Question: How much Letizia do you guys want? Whenever I cover her lately there are a lot of negative comments toward her in the comment section so I haven’t covered her much this summer. So let me know: yay or nay on Leti coverage.
Anyway, I was totally working on this royal round up of Queen Letizia and King Felipe‘s visit to the United States last Friday morning when Duchess Kate decided to visit a women’s prison, and then I didn’t cover Kate and the boys at rugby until Monday, and then Harry made a surprise appearance on Monday that I didn’t cover until Wednesday, so Leti got bumped to today.
Felipe and Letizia were in the US from September 15-18, making stops in Washington D.C. as well as Miami and St. Augustine in Florida.
Tuesday, September 15
Felipe and Letizia began their 4-day visit on September 15 with a trip to Mount Vernon, the former home of President George Washington (I guess that’s a thing with visiting royalty, since Charles and Camilla did it, too). Their Majesties laid a wreath at the graves of George Washington and his wife Martha before touring the grounds and meeting volunteers. They also visited the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington which is George Washington’s presidential library.
Later on the 15th, Felipe and Letizia moved to Washington D.C. where they met with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House. Felipe held an audience with President Obama in the Oval Office. Unlike when Charles and Camilla and Willem-Alexander and Maxima visited the White House, Letizia did not join her husband for an Oval Office meeting with Obama. Instead, Letizia toured the White House gardens with the First Lady.
After their meeting at the White House, Felipe and Letizia moved to Capitol Hill for a meeting with the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
For the trip to Mount Vernon and the meeting at the White House, Letizia wore a Felipe Varela black and white floral dress from the Pre-Fall 2015/16 collection, a white blazer, Hugo Boss handbag (which retails for £995.00 – holy crap), and Prada pumps. Leti also wore her TOUS pearl drop earrings.
For Capitol Hill, Letizia changed into navy blue sequined separates from Nina Ricci. Leti accessorized with her Felipe Varela navy suede clutch, new navy Magrit peep-toe heels, and her Yanes diamond and white gold chandelier earrings.
I wonder why Felipe spoke Spanish here. He spoke in English when giving a speech in St. Augustine. And I’m pretty sure Willem-Alexander spoke in English when he met with Obama.
Wednesday, September 16
On the morning of the 16th, Felipe held a meeting for Spanish businessmen at the Spanish Embassy, while Letizia toured the National Institutes of Health.
That evening, Felipe and Letizia attended a presentation of the First Meeting of Spanish scientists in the United States at Georgetown University, ending the day with a dinner in their honor at GU.
For the NIH visit, Letizia went with a repeated Hugo Boss floral dress she’s had since 2014, wore a Hugo Boss white blazer, her TOUS pearl drops, and Magrit clutch and pumps.
For GU, Leti wore an embroidered black cocktail dress from Felipe Varela. The Prada black pumps made a reappearance and she carried a Felipe Varela clutch. Leti wore gold chain earrings from Mango which cost $19.99. I guess she went with cheaper earrings to make up for that super expensive handbag from the day before?
Thursday, September 17
September 17th saw Felipe and Letizia head to Miami, Florida. They visited Miami Dade College where Felipe gave a speech to inaugurate the 2015-16 school year. They ended the day at the Olympia Theatre in Miami for a screening of Candida at the Spanish Film Festival “Recent Cinema from Spain”.
Letizia was very flapper-esque in a drop-waist blue beaded cocktail dress. She wore an embroidered blue coat and carried a beaded clutch. She wore Carolina Herrera strappy heels and Yanes citrine and diamond white gold earrings.
I can’t decide if I like this dress on Leti or not. I like the dress on it’s own, but it seems out of character for Leti.
Friday, September 18
September 18th saw me very annoyed that I didn’t know ahead of time that Felipe and Letizia would be in St. Augustine. It’s not that long of a drive from me and I totally could have gone to St. Augustine that day. But alas, that didn’t happen.
Felipe and Leti were in the city to mark the 450th anniversary of its founding. St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States and was founded by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés on September 8, 1565.
Felipe and Leti started their day at the Castillo de San Marcos (which I’ve been to, it’s pretty cool if you like historical sites) before moving to the Government House where Felipe gave a speech on the balcony. They visited the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine before heading to Flagler College for a lunch held in their honor.
In the evening, they returned to Flagler College to attend the inaugural dinner XX Spain-US Forum, organized by the Spain-United States Council Foundation and its American counterpart, the United States-Spain Council.
For St. Augustine, Leti wore her navy button-down shirt, Carolina Herrera “Flower Fil Coupe Party Skirt” ($2,490.00), and Carolina Herrera navy heels from the Spring 2015 collection combo she wore back in May with a navy Felipe Varela clutch and her TOUS blue hydrothermal quartz and amber earrings.
For the evening event, Leti repeated a Felipe Varela blue sequined cocktail dress she’s worn twice before in 2014. Leti accessorized with Magrit navy patent peep-toe heels, a Felipe Varela navy clutch, and her Bvlgari aquamarine teardrop earrings.
