Prince Charles teams up with Queen Letizia to inaugurate first UK museum of Spanish art

Queen Letizia of Spain teamed up with Britain´s Prince Charles on Tuesday to inaugurate the first UK museum dedicated exclusively to Spanish art, which is part of an ambitious town regeneration effort.

Letizia, 49, and the 73-year-old British heir to the throne visited the new "Spanish Gallery" in Bishop Auckland, in northeast England, which boasts one of Europe´s best-preserved bishop´s palaces.

The gallery is home to around 120 works by great Spanish masters of the 16th and 17th centuries, from El Greco and Murillo to Velasquez and Juan de Juanes.

It is inspired by an exceptional collection of paintings by fellow Spaniard Francisco de Zurbaran, which have sat for centuries in the nearby castle.

Philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer and his wife Jane, who are behind the new showcase, purchased the 12 paintings as well as the palace in 2012 after learning the artworks were for sale.

The Clarence House shared the photos from the ceremony with a message of Prince Charles on its official Instagram handle.

The message reads: “It was a pleasure to welcome Her Majesty The Queen of Spain to Bishop Auckland today to officially open The Spanish Gallery.

“The Spanish Gallery is the first gallery in the UK dedicated to the art, history and culture of Spain and houses portraits by key artists such as El Greco, Zurbarán, Velázquez and Murillo. HM and HRH also viewed the Francisco de Zurbarán art collection, Jacob and His Twelve Sons, at Auckland Castle.”