Spanish Monarch to get national honours
Published:Thursday | February 12, 2009 | 4:21 PM
Spanish monarchs, King Juan Carlos, and Queen Sofia, are to be conferred with national honours by the Jamaican government, during their two-day state visit to the island next week Tuesday.
King Juan Carlos is to be conferred with the Order of Excellence, and Queen Sofia, an honorary Order of Jamaica award.
Information Minister Olivia Grange said Cabinet approved a recommendation from Prime Minister, Bruce Golding for the conferment.
Ms. Grange said the Prime Minister deemed it fitting to confer an award on Queen Sofia, given the constitutional importance of the position of Queen in the Spanish Constitution.
The Order of Excellence is the most recent honour to be created, having being established in 2003, and may only be conferred on a current or former foreign head of state, or government.
To date, South African President, Thabo Mbeki, is the only recipient of this award, having been conferred with the honour in 2005.
The Spanish royal couple, who will be visiting Jamaica, and the English-speaking Caribbean for the first time, will participate in a number of scheduled activities in Kingston, Spanish Town, and Montego Bay.
The Governor General, Professor Sir Kenneth Hall and Lady Hall, and Prime Minister Bruce Golding, will head the dignitaries and officials, who are slated to greet the Royal Couple, when they arrive at the Norman Manley International Airport on February 17.