Photos: Getty / Casa de S.M. el Rey
Please do write about her. Thank you for maintaining the blog. Her wardrobe is fun and inspirational to look at. Not the prices but atleast to look at it’s very practical.
Please continue to write about her!
Thank you for the post on Leti today! I personally enjoy when you cover her– so, that’s a ‘yay’ for me.
I think the flapper dress was a bit off too…too costume-ish. The black and white dress with the blazer was a great choice for Leti.
I agree Cassie, the way the flapper dress was styled was too costume-ish. The dress it’s self is very pretty so maybe if her hair was styled differently it wouldn’t have come off as a costume.
Agreed! The flapper dress was a miss. Not quite right for a queen. Kate would neverrrrrrrrrr 🙂
Personally I like Leti (and the wonderful Felipe). She had a career and life before she married him and I think that just rubs some people the wrong way along with some other things. But she works, she dresses well and looks appropriate when she does. She’s a tiny little thing, but some people are just naturally on the small side.
If I had a choice between her and a certain Duchess, I’d pick Leti hands down.
Yay on Skeletor… Er… Leti coverage! So sick of Wasty Katie.
Great point: Why does Leti bug? But yes please cover because we need to keep up with all the Houses!! Yes Patricia, total skeletor!! Ha!! She just doesn’t exude the warmth that Victoria, Mary and Maxima do. On the other hand, there’s a big sack o’drama always going on with the Spanish royals so maybe Leti is just trying to cope and doesn’t eat. But yes … Great fashionista!
To me Leti seems like she’s be a good friend to have and very interesting to talk with. She is scary skinny, though!
I like hearing about this couple, and I’m always glad when you do cover them.
I find it fascinating that it’s now something of a trend for visiting royals to pay tribute to George Washington (especially Charles and Camila, considering his role in divorcing the American colonies from Britain). I wonder what Washington would have made of his receiving homage from royalty–I can’t imagine he would have been too pleased. Nevertheless, it’s nice of them to show up at the grave of one of our most prominent figures and his wife. It’ll be interesting to see if any of the royals ever offer the same at Lincoln’s grave.
I think George Washington would be thrilled to know royals are paying homage to him. It’s a sign that not only did he help the nation win independence but that he also spearheaded the beginnings of a world power.
And if you think paying tribute to him is weird almost 3 centuries later, then the fact that Kate was scheduled to attend Malta’s actual independence celebrations must have blown your mind haha.
Yes, please more Leti! And of course, Maxima, Victoria, Mathilde and all the other great Queens and CP’s!!
I love the Carolina Herrera skirt and blouse!!! Generally, I love all of Leti’s fashion choices, with a few exceptions, and I think this particular outfit would look great on Kate.
I don’t want to say much about Leti’s weight other than to say I know several women of her body type and I can say that they would really prefer to be not so thin. However, due to their metabolism or just the way that they are they find it almost impossible to put on weight and it bugs them the same way extra weight bugs the rest of us.
Hey, Lauri!
I know what you mean but Leti was never Skeletor until recent years. Tx!
I also loved the Carolina Herrera outfit. I quite liked the flapperesque dress, imo she pulled it off nicely, and her hair looked great.
I believe Leti’s body shape is exactly how she wants it. Many find it disturbingly (and at times, unattractively) thin, but the way she carries herself….well, no woman with body esteem issues holds herself like that. It’s been done purposefully, as has Kate’s ( who looked better in her athletic youth, thin but shapely). I guess it makes them feel better about themselves, more in control, maybe? I’m not that thin, but I have to say, I can relate.
Please, please keep giving us Leti! I love seeing what outfits she wears. You are my go to stop for Royal news :). I saw little coverage about them in the US, but I knew I would get an overview from you KMR so I was not worried. Also, it is nice seeing other Royal women and what they do so that it really puts Kate into perspective.
I loved both her outfits from Sept. 18 the most. The day outfit was lovely and just right for what they were doing! It is nice seeing someone with good posture as well! I want to send an album to Kate so that she can see what good posture looks like as well as dressing perfectly! 🙂
Please keep the Leti stories coming. I really like her. She is a queen who really wants to impact change. They had an itinerary that had both fun and substance. I love when Letitia gives a real smile. Her smile with the Obamas and with the First Lady was so warm. I loved all of the outfits with the exception of that flapper dress. It was a little too” junior” for her.
Felipe needs his beard back. Now.
Great post, KMR.
You may cover Her Majesty the Queen of Spain until the cows come home as far as I’m concerned. Yes, it is b/c I admit that I find her to be an extremely beautiful woman but I’m a guy, so sue me. 🙂 You may also cover Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Madeleine (if she makes the news), Princess Sofia, Duchess of Varmland (now that she’s becoming elegant and classy), Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Norway, Her Highness Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex. If Kate ever decides to do something interesting again or William opens his big mouth, fine, bump ’em (It is supposedly the Kate Middleton Review). But feel free to cover any or all of them as much as you wish.
