The Covid-19 vaccinations of two Spanish princesses in the United Arab Emirates – much earlier than they would have received in Spain – have sparked controversy since the news was first reported by the digital newspaper El Confidencial in Madrid.
Several Spanish ministers on Wednesday publicly criticized the two princesses, Elena and Cristina, who were recently vaccinated while visiting their father, former King of Spain Juan Carlos, in Abu Dhabi, where he lives.
Shortly after the criticism, Princess Elena issued a statement saying it was “in response to media reports about vaccination.”
“My sister (Cristina) and I, after visiting our father (in Abu Dhabi) and in order to obtain a health passport that would allow us to visit him regularly, were offered the vaccine. and I accepted it. ”
The statement concluded that, had it not been for the circumstances, the princesses would have waited their turn to receive the vaccine in Spain.
A spokesman for the royal household mentioned that Princesses Elena and Cristina, while sisters of King Felipe of Spain, have not had any official duties as members of the royal family at least since 2014.
The spokesman also stressed that the king, queen and their two daughters strictly follow the health guidelines of Spain Covid and will “wait their turn” for vaccinations in Spain, depending on their age and health conditions.
Spain, like other European Union countries, has had delays in its vaccination program due to limited supply. He also saw a number of government officials and several Roman Catholic clergymen queuing to get vaccinated. Several of them later apologized publicly and some resigned.
Health Ministry data show that only 1.4 million people in Spain have received both doses of Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, along with others receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, in a population of about 47 million.