In 1990, during the visit that the then Prince Felipe made to San Esteban de Cuñaba, a small village in the Picos de Europa chosen as an Exemplary Town of Asturias, he met the couple formed by Eugenio López and Milagros Sánchez, who were expecting a child. , which would be the first child born in the town in 20 years. A few days after the visit, La Zarzuela informed the child's parents that the Prince of Asturias offered to be the godfather and a few months later the baby they named Felipe was born.
This Saturday, Felipe López Sánchez, who is now 32 years old, married Lorena Meana, in the Asturian town of Deva, near Gijón, and the King was one of the guests at the wedding. Over the past three decades, godfather and godson have maintained regular contact. Since 1990, coinciding with the presentation in Oviedo of the Prince (now Princess) of Asturias awards, Felipe de Borbón received the little boy, first with his parents, and lately alone, and during all these years the godfather has been attentive to the studies of the godson, fulfilling the mandatory gifts for Three Kings and birthdays.
Shortly before 1 noon this Saturday, the King arrived at the San Salvador de Deva parish church, where he was received by the groom with whom he entered the temple waiting for the bride, Lorena Meana, also from Asturias. The couple lives in Madrid, where the groom works as a lawyer and economist and the bride, as a pharmacist. Both at the entrance and exit of the bride and groom, a group of bagpipes performed and encouraged those in attendance to sing Asturias Patria Querida.
After the wedding, the bride and groom and guests traveled to the Valdesoto Palace, in Siero, where the reception was held. The King was present at the appetizers and enjoyed typical Asturian dishes and the cider that accompanied them, but he could not stay for the meal and returned to Madrid but not before wishing the couple all the happiness.
Felipe de Borbón has around fifteen godchildren, of whom a few are known. In addition to being the godfather of Felipe López, he is, among others, the godfather of his nephews Victoria Federica de Marichalar and Miguel Urdangarin; of Princess Ingrid of Norway, daughter of Princes Harald and Sonia, and also of Ernest of Hanover, son of Ernest of Hanover and Chantal Houchuli; of Prince Vincent, son of Frederick and Mary of Denmark; of Constantine Alexios, son of his cousin Paul of Greece and Marie Chantal Miller; of María, daughter of his cousin Simoneta Gómez-Acebo and Luis Fernández-Sastron; of Luis, son of his cousin Beltrán Gómez-Acebo and Laura Ponte: of Álvaro, the son of his friend Álvaro Fuster and Beatriz Mira; of Isabelle, daughter of Prince Carlos Felipe of Orleans and his first wife Diana Alavares Pereira de Melo. In addition to those mentioned, over the years, the King has sponsored the children of several of his friends, whose identities have not been revealed.
