This Royal Round Up features Queen Letizia. Letizia keeps herself busy, so in the three weeks I have not covered her, I’ve missed a lot. Upcoming Letizia events: all this week she will be in Honduras and El Salvador, and from June 2-4 she and King Felipe will make a State Visit to France – which is a make up for their March visit that was cancelled (tiara?).
Monday, April 27, 2015
Felipe and Letizia attended an memorial service at the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia for the families of the victims of the Germanwings plane crash which took the lives of 150 people. The Catholic ceremony was attended by Jewish, Muslim, and Protestant representatives. Letizia wore black, of course.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Letizia and Queen Sofia attended the Reina Sofia Awards 2014 Royal Board on Disability. Letizia wore a Felipe Varela light pink wool skirt suit with lace blouse underneath – which is a repeat from 2013. She wore Magrit pumps and clutch, and Yanes flower blossom earrings and ring. This outfit is very “ladies who lunch but also do business”.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Letizia held audiences at Zarzuela Palace, including the presentation of the “Tomas Francisco Prieto Award 2014” to D. Jaume Plensa, and presentation of diplomas to students of III Promotion of Media Masters in Graphic Print, Illustration and Artistic Coinage. Letizia wore that bespoke Felipe Varela tweed dress she debuted in France in March before the visit was cancelled. She carried her Felipe Varela blue leather clutch and wore her Magrit nude patent pumps. She wore new TOUS blue hydrothermal quartz and amber earrings.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Letizia attended a Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) meeting as honorary president of the organization. She attends these meeting fairly regularly. The topic of discussion during the two hour meeting was to design the Strategic Plan of the Scientific Foundation of the AECC 2014-2020 counting on the valuable contributions of Spanish scientists of international renown. Letizia wore all repeated pieces: Mango blue “Ethnic Fabric Jacket” ($129.99); white blouse; Hugo Boss trousers; Links of London Hope Egg earrings; Navy pumps.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Letizia and Felipe attended the International Journalism Awards where they presented the XXXII “King of Spain” International Journalism Awards and XI “Don Quixote” Journalism Prize. The awards recognize the work of professional journalists of Spanish and Portuguese languages. Letizia wore a Felipe Varela jewel encrusted beige trench coat previously worn in February 2014, Magrit nude patent leather pumps, and a burgundy suede clutch. Letizia has a nice earring collection, but oddly enough did not wear earrings to this event. I don’t like this coat, possibly because the color is so close to her skin tone that it all blends in and looks odd to me.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Letizia attended the Red Cross and Red Crescent World Day on May 8 – the birthday of Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross. The event highlights the importance of their staff and volunteers, saving lives and assisting vulnerable communities around the world. Leti visited the Spanish Red Cross back in April. Letizia gave a speech, saying in part (full transcript here): “Solidarity, commitment, ease the suffering of others, defend the dignity … This is serious. It is important. It is essential. And it is a requirement that we as a society and as a country, but above all, as human beings.”
Letizia wore a Felipe Varela white blazer, Hugo Boss navy trousers, Magrit navy pumps, a Mango “Ethnic Embroidery Clutch” (£34.99), and TOUS pearl drop earrings debuted on April 22.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Letizia and Felipe welcomed the President of Italy. Letzia wore a navy button-down shirt, Carolina Herrera “Flower Fil Coupe Party Skirt” ($2,490.00), and Carolina Herrera navy heels from the Spring 2015 collection. I really like this outfit. And her hair looks great, too.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Letizia attended the delivery of the flag to the 11th National Teach Zone of the Civil Guard. Delivery of the flag is a special honor given to certain areas in recognition of the work being done. Letizia gave a speech before delivering the flag.
Letizia said in part (full transcript here): “We must all recognize the value of your work and admirable – and useful – the service that you offer to all Spaniards. […] The flag [given] today… is recognizing the merits of the civil guards. […] I have no doubt that this flag and what it symbolizes, shall guarantee the permanent search for excellence and good work that all who are part of the Civil Guard in contemporary Spain [possess].”
Letizia’s outfit was significant in two ways: 1) She repeated her outfit from Felipe’s proclamation as King; 2) She broke with tradition and wore white. Tradition states that royal women at this event should wear all black with a mantilla and peineta, and full length skirt. Letizia complied with tradition in her Princess of Asturias days. However in her first year as Queen, Letizia switched thing up and broke with tradition.
