Overview
- French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte arrived in Madrid for a state visit taking place on 29–30 September that includes a royal reception and a state banquet hosted by King Felipe and Queen Letizia.
- A royal decree published on 28 September awarded Macron the Collane of the Order of Isabella the Catholic and Brigitte Macron the Grand Cross, formal honors signed by King Felipe after advice from the foreign minister and a cabinet meeting.
- Macron is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and to co-lead a Spanish‑French trade and investment forum that officials say will focus on deeper cooperation in economy, security and defence.
- The visit ends years of postponement caused first by the COVID‑19 pandemic and later by political disputes in Spain, including the failed May 2025 ratification of the 2023 friendship treaty and later constitutional objections raised by the PP and Vox parties.
- Media attention centers on whether Crown Princess Leonor will attend the gala dinner, which would be her first state‑banquet appearance, while Princess Sofia is absent as she studies in Paris.