadow over the summer
Regarding the relationship between Felipe VI and Letizia, the old narrative returns: analysts such as Pilar Eyre have described the couple as a "work team"; other voices, like Maica Vasco, speak of a marriage of convenience.
What is certain and has weighed on the spirits of the royals is the serious accident suffered by Mallorcan musician Jaime Anglada, a close friend of the monarch, which occurred in Palma just hours before that flight to Greece. The judicial investigation is progressing, and the royal family is following its developments from afar.