After 90 years of wrangling with Madrid, valuable objects belonging to the Kings of Majorca are being returned to Palma.
In 1932 Emili Darder demanded that artefacts from the Royal Armory that once belonged to King Martí and King James be returned to the island so that they could be exhibited in a Museum of Ancient Art that was planned for Bellver Castle.
The petition was backed by José Tomás Rentería who was Palma Mayor in 1933, but was allegedly denied by Madrid because "if granted, the historical wealth that is gathered in the Armory of the National Palace would be dismembered considerably."
In April this year, Palma Mayor, Antoni Noguera contacted the National Heritage Administration Council and again asked for the relics to be returned.
A number of artefacts are now coming back to Majorca, including the headpiece of King Martí which will be exhibited at the Festa de l’Estendard in Palma on December 27.