Perhaps, Felipe spoke spanish due to the high percentage of spanish speaking people in our country. Also, there may have been a large number of spanish speaking media from South America following his visit.
I like having you follow other royals. It is a lot of work for you KMR, but it gives your loyal followers something to see since Kate took up cave dwelling.
I love leti! Please cover as much of her as possible and I am very keen to see more coverage of Princess Sofia as well! Kate just gets depressing after a while and I want to follow Royal women who actually care about their position and the people who support them.
I agree 110% Bets!! It’s great to read about royal women who are using their position to try and make a difference. And it is depressing to read about all the things Kate isn’t doing, all the flashing and just the general disappointment in her and William.
They were at Flagler!! This is SO close to me and I had no idea! I think the flapper dress is a repeat. I feel like she wore it to a party not too terribly long ago.
I know, right! They were do close to me and I didn’t know it until afterward. I’m so bummed.
Yes, please continue to write about Leti. We don’t get much news about other Royal Families here in NZ so your blog is the best way for me to be able to hear about what they are doing.
Leti always wears a great selection of beautiful clothes, yes they are usually pricy but I think there is an expectation for aristocratic Spanish women to wear couture or expensive ready to wear. I do think she is a bit too thin and at some angles it makes her look like she has a very strong jawline but she could be just naturally thin? This is one reason why I prefer Maxima. Maxima has a great dress sense but I personally feel she has more of a “real” women’s body shape (I hope you know what I mean?).
Please continue writing about Leti. She may be scary skinny, but she exudes style, class, and confidence. There’s more to her than just her body, her hair, and her clothes. Unlike some people. *cough, cough, Kate*
I like the flapper dress. Not on Leti, though. It looks too college-girl to me.
The flapper dress just doesn’t suit Leti. It looks like a costume. On someone else, with a different hairdo, it could have looked really good.
Yes. She was a bit too literal.
I like Letizia, she is very poised and has a very calm demeanor, and she always looks like she is interested in her surroundings. Also, I think she is quite intelligent and uses her intelligence, which is in stark contrast to the person that this review is named after. I think D of C has chosen not to utilize her intellect in any way what-so ever. She has totally dumbed herself down for some reason.
It takes a strong man not to be intimidated by an intelligent woman and I think Felipe realizes what a special woman he has in his wife.
I’m not particularly an admirer of Letizia, but it’s not like Kate does so much that you’re scrambling to get everything she does covered and it would be difficult to find time for anything else! So I do enjoy reading about the European royals, although I definitely have a preference toward the northern Europeans as opposed to Letizia.
I laughed over the DM saying Beatrice Borromeo has stolen Kate’s fashion plate crown. Letizia dresses much better than Kate, and even Maxima — who is a bit over the top for my personal taste sometimes — hits home runs all the time. And Beatrice Borromeo is very elegant. Fashion plate wise, I don’t think Kate’s in the same company at all.
Kate never was a fashion plate so there was never a crown to steal. If not for her title she would not stand out anywhere. She’s a bore.
Max is a bit over the top for my personal taste at times, too. But I love that about her. Even when I don’t like an outfit, I like that she went for it.
Beatrice Borromeo dresses well. But she’s not my favorite in terms of fashion.
Queen Leti? Yes, please.
Body shaming of any type? No thank you.
Fashion Police? Absolutely!
Really liked everything except that flapper dress as well. Great to see her visiting a variety of places – showing an interest and highlighting them. She is a great ambassador for Spain. They need one!
That flapper dress doesn’t seem to be a hit.
It’s sort of overly fussy and looks ill-fitting even for a drop-waisted dress.
Yes please do cover Letizia! I think she is a fabulous monarch that has overcome negative public opinion while working very hard to serve her country. Kate could learn so much from her. Letizia always dresses appropriately, stylish and has the best royal shoe game! I wish Kate would embrace the business pantsuit and Leti’s stylish causal wear (no leggings or cork wedges! ). Most of all Letizia is a mother but still manages to support her husband, country and charities with obvious sincerity and consistency, even before becoming Queen. It would be fantastic to see more coverage of her as it would break up the long dry spells of Kate making the odd appearance which is wearing thin on everyone. Thanks!
Au contraire, I love the flapper dress and the hair. The dress should be an inch below her knees though. I like the Herrera skirt very much but not the price tag.
No mention of Mrs. Obama? I thought she looked lovely. Didn’t somehow look like a giant standing next to Leti.
Mrs. Obama looked beautiful. She and Leti look like they have a warm relationship.
Comment
I love Michelle Obama and agree that she and Leti seem to have a very nice relationship. Mrs. Obama has a wonderful way about her. Always seems to make guests to the White Housee feel so welcomed. Talk about a strong woman, too. A great mom and someone who has used her time as First Lady to help others and make a tremendous impact on the world. I know this post is focused on Leti, but I just am a major Michelle fan.