THE ROYAL VISITORS

KING Juan Carlos of Spain jetted to Tenerife to promote a new jewel in the island’s crown last week.
The monarch, joined by his wife Sofia, dedicated his 30th anniversary as king to the opening of the south’s new Congress Palace in Las Americas.
The king and queen arrived in crisp winter sunshine to officially open the arts and conference centre on November 22. Unveiling a silver inscribed plaque, King Carlos said: “It cheers me to inaugurate a centre of such excellent aesthetically visual and acoustic qualities.” Outside the centre he reflected with journalists on his 30 years in power,
explaining “the best thing in all that time has been the Spanish people and more recently the birth of our first grandchild.”
Don Juan Carlos I and Doña Sofía were received by the president of the Canary Islands government, Adan Martín, along with other dignitaries including the mayor of Adeje, Jose Miguel Rodriguez Fraga and Tenerife president Ricardo Melchior. The Congress Palace’s architect, Fernando Menis, was on hand to answer the king’s questions about the building’s unusual design.
The royal couple were taken on a guided tour of the new centre’s facilities and were privy to the first concert to be performed at the Magma Arte y Congresos hall on the Costa Adeje – a short performance by a string quintet.
Cocktails were served to a select group of slightly more than 100. Don Juan Carlos reiterated the “respect, admiration and gratitude felt for the Spanish town of Las Americas” which he described as “the true protagonist of the transformation and modernisation of Spain.”
Canaries president Martin thanked the king for “preserving and fortifying the peace, concord and wellbeing of the population.” The Magma Arte y Congresos is designed to host a wide range of events and houses state-of-the-art light, sound and visual technology. Built on 2,840m² with a main stage of 300m², the conference hall can hold up to
2,500 people. Following his visit to the centre, King Carlos was whisked to his royal suite at the Hotel Sheraton Mencey in Santa Cruz. He later met with representatives from the island’s agricultural centre before enjoying the music of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra at the capital’s auditorium. The programme of events was put together specifically to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the king’s ascension to the Spanish throne following the death of
General Franco, who plotted his 1930s rise to power while military commander in Tenerife.