New vacation photos: Royal family in Mallorca — train ride to Sóller and visit to Esporles

New vacation photos: Royal family in Mallorca — train ride to Sóller and visit to Esporles

The Spanish Royal Household recently published previously unseen shots from the summers of 2012 and 2013 on its official website. The photos show the four-member family on outings in Mallorca and present quiet, private scenes away from protocol and speeches.

One image is dated August 6, 2012 and was taken in the area of Port de Sóller. It shows the family on the historic Sóller train as it makes its slow, puffing journey along the orange groves. Apparently they travelled in a regular carriage with other passengers; on a platform they posed briefly for photographers, and later the current king was seen deep in conversation with fellow travelers. One picture also shows him with his younger daughter on his shoulders — an unspectacular family moment notable for its lack of fanfare.

The second series comes from 2013 and was taken in the mountain village of Esporles. There the family, dressed casually, posed for photographers on the occasion of a visit linked to expressions of solidarity after a severe forest fire in parts of the Serra de Tramuntana. The photos suggest that alongside official duties, personal compassion was also part of their visits, as in the hospital visit by Felipe and Letizia for injured musician Jaume Anglada.

For locals such images are familiar: for decades the royal family has spent the summer months on the island. The Marivent Palace, located between Palma and Cala Major, long served as the official summer residence; family members are seen at sailing regattas or running ordinary errands — on the Passeig del Born, at the market or in the small shops in Deià and Sóller. The emergence of older, private photographs is a reminder of how much the island has become part of their summer routine.

At the local level such releases are not just an anecdote for gossip columns, nor are they unprecedented, as seen in a brief, inconspicuous visit by Infanta Cristina. They show Mallorca in a human light: the rocking fishing boats in the harbor of Port de Sóller, the clatter of the rails, vendors still offering Mallorca's almond cookies in the morning. Visitors and residents get a picture of how ordinary even prominent guests spend an afternoon here — with ice cream by the water, the train whistle in their ears and conversations with neighbors.

For the island the effect is simple: visible closeness creates sympathy. Photos that show the family using public transport or taking part in solidarity appearances strengthen the perception of Mallorca as a familiar place, not only as a postcard motif. For hoteliers, boat owners and restaurateurs it is a small reminder of how island culture and everyday life contribute to the attraction.

What remains? The images are quiet, private and yet publicly accessible. They put Mallorca back on a stage where everyday life and celebrity meet — without great pomp, with the scent of sea and orange blossoms in the background. An invitation to continue experiencing the island with open eyes.