Madrid (EFE).- The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Ghashghavi, has attended this Wednesday the traditional reception to the Diplomatic Corps accredited in Spain where, as has happened in other years, he has shaken the hand of King Felipe but not to Queen Letizia, whom he greeted with a slight nod.
For religious and cultural reasons, Iranian men are not allowed to touch any woman in public, a reason the queen knew about because she was notoriously unsurprised by the ambassador’s greeting.
Thus, Doña Letizia has corresponded to that of the Iranian diplomat with a serious face and a brief nod of the head and without actually moving her arms, proof that she knew that Ghashghavi was not going to shake her hand as all the other attendees have done.
The greeting of the Iranian ambassador to Queen Letizia is already habitual
This greeting format from the Iranian ambassador to the queen is already common in acts of this type.
In fact, when on previous occasions the representatives of Iran have come to the palace accompanied by their wives, it is customary for the Iranian ambassador to shake the king’s hand while his wife only shakes the hand of Doña Letizia and limits her greeting to the king to a slight nod of the head.
Over the course of half an hour, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have greeted one by one the nearly 120 ambassadors who have attended the traditional reception for the Diplomatic Corps accredited in Spain that is held every year in January.
The 120 ambassadors and business managers (who remain in charge of the embassies in the absence of an ambassador) have gone to the Royal Palace, many of them accompanied by their partners.
Numerous presidents of international institutions such as the Parliament or the European Commission, and senior officials from organizations with headquarters or offices in Madrid, such as UNHCR, have also attended.
The diplomats were greeted by the Apostolic Nuncio, Bernardito Auza, dean of ambassadors in Spain.