Letizia wore her Felipe Varela white sheath crepe dress and matching coat which features a neckline of ruby, amber, and amethyst crystal embellishments. She also wore the Commander Dame’s bow of the Order of Charles III. She finished the outfit with her Magrit nude pumps, matching envelope clutch, and pink pearl drop earrings. This outfit is so beautiful, I’m glad Leti gave it a repeat.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Letizia and Felipe attended the Spanish finals of the FameLab International competition – which is a competition of scientific monologues and aims to promote the dissemination of science through an innovative format. Letizia wore a Uterque brown suede tunic dress with crochet detailing on the neckline. It’s super short on her. I don’t like it. I don’t like her Adolfo Dominguez “Python Heeled Sandals” (€219) either.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Letizia and Feilipe attended audiences at Zarzuela Palace. Letizia wore her Carolina Herrera colorblock dress previously worn at the National Culture Awards in February, and bespoke black peep-toe pumps from Magrit.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Letizia and Feilipe, along with their daughter Princess Sofia, attended Princess Leonor‘s First Communion – which took place at her school. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were there also.
Letizia wore a Felipe Varela white lace coat over a mint green sleeveless sheath dress. She wore her TOUS moonstone earrings. I think the dress, coat, and earrings are very pretty. Not so pretty? The transparent vinyl disgustingness from Magrit: “Silvie” open back peep-toe sandal (€270) and “Syl” clutch (€150). The bag isn’t super terrible – it’s kind of fun and futuristic – but feet are nasty and I don’t want to see them in transparent (stripper) heels.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Felipe and Letizia attended the swearing of allegiance of the new Royal Guards at El Pardo. There were both military personnel and civilian personnel who swore allegiance to the flag. Civilians can request and publicly declare their commitment to the defense of Spain under the Military Career Act. Oddly enough, May 22 is also Felipe and Letizia’s wedding anniversary – they have been married for 11 years.
Letizia wore a new Carolina Herrera “Parrot Tulip Fil Coupe Sheath Dress”, and her TOUS pearl drop earrings.
Photos: Casa de S.M. el Rey / Getty
Love Letizia’s hair and wardrobe. She’s always beautifully coiffed and dressed. Kate could learn loads from this lady.
Kate could learn a lot. I noted that all dates have some spacing and that’s fine. If Kate worked a schedule like this I wouldn’t begrudge her. Leti doesn’t do “soft” engagements. Leti had a lot of engagements that she needed to be prepared and truly know her audience. For example, her clothing choice was appropriate for the mass for the victims of the plane crash. Simple and not about her.
She had some hits (5/22, 5/18, 5/13, 5/8) and some misses (5/22). I’m even growing on her hair. I like that it’s not the first thing you see. It compliments her outfit and her jewels. I’m also a fan of her fashion. She adds nice touches with her jewels or that cute Mango clutch. This is how a working woman/royal looks. Kate, you need to stop SWFing Diana and take notes as to what a modern woman and queen wears. Her fashion sense gears more towards a little girl playing princess. I would compare her to Estelle, but Estelle has a better fashion POV and much more personality.
Leti usually works between two and three days a week. She took an entire week off in April and no one cared because she had been so consistent the entire year leading up to her week off. Kate would get so much more leeway in terms of her vacations if she worked consistently throughout the rest of the year.
I like Leti’s style. I prefer the cut of the dresses she wears, as opposed to Kate who constantly wears full skirts. And lol at Estelle having better fashion and more personality than Kate – so true.
I love her hair curled!! I think her bob suits her either way, but the curls complement her more. I also like how she uses a lot of basics in her wardrobe but her clothes don’t look boring.
Her hair looks much better when there is more body to it.
I agree – she always needs some body to her hair.
The haircut is growing on me. I also like it waved. She looks amazing!
Here is a woman who knows how to work and be prepared for every appearance she makes.
She looks lovely at all times and has an amazing flair that allows her to stand apart.
Kate is a blob compared to her. Compared to other Royal Ladies, as well.
