S.M. la Reina preside los solemnes actos en honor a la Virgen del Pilar, Patrona de la Guardia Civil

October 7, 2013 - Her Majesty the Queen presented the Flag to the Third Zone of the Civil Guard and the Standard to the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard during the ceremonies held in Badajoz. In her remarks, Queen Sofía highlighted "the generous donation of this Flag by the Government of Extremadura, and of the Standard by the Parliament of Extremadura and the City Council of Mérida, confirming the close bond that exists between the Civil Guard and the society it serves, symbolized by its mission to protect the free exercise of rights and freedoms and to guarantee public safety." Likewise, Her Majesty the Queen conveyed "the warmest and most heartfelt congratulations from His Majesty the King, which I wholeheartedly echo. I extend these congratulations to all members of the Civil Guard for their sacrifice and unwavering service to all Spaniards," and added that "on this very special day for all of us, I wish to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to those Civil Guards who, in the line of duty, gave their lives for Spain. To them, our respectful tribute, and to their families, all our affection and love." She also stated that "receiving this Flag is a great honor for all of you and will be a significant incentive to continue fulfilling your mission." "A mission you will carry out, I am sure, guided by the commitment and dedication to service that have always distinguished the Civil Guard." Queen Sofía presided over the events held in Badajoz in honor of Our Lady of the Pillar, Patron Saint of the Civil Guard, in recognition of the close ties between Extremadura and the Civil Guard. Traditionally, the Civil Guard celebrates the feast day the week before Spain's National Day. This year also marks the centenary of the patronage. On February 8, 1913, His Majesty King Alfonso XIII signed the Order proclaiming Our Lady of the Pillar as Patron Saint of the Civil Guard. During the celebration, Her Majesty the Queen presented the Flag to the Third Zone of the Civil Guard and the Standard to the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, donated by the Regional Government of Extremadura and the Assembly of Extremadura, respectively. Queen Sofía was accompanied on this occasion by The ceremony was attended by the Minister of the Interior, Jorge Fernández Díaz; the President of the Government of Extremadura, José Antonio Monago Terraza; the Director General of the Civil Guard, Arsenio Fernández de Mesa Díaz del Río; the President of the Parliament of Extremadura, Fernando Jesús Manzano Pedrera; the Government Delegate in Extremadura, Germán López Iglesias; the Deputy Director of Operations of the Civil Guard, Lieutenant General Cándido Cardiel Ojer; the Deputy Director General of Support of the Civil Guard, Lieutenant General Francisco Gabella Maroto; the Head of Operations Command of the Civil Guard, Lieutenant General Pablo Martín Alonso; and the Deputy Director General of Personnel of the Civil Guard, Lieutenant General Pedro Vázquez Jarava, among other civil and Interior Ministry authorities. The presentation of the flag is a special distinction awarded to certain areas in recognition of their work. The Civil Guard possesses a dozen such flags, following those presented in Baeza, Aranjuez, Valdemoro, the Canary Islands, Galicia, Toledo, Andalusia, Catalonia, Castile and León, and the [Group of...] Rural Action (GAR) and the Reserve and Security Group (ARS).