The couple toured Porenu, in northwest Spain, which was crowned an ‘exemplary town’ in the prestigious Princess of Asturias Awards.
The pair met with locals and learned about the village’s commitment to traditional values.
Their visit comes a day after the king threw his support behind the Spanish government and said Catalonia, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of sovereignty earlier this month, “is and will remain and essential part” of Spain.
The monarch’s comments came just hours before Madrid invoked a never-before-used constitutional clause to strip Catalonia of its powers.
Article 155 allows Madrid to dissolve the Catalan regional government and force new elections, which Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says will take place within six month.
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The PM insisted the move would not result in a loss of autonomy for Catalonia, but hundreds of thousands of pro-independence Catalans have taken to the streets in Barcelona in protest.
At the Princess of Asturias Awards ceremony yesterday afternoon, King Filipe spoke of the need for unity and backed the government’s plans to prevent Catalan independence.
He said: “Spain needs to face up to an unacceptable secession attempt on its national territory, which it will resolve through its legitimate democratic institutions.”
The move came as a shock to some because the Spanish monarchy, like the British Royal Family, does not traditionally get involved in politics.
Today King Felipe and Queen Letizia toured Porenu village, in northwest Spain, which was crowned ‘Exemplary Town of Asturias’.
The Spanish monarch has only spoken publicly on the crisis once before, and used an unprecedented televised address following the October 1 referendum to blast Catalan leaders for their “lack of loyalty”.
He said: “These authorities have scorned the attachments and feelings of solidarity that have united and will unite all Spaniards.
“Their irresponsible conduct could even jeopardise the economic and social stability of Catalonia and all of Spain.”
Wealthy Catalonia accounts for around 20 per cent of Spain’s GDP and several large multinationals, including car-giant Volkswagen, are located there.
Catalan officials said of the 43 per cent of people who voted in the referendum on October 1, 90 per cent backed independence.
The day was marred by violence after Spanish national police were deployed to stop people from voting.
Nearly 900 people were hurt by rubber bullets and batons as heavily armed officers blocked polling stations and seized ballot boxes.
Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has pleaded for intervention from the European Union, but the bloc has refused to act as a mediator in secession talks.
EU bosses condemned the violence but said the issue was an “internal matter for Spain”.
And in a show of support of the Spanish government yesterday, the EU’s three most senior figures – Jean-Claude Juncker, Antonio Tajani and Donald Tusk accepted an award on behalf of the union – appeared at the Princess of Asturias Awards alongside the king and Prime Minister.