Madrid Branch Royal British Legion

Pub Quiz! All welcome. Come as a team of two to four players or join others and make up a team on the spot. €5 per person to play. Prizes to be won.

Please join us for a relaxed get-together and celebrate the new year 2026 together!
Feel free to drop by for a drink or stay longer, whatever suits you best!

Madrid Branch RBL wishes you a Happy New Year!

Members of the branch were invited to judge the cake competition at the 1st British Scouts Madrid Christmas celebration. We faced the challenge of judging cakes made by the youngsters.
Unbeknown to us, those generous people donated every cent raised on the day to the RBL!

The 1st Majadahonda British Scouts invited us to come and speak about the work of the Royal British Legion. We gave a talk on Armistice Day, the importance to remember, the significance of the poppy. We ended the presentation with the Exhortation, two minutes of silence, and the Kohima Epitaph.

On Tuesday the 11th of November, members of the branch attended the Armistice Day celebrations at the British Cemetery, alongside serving members of His Majesty’s Armed Forces.

Remembrance Service at St. George's Madrid

Poppy

Remembrance Sunday — Lest We Forget

Poppy tin locations

Poppies are now available in Madrid at many locations. Check the interactive map and listing at www.rblmadrid.org/poppy.php for more information.

The Torrevieja Pipes and Drums

The parade

The national anthems

Jack Kemp, Orihuela Branch President, with Nigel Hunt, Madrid Branch Chair

RBL branches across the Spain North district gathered in Benidorm this weekend to mark the launch of this year’s Poppytide.

The event was hosted by Sr.D. Antonio Pérez Pérez, the mayor of Benidorm, with HE Sir Alex Ellis, British Ambassador to Spain, and Mr Paul Kane, Spain District North.

Today is Merchant Navy Day In the First and Second World Wars, the merchant service suffered heavy losses from German U‑boat attacks. A policy of unrestricted warfare meant that merchant seafarers were at risk of attack from enemy ships. The tonnage lost to U‑boats in the First World War was around 7,759,090 tons, and around 14,661 merchant seafarers were killed. In honour of the sacrifice made by merchant seafarers in the First World War, George Ⅴ granted the title “Merchant Navy” to the companies. In honour of the sacrifices made in both World Wars, representatives of the Merchant Navy lay wreaths of remembrance alongside the armed forces in the annual Remembrance Day service on 11th November. Following many years of lobbying to bring about official recognition of the sacrifices made by merchant seafarers in the two world wars and since, Merchant Navy Day became an official day of remembrance on 3rd September 2000. The Merchant Navy was also called upon to serve during the Falklands War and provided forty vessels, including transports, tankers and other vessels, with a total of 500,000 grt. The merchant ship SS Atlantic Conveyor, being used to ferry Harrier fighters and other aircraft to the South Atlantic, was lost during the conflict after being struck by an air‑launched Exocet missile. The ship’s captain, Ian North, and eleven other crew members died in the attack which constituted the first loss of a British merchant navy ship to an armed attack since the Second World War. We will remember them.

Today is Merchant Navy Day
In honour of the sacrifices made in both World Wars, representatives of the Merchant Navy lay wreaths of remembrance alongside the armed forces in the annual Remembrance Day service. Merchant Navy Day became an official day of remembrance on 3 Sept 2000.

Minden Roses

Today is Minden Day, a regimental anniversary celebrated on 1st August by certain units of the Army. It commemorates the Battle of Minden during the Seven Years’ War in 1759. The celebration of the day involves the wearing of “Minden Roses”.

The RBL Madrid team at Torrejón Air Base

Explaining our role and purpose

Explaining our role and purpose

We had a very successful presentation at NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejón Air Base (CAOC TJ). Many interested parties came forward to learn more about the Legion and to try our home-made scones. We raised €87.76 for the Poppy Appeal.

The Standards, together with the Union Flag and the Spanish flag

The guest of honour was 98-year-old Jack Billett, World War Ⅱ veteran and former member of the SAS.

The Torrevieja Pipes and Drums

Guest of honour Jack Billett taking the salute

RBL Madrid Branch took part in the Spain District North celebration of Armed Forces Day 2025 with a Parade of Standards in Torrevieja, Alicante.
The guest of honour was 98-year-old Jack Billett, World War Ⅱ veteran and former member of the SAS.

Summer Social 2025 at Taberna Salitre

Summer Social 2025
The end of the social season until September, as most of us will try to escape the Madrid summer heat.
We gathered at Taberna Salitre for drinks and tapas and were joined by our friends from BiMs as well as a Spanish naval officer interested in our work.

Summer Social
21st June @7pm
Feel free to drop by for a drink or stay longer, whatever suits you best! Free entrance, pay as you go.