Yeah, Kate’s look, if I had to sum it up in one word now, is boring. At first I thought she was going to do really well, and she has had some outfits I’ve loved, but she just doesn’t know how to keep it interesting. Maybe that is her goal?
I agree – Letitza knows how to work it.
I loved good number of Kate’s outfits from 2011/2012, but then she got pregnant with George and her style took a nosedive and has not recovered. She’s so boring with her style now.
Thank you so much KMR, for such a great post on my favorite royal!!! She is an absolute gem and for me really embodies what it means to be Queen in this modern age. I love the business type outfits that she wears to meetings and such, professional yet elegant. And her dresses are simply beautiful, so glad she found an event worthy of re-wearing her coronation dress, I liked it the first time and I liked again this time.
I do agree about the lucite heels, yuck. There is an ex-wife of a minor celebrity here in the States who wears these types of shoes all the time with short, short, tight stripper type dresses and that’s about the only time these shoes should be worn. To see these shoes on Leti was pretty disturbing, hopefully they will live out the rest of their days in the back of the closet.
I love the coronation outfit; I, too, am glad she chose to wear it again.
Who are you talking about that wears the stripper shoes and short dresses? I personally think vinyl shoes should be burned. They don’t look good on anyone, even strippers.
Shauna Sands, the ex-wife of Lorenzo Lamas. Just typing her name makes me want to take another shower, yuck.
Her shoes are gravity defying. She used to be such a pretty girl. One blogger refers to her as the Empress of Lucite.
Never heard of her.
From a distance I didn’t really think much about the heels, but after looking up close I can’t believe she was wearing those things. Surely show knows what type of work women with transparent shoes are associated with … what an odd choice for a first communion.
Yeah, it’s not just that they are ugly, it’s not just that they have a less than reputable reputation, it’s that she chose to wear them to a First Communion of all places. They would have been ugly at any other event, but wearing stripper heels to a First Communion adds an extra level of odd.
She is really amazing. Although to be honest she is just doing her job. It’s just that compared to others her number of appearances, level of interest, professionalism seems special. Love the clothes, she takes risks and is much more of a style icon. But see-through shoes at a first communion? I’m not Catholic, but that does seem WRONG! Like Diana, she is almost always memorable.
Thanks KMR for this heaping helping of Letitzia!
You’re right, she is just doing her job. But we are so used to Kate that Leti just doing her job is 100X better, and we’re not used to it so it’s something to comment on.
It’s great that there are so many royal women, Queen’s and CP’s, that are taking on inspiring roles in their countries and working so hard for the greater good. Some of these women are working on difficult causes, ones that their governments would probably wish they wouldn’t, such as child trafficking. Queen Rania of Jordon is saying more about ISIS and how the Arab world needs to work together to rid that area of this evil, than any of the kings or sultans of that region including her husband.
You are so right, Lauri. She is to be commended for taking such a public and vocal stance against Isis. She is amazing.
Loved seeing the coronation dress again and her new Carolina Herrera is divine. Great point up-thread about it not being about her hair first; Leti is a lot more than some follicles. The girls are so pretty and sweet. I have to say that the Felipe Varela tweed looks like a road painter truck sprayed down its center. High marks to Leti for all the quality effort she puts in.
That Varela tweed makes my eyes hurt. From a distance the dress looks out of focus because of the pattern in the tweed.
The colorblock Carolina Herrara is GORGEOUS. QL looks very good in it.
All of her ensembles are nice. But clear, vinyl heels? No. Just… No.
No, those clear shoes were a miss. What possessed her, I wonder?
I think an evil fashion spirit temporarily took over, hopefully an exorcism won’t be necessary. 🙂
I think she wore them just to make Kate feel better. If Leti was perfect 100% of the time, how would Kate feel ;). Leti wore them just to prove she is human and can choose poorly. Even though I hated them, I still give her credit for trying something different.
Letizia may be only doing her job, but she does it so amazingly well. What a fine representative she is for Spain. What a woman! She has a sense of elegance and a love of people which sets her apart. Her appearance at the Church for the victims of the German Airlines crash was so touching. She did not make it all about her as previously mentioned. She was kind and gracious to those who were in pain.
