Nancy Pelosi gets royal reception from Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia

House Speaker Nancy was greeted by Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia in Madrid Monday at a reception at the city’s Royal Palace as she attended a climate change summit.

The Speaker was the highest-profile guest at the palace as the Spanish royal family marked the start of the Cop25 summit on climate change – which is not being attended by a senior figure from Donald Trump’s administration. 

Other guests included Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, Argentinian president Mauricio Macri, and Prince Albert of Monaco.

Pelosi took her duel with Trump to the climate summit, pledging that Congress would urgently tackle global warming despite the president’s opposition to an international pact.

Greeting: King Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia receive the House Speaker at Madrid’s Royal Palace

Happy to be here: Nancy Pelosi is leading a delegation of Democrats to the Madrid climate summit in a pointed continuation of her feud with Donald Trump

Elegant greeting: Queen Letizia of Spain is known for her fashion sense and greeted the Speaker in a high-waisted skirt and white bodice top

Proving her fashion prowess, Queen Letizia commanded attention in a statement frock, which featured a crisp white bodice with a textured ribbed skirt

Letizia and Felipe welcome acting Spanish Primer Minister Pedro Sanchez and his wife María Begoña Gómez Fernández

‘By coming here we want to say to everyone we are still in, the United States is still in,’ Pelosi told reporters on the first day of the two-week United Nations climate talks in Spain.

Many governments and environmental groups are aghast at Trump’s move last month to begin formal proceedings to yank the United States, one of the world’s biggest polluters, from the 2015 Paris Agreement to avert catastrophic temperature rises.

Trump says complying with the accord would hurt the U.S. economy, restricting domestic producers while other big polluters such as China increase emissions.

But Pelosi, who is also leading the Democrats’ push to impeach the Republican president, sought to reassure allies.

‘Our delegation is here to send a message that Congress’s commitment to take action on the climate crisis is iron clad,’ she said, flanked by Democratic Congressional representatives.

Other guests: Prince Albert of Monaco was among the guests at the royal reception for world leaders 

Pairing the tasteful frock with a classic pair of black high heels, Letizia (pictured with her husband and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, centre) kept her accessories to a minimum, opting for a simple, classic pair of silver earrings

The royal (pictured with María Begoña Gómez Fernández, right) sleeked her brown locks into a tight bun and donned a glamorous coating of make-up to finish her attire

Royal address: King Felipe speaks to delegates to the Cop25 summit on climate change at a reception in Madrid’s royal palace

Delegation: Nancy Peliso is accompanied in Madrid by Democratic lawmakers including (second from right, front row) Kathy Castor, who chairs the House’s Select Committee on the Climate Crisis

Ro val foreign travel: Nancy Pelosi was received by the royal family in Madrid shortly before Donald Trump touched down with the first lady Melania Trump at Stansted Airport outside London. He will meet Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday

Pelosi said her decision to visit Madrid during impeachment proceedings showed Democrats were committed to tackling the ‘existential threat to humanity’ from the climate crisis.

‘We aren’t here to talk about impeachment of the president of the United States,’ Pelosi said in response to a question.

‘We’re here to talk positively about our agenda to save the planet for future generations.’

The United States rallied support for the Paris Agreement under the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama. 

Democrats want to reassure the rest of the world they will once again throw their country’s weight behind the deal if they regain power at elections in November 2020.

Florida Congresswoman Kathy Castor, chair of the House select committee on climate, said the committee will put forward recommendations in March for a comprehensive climate change bill to bring U.S. emissions to net zero by 2050.

But achieving consensus around future U.S. legislation will be a challenge, with campaigners pushing lawmakers and Democratic presidential candidates to pursue a sweeping Green New Deal that twins climate action with social justice.