The North African city of Ceuta was making final preparations Monday for the arrival of Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, repainting streets, distributing thousands of Spanish and local flags and preparing a large security operation for the first visit by a reigning Spanish monarch since 2007.
The Spanish-administered city has spent several days preparing the route the royal couple will take Tuesday through the enclave on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.
Municipal crews have repainted road markings, cleaned streets and carried out maintenance work along Avenida Doctor Abdelkrim, Miramar, Puente del Quemadero and around the Sidi Embarek Muslim cemetery, one of the stops on the royal itinerary.
The local government has also opened several points where residents can collect Spanish and Ceuta flags and encouraged people to line the streets during the visit.
A large screen will be installed near the Assembly Palace to broadcast ceremonies taking place inside.
Spanish media have reported that around 1,800 police officers, Guardia Civil personnel and members of the military will be involved in the security operation.
Felipe and Letizia are expected to begin their official program at Ceuta City Hall around midday, meeting local officials and representatives of civil society before visiting Vicente Aleixandre public school.
They will later attend an interfaith memorial at Sidi Embarek cemetery for people who died during the mass migration crossings from Morocco in July.
The royal couple will spend Tuesday night in Ceuta before traveling Wednesday to Melilla, Spain’s other North African city claimed by Morocco. The overnight stay was disclosed when the detailed itinerary was released Oct. 9. Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia did not remain overnight during their 2007 visit.
That trip prompted a sharp response from Rabat, which recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations and formally protested the monarch’s presence in the two cities.
The trip comes less than three months after more than 70,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta during the July migration crisis, putting unusual pressure on the city and straining relations across the border.
King Mohammed VI said Friday that the current migration cooperation model with Spain had become outdated and called for a new framework between Rabat and Madrid.
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