Palacio de la Zarzuela

The Palacio de la Zarzuela is the official working residence of the Spanish royal family, in the hills near Madrid. Unlike the larger Royal Palace of Madrid, reserved for state ceremonies, the Zarzuela is where the reigning monarch conducts day-to-day audiences, office business and private receptions.

On 20 July 2026, at 18:34 local time, the palace hosted King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia as they received Spain's World Cup-winning football squad, joined by Princess Leonor, Infanta Sofía, and a delegation from the Royal Spanish Football Federation led by Rafael Louzán . The gathering followed the same protocol Spain used after its only previous World Cup win, in 2010, rather than introducing anything new.

As the monarch's day-to-day base rather than a ceremonial backdrop, the Zarzuela recurs in Spanish public life whenever the royal family formally receives visiting dignitaries or marks a national achievement, making it the natural venue of record for occasions such as this one.