Madrid prepares for the October 12 parade, with more than 4,000 soldiers, 86 aircraft and 142 vehicles

The Kings and the Princess of Asturias will preside over the military parade, which changes the Castellana for the Paseo del Prado

MADRID, 11 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

This Thursday, the Kings and the Princess of Asturias will preside over the commemorative events of the National Holiday Day in Madrid's Plaza de Neptuno, a new location for the authorities' tribune and with a new route along which more than 4,000 soldiers will parade. In addition, Leonor de Borbón, currently immersed in her military training as a lady cadet, will attend in uniform after two years of absence due to her studies in Wales.

Specifically, the parade will begin at the main entrance of the Botanical Garden and will end its route in the Plaza de Colón, a wide stretch that includes the Paseo del Prado and the Paseo de Recoletos, instead of the northern area of ​​the Paseo from Castellana, which was the usual thing.

The Ministry of Defense has assured that the change in the location of the parade is due to the works on the new cycle lane on Paseo de la Castellana and other changes to street furniture, which, they explain, "prevent" the execution of the military parade "normally." "and denies that this is an attempt to muffle possible whistles or boos at the acting President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, or members of the Executive.

Thus, the authorities' tribune will be located this time in the Cánovas del Castillo square, known for its Neptune fountain, although it is not the first time that this site has been chosen.

The events will begin at 11:00 a.m., with the arrival of The Kings to the stands. Honors will be paid to His Majesties and Felipe VI will review the troops. Next, the jump of the Air Force Acrobatic Parachuting Patrol (PAPEA) will take place.

This occasion will be the first in which a female parachutist, the 'green beret' María del Carmen Gómez Hurtado, jumps with the Spanish flag. She already did it last June in Granada, on Armed Forces Day, but now she will have to do it in the heart of the capital, in front of the authorities' tribune.

Corporal Gómez Hurtado will jump from a C-212 Aviocar preceded by First Corporal Miguel Antonio Gómez Rivas, who has the responsibility of being the first to land, acting as a guide for his team.

Afterwards, the raising of the national flag and the tribute to those who gave their lives for Spain, which will be followed by the passage of the Eagle Patrol, the air and land parades of Units of the Armies, the Navy, the Civil Guard, the Emergency Military (UME), the Royal Guard, the State Security Forces and Bodies and various Security, Civil Protection and Emergency organizations.

Like every year, members of the Legion will also parade, accompanied by the mascot that annually attracts everyone's attention. This Thursday, it will be a goat named 'Pacoli'.

A total of 86 aircraft, 57 airplanes and 29 helicopters, will participate in the aerial parade, and in the motorized parade there will be 142 vehicles, 33 of them motorcycles. Likewise, 210 horses will parade.

In addition, 4,177 soldiers will participate in the military parade. Of them, 291 will do the aerial parade; 3121 in the walking parade; 397 in the motorized one; 210 on horseback and 156 will participate in the lowering of the flag.

In the stands, the Kings will be accompanied by Sánchez; that last year generated controversy because he arrived late and made Their Majesties wait, who had to delay their exit from the official car for a few seconds so that the head of the Executive could join the delegation that had to receive them.

Along with them, there will be the presidents of the Congress and the Senate, the socialist Francina Armengol and the 'popular' Pedro Rollán, respectively; in addition to acting ministers, such as that of Defense, Margarita Robles, that of Labor and second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, and those of Podemos.

The Minister of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, Ione Belarra, and the Minister of Consumption, Alberto Garzón, are expected to attend, but the Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, will not do so because she is in Chile, at the annual Seminar on national accounts for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

In addition, other national, regional and local authorities will attend, including several regional presidents, such as that of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno; that of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens; that of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; and that of Asturias, Adrián Barbón, among others. The Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, on an official trip to Japan, will not attend, and neither is the Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, expected to attend.

Princess Leonor, who is currently completing her training at the Zaragoza Military Academy, is attending the parade again this year, after being absent for the last two years due to studying high school in Wales. She and she will also do it dressed in the Army's dress uniform. For the first time, in addition, she will also be present at the subsequent reception.

However, unlike her father, who did participate in the parade while he was undergoing his military training, Princess Leonor is not expected to participate in the parade on this occasion.