Spain’s royal family appears to be back in Greece for another year, choosing the country for the second, entirely private leg of their summer holiday. The getaway comes straight after the completion of their official engagements in Mallorca, which this year took place against a particularly charged backdrop due to the emergencies facing Spain, significantly limiting the royal couple’s free time on the Balearic Islands.

Flight paths and security measures

According to data recorded on 13 August by the flight tracking platform Falcon Despega, the Spanish government’s official Dassault Falcon 900 aircraft departed the Balearic Islands at 12.10pm and landed in Greece at 2.30pm, reportedly carrying Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, Princess of Asturias and heir to the Spanish throne, and Infanta Sofia, Felipe and Letizia’s younger daughter.

According to Spanish media, the same aircraft flew back from Greece to Madrid a few hours later, before setting off again to bring King Felipe VI, who was the last to arrive at the Greek destination as he had stayed behind to watch the solar eclipse.

This staggering of journeys is not only down to the family members’ differing schedules but also follows strict security protocols. Although there is no explicit rule against it, the head of state, Felipe, and the heir to the throne, Leonor, systematically avoid travelling on the same aircraft, to safeguard the institutional continuity of the Crown in the event of an unforeseen incident.

Family ties with Greece

This is not the first time Felipe and Letizia have chosen Greece. The royal family spent part of their summer holidays in the country in both 2024 and 2025.

The choice carries strong emotional significance, since Greece is the birthplace of Queen Mother Sofia, King Felipe’s mother, who was born a princess of Greece. King Felipe maintains close personal and family ties with the country that go far beyond those of an ordinary holiday destination. At the same time, the Greek landscape offers exactly what the family are looking for after their public exposure in Mallorca: calm, sea, discretion and the chance to be all together, away from camera flashes and the rules of protocol.

Close friendship with the Dutch Crown

One further factor fuelling speculation about their stay in Greece is the close relationship the Spanish royal couple maintains with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who own a private summer residence in the Peloponnese.

The two families share a deep friendship, demonstrated in practice when Felipe and Letizia hosted the Dutch Princess Amalia in Madrid in complete secrecy, after she was forced to leave Amsterdam due to serious threats to her security. Although it has not been officially confirmed whether the two families will stay together, it is considered highly likely that they will meet up at some point during this year’s holidays.