RBL Madrid at Runnymede College

On the seventh of June we held a recruitment drive at Runnymede College during their Summer Fair. We are very grateful to Mrs Cristina Powell who organised the event, and to all the parents and pupils who came to chat with us.

Our guide Ramón

Our group in front of a Canadair Cl‑215

Ramón with a North American B‑25 Mitchell in the background

Plus Ultra, a Dornier Do J flying boat which completed the first transatlantic flight between Spain and South America in 1926

The Museo del Aire y del Espacio welcomed RBL Madrid and friends to an exclusive guided tour. We are very grateful to Ramón, our English‑speaking guide for patiently and entertainingly explaining the history of the exhibits.

Opening of the event by Major Nigel Hunt RA

Helen Hunt reads WW2 poetry

David Price, proprietor of the Secret Kingdoms

Judy McInnes sings Vera Lynn

The Madrid Branch of the RBL hosted a VE Day 80th Anniversary Commemoration event at the Secret Kingdoms bookshop.
The high point for some was Judy McInnes’ beautiful singing of some Vera Lynn favourites: The White Cliffs of Dover, We’ll Meet Again, and A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.

The Curry Lunch

The Spring Curry Lunch was a very enjoyable day. Two new membership enquiries were received - one through the curry advertisement and one from the lunch event itself.
Alicia, an RBL Madrid youth member participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme, kindly assisted with the raffle.

Remembering VE Day – 80th Anniversary

We are the only official event in Spain!
ve80.com/event/royal-...

Remembering VE Day on the 80th Anniversary 7.45pm, Thursday 8th May at The Secret Kingdoms Bookshop Calle de Moratín 7, Metro Antón Martín Join us for music, poetry and chats. Refreshments will be available and all are welcome! www.rblmadrid.org

Remembering VE Day on the 80th Anniversary
7.45pm, Thursday 8th May at The Secret Kingdoms Bookshop
Calle de Moratín 7, Metro Antón Martín
Join us for music, poetry and chats. Refreshments will be available and all are welcome!
www.rblmadrid.org

Recognising the work of the Royal British Legion in Parliament | Royal British Legion Last week, 40 MPs attended a Parliamentary debate to recognise and celebrate the contributions of The Royal British Legion (RBL) to the Armed Forces community. The first dedicated debate about us in ...

www.linkedin.com/posts/royalb...

Curry Lunch 1.30pm Sunday 27 April At Bombay Blue, Calle de Miguel Servet 23, Metro Embajadores Please RSVP to events@rbl.community and state any allergies or dietary requirements €22 RBL Madrid members and €25 for non-members www.rblmadrid.org

Curry Lunch 1.30pm Sunday 27 April
At Bombay Blue, Calle de Miguel Servet 23, Metro Embajadores
Please RSVP to events@rbl.community and state any allergies or dietary requirements
€22 RBL Madrid members and €25 for non-members
www.rblmadrid.org

Cementerio de la Florida

The third of May 1808 in Madrid

Lunch at 'El Urogallo'

Goya and the Dos de Mayo
On Sunday 23rd March we visited the “Cementerio de la Florida” in Príncipe Pío, where the heroes of the 2nd of May 1808 were laid to rest, and the Royal Chapel of St. Anthony of La Florida to see Goya's frescoes. After the visit we had lunch at a nearby restaurant.

A Visit to the Goya Chapel A walk to the Cementerio de la Florida and to the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida. The event is free for RBL Madrid members and €5 per person for non-members Families welcome (free for under-18s). Optional lunch after the visit.

A Visit to the Goya Chapel
A walk to the Cementerio de la Florida and to
the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida.
The event is free for RBL Madrid members and €5 per person for non-members
Families welcome (free for under-18s).
Optional lunch after the visit.

Pub quiz poster

All welcome! Quiz is in English. Six rounds of ten questions on Films, Geography, History, Literature, Music, Sports, &c.
Come as a team of two to four players or join others and make up a team on the spot.
€5 per person to play. Prizes to be won.

The Spanish language group

The English language group

The museum visit

Lunch at the James Joyce

On the 26th of January we visited the Spanish Navy’s museum in Madrid (Museo Naval de Madrid).
We are very grateful to Capitán de Fragata Sr.D. Enrique Esquivel Lalinde, deputy director of the museum, and to our guides Dª Asunción Sordo and D. Miguel Ángel Bazán García for a memorable visit.

Private Phillip Johnson of the 2/6th Queen’s Regiment inspects British graves at Anzio 1st March 1944

The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War Ⅱ that commenced on 22nd January 1944. The battle was costly, with 35,000 German and Italian, 24,000 U.S. and 10,000 British casualties.
We will remember them.