King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia have visited a funeral chapel in Madrid to pay their respects to his aunt the Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz, who died yesterday.
Pilar de Borbón was King Emeritus Juan Carlos’s elder sister and died yesterday, aged 83, after being urgently admitted to the Ruber International Clinic in Madrid on January 5, the day of Juan Carlos’s 82nd birthday.
Members of the royal family including her brother Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia, 81, as well as her nephew King Felipe, 51 and his wife Letizia, 47, attended to pay their respects.
Although details of her conditions were not confirmed, the Duchess revealed in late May 2019 that she suffered from colon cancer.
Queen Letizia, who supported her husband donned a sober black suit for the occasion.
Pictured: Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain attended the funeral chapel for the Infanta Pilar de Borbon, Duchess of Badajoz in Madrid yesterday. The aunt of the Spanish sovereign and elder sister of King Emeritus Juan Carlos, 82, died yesterday aged 83 after announcing in May she suffered from colon cancer
The Spanish Monarch drove himself and his wife to the funeral chapel (pictured) after the news that his aunt Pilar had passed at the Ruber International Clinic earlier yesterday
Infanta Pilar de Borbon died at the age of 83 after being admitted into hospital urgently on the day of her younger brother Juan Carlos’s birthday on January 5. Pictured at the Sentis Cathedral to attend the wedding of Jean de France with Philomena de Torenas on May 2 2009 in France
The Spanish King looked pained and serious when he arrived at the chapel to meet his family members who had come to pay their respects.
Former King Juan Carlos arived in a chauffeur-driven car, with Queen Sofia in the back seat.
Euroweeklynews reported that the Infanta died surrounded by her loved ones yesterday morning after several days in hospital.
Bruno Gomez Acebo (second left) and his sister Simoneta Gomez Acebo (second right) come close to the coffin of their late mother
Letizia and King Felipe VI were joined by his cousin Fernando Gomez Acevo, the son of Infanta Pilar at the chapel
Queen Letizia looked serious in a black suit as she supported her husband during the difficult moment yesterday evening
Juan Carlos was the last visitor to go to her in her ultimate moments, after her children, nieces and nephews and sister-in law Margarita de Borbón, Queen Emeritus Sofía came to pay their respects.
Pilar’s last public appearance was last November, at the opening of the New Future charity bazaar in Madrid. She was affectionately called Doña Pi by the public, who liked her for her dedication to several charitable causes.
She leaves behind her five children Simoneta Gómez-Acebo de Borbón, Juan Gómez-Acebo de Borbón, Viscount of La Torre, Bruno Gómez-Acebo de Borbón Luis Gómez-Acebo ed Borbón and Fernando Gómez-Acebo de Borbón.
Juan Carlos looked sombre as he arrived to the burning chapel of his sister with his wife Queen Sofia yesterday
King Felipe VI, pictured had a good relationship with his aunt. In 2018, they were exchanged a warm hug at Zarzuela Palace during morning audiences
King Felipe looked grave as Letizia and him made their way into the chapel to attended the funeral service of his aunt
Felipe and Letizia greeted family members and other guests who came to pay their respect at the burning chapel (pictured)
Her real name being Maria del Pilar Alfonsa Juana Victoria Luisa Ignacia y Todos los Santos de Borbon y Borbon-Dos Sicilias, she was born on July 30th 1936 in Cannes, France.
She spent most of her early years exiled from Spain during the Franco Regime after her grandfather King Alfonso XIII was forced to flea the country.
In 1967 she married Luis Gomez-Acebo and renounced her rights to the throne (which was still defunct) to do so.
After the death of General Franco in 1975, her brother Juan Carlos ascended the throne and later made her Infanta of Spain and the title of HRH, Her Royal Highness.