I also love her new haircut and it looks amazing straight and curled. Her taste in clothing is perfect — all except for those Lucite shoes. They were her fashion faux pas of the decade, I think.
Leti is a hard worker and a true role model for others. Her King chose wisely and I am sure he did it with love. Their children are lucky to have such a dear mother.
Wow I am in fashion overload right now. I am so impressed with her! Not only for actually working, but she looks beautiful at each event. I like her hair when it has a soft curl like others have said. But I am happy she got a bob and didn’t play it safe with her hair like Kate. She also does not fiddle with her hair. She has such poise and confidence!
So many great outfits but I love her dress from May 18 and the skirt combo from May 11. It is also so refreshing to see pants thrown in and she pulls it off so well. I would love to see Kate follow suit (pun not intended), however, I am sure if she does than everyone will say Leti is copying her, even though she did it first :).
One thing I really like is Leti wears some fun shoes. Not just basic pumps. I mean she does wear a lot of basic pumps but then she also throws in some fun heels like on May 14 and May 18. I am in love with the pair from May 18! I find it interesting that she doesn’t wear tights that often. I thought all royals did. Or is that something only the British Royals really stick to? I know Queen Elizabeth expects it. I find it kind of refreshing that Leti doesn’t. Especially since she is Queen, but still young and beautiful with nice legs-she doesn’t need them!
I really like that Leti has fun with her shoes – even if I do think those stripper shoes were a huge miss. Leti has some really cute shoes. Kate’s shoes are so boring.
Re tights. It may be different in each country. Also, Leti has proven, with the white dress at the traditionally black dress event, that she is doing things her way now that she is Queen. So it may have been a protocol that she bucked once she became Queen.
Re tights/stockings
I honestly think the BRF’s obsession is just based on the English climate. QL almost never wears them because Spain is warmer, drier, and sunnier than England!
I live in France and it’s quite common for women of all ages to wear stockings or tights from Oct. into May.
Leti is stunning. She has great poise and style.
When I first saw her new haircut, I disliked it. But, I really love it now. The waved look is also beautiful. Think it is a piece, though. Look carefully. WHen her hair is straight, it does not look long enough to carry off that curl.
What is so appealing about Leiti is the way she tackles her Royal duties with elegance and flair. She really seems engaged when meeting people. She seems to be a devoted wife and mother, too.
The children are darling!
Leti rarely has a fashion Don’t. She is elegance personified.
Nice catch about her hair. She probably is wearing a wiglet of some sort.
Isn’t the Queen permitted to wear white as the spouse of a Catholic monarch? There are a couple outfits here that look good, not great to me. However most of her choices seem both sensible and elegant. She looks much younger than 42. God Save the Queen.
At what event? When meeting the Pope, yes Leti has privilege du blanc and can wear white. But the event in this post she wore white at where the dress has been traditionally black with a mantilla is not meeting the Pope. It is a military event in Spain. Queen Sofia (wife of King Juan Carlos) set the tradition. Leti broke it.
I know of the privilege du blanc. I’m extending it to this event. If she wants to wear white, she can wear white. She’s the Queen. And if Queen Sofia began the tradition, it can’t have been a ‘tradition’ for very long.
My point is that the fact that Leti is a *Catholic* Queen does not matter. As you said, she is the Queen and she can wear whatever color she wants to events in Spain. It does not matter whether she is Catholic or not. If when Camilla is Queen and she wants to break traditions set by Queen Elizabeth, she can. If when Victoria is Queen, she wants to break traditions set by Queen Silvia, she can. They are Queen, and they can set or break any traditions they want (mostly). The fact that Leti is a Catholic Queen does not matter in this situation.
I know. I’m just intrigued by the eccentricities of religion. 🙂
The more you post about Letizia, the more I like her. I adore her in the Carolina Herrera color block dress. And though the Felipe Varela tweed is a busy pattern, it’s one that succeeds in adding curves to her and she doesn’t look so skeletal.
Heh, as for the clear shoes, I’m in the minority since I don’t entirely hate them. If anything, it takes a large amount of fashion bravery to don those because 1) the wearer surely knows they’ll be mistaken for stripper shoes and 2) one’s feet have to be groomed to high standards of pedicure-perfect to wear those (and mine are certainly not). Perhaps one of her girls put her up to it?