I have not covered Queen Letizia in quite some time, so let’s take a moment to catch up with her.
Last Thursday, February 25, Letizia and King Felipe were at the opening of the 35th edition of the International Contemporary Art Fair – ARCO 2016. The fair, which started in 1982, attracts collectors, curators, museum directors, gallery owners, artists, and professionals from around the world. This year the fair brought together 221 galleries from 27 countries.
Maybe because it was an art fair Letizia decided to go with an “arty” fashion choice? Leti went with black leather culottes from Uterqüe‘s SS collection (€275) which feature an exposed zipper. I don’t like them. I think they look like someone cut up a trash bag, formed it into pants, and stuck a zipper on it. Paired with her lace-up Magrit shoes the pants cut off her legs and make her look shorter.
Letizia wore a white Hugo Boss blouse and a pink Carolina Herrera jacket color coordinated to her pink Adolfo Dominguez clutch. Leti also wore TOUS Ruby and Emerald earrings.
On Monday, February 22, Letizia commemorated the 50th anniversary of the College of the University Children’s Hospital Nino Jesus. The University Children’s Hospital Nino Jesus, founded in 1877, is the birthplace of the birth of pediatric specialty in Spain. The school, founded in 1966, serves students in Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, and Secondary Education, with a main objective to provide educational support and academic monitoring for the hospitalized students.
[Casa de S.M. el Rey]
Letizia began her visit with a meeting to discuss the work of the school before touring the facility. Leti sat in on a class and talked to the children about their schoolwork. Leti finished her visit with a reception with hospital directors, teachers, medical staff, alumni, and patients and their families.
[Casa de S.M. el Rey]
Letizia arrived to the hospital in a red Hugo Boss wrap coat. Underneath she wore a Zara embroidered jacket and Hug Boss pants and shirt.
On February 17, Letizia held audiences at Zarzuela Palace in a light pink Hugo Boss coat.
On February 16, Felipe and Letizia presided over the meeting of the Royal Board of the Prado Museum where they discussed the Action Plan 2013-2016 and the program of activities for 2016.
[Casa de S.M. el Rey]
Leti arrived wearing her red Hugo Boss wrap coat. Underneath, Leti wore a Felipe Varela ivory skirt suit with a flower detail on the lapel. Leti finished off her outfit with her Carolina Herrera “Maysa” clutch, Lodi “Debra” bordeaux patent heels, and ruby dangle earrings. I like this outfit – the red coat looks great and the detailing on the suit’s lapel is a nice touch.
February 10 saw Letizia at the Royal Palace of Madrid where she oversaw the renovations being done to the palace to facilitate access for people with disabilities.
[Casa de S.M. el Rey]
[Casa de S.M. el Rey]
Letizia repeated a red Felipe Varela skirt suit which she’s had for years. She wore a burgundy knit top under the jacket, and paired the outfit with her Lodi “Debra” bordeaux patent heels. I really like this outfit – I just love the color.
February 3 saw Letizia attend the V Forum Against Cancer “Por un enfoque integral” as part of her presidency of the Spanish Association Against Cancer. Leti attended the lecture “The value of volunteer support to cancer patients in today’s society” and two debates: “Volunteering another member of the care team?” and “Sharing integration experiences of volunteering in the care of cancer patients and their families.”
[Casa de S.M. el Rey]
As part of the forum, Letizia gave a speech. Sadly, the Spanish royal website did not post the transcript. But they did post a video of her speech on YouTube. I don’t speak Spanish and rely on Google Translate to translate the transcripts of her speeches, so I don’t know what she says in the video. Her speech starts at 0:48.
For the V Forum Against Cancer, Leti wore a Hugo Boss jacket and skirt with a white blouse underneath.
On January 26, Leti had audiences at Zarzuela Palace. She wore an outfit she’s worn before – a red blazer, a Mango floral blouse, and black trousers.
Phew, I feel a bit exhausted after reading what Leticia has been doing. She’s certainly got a lot of balls in the air, different causes and yet you can see she is fully invested with each one.
Thanks for the round up KMR, we don’t get much news from Spain here.
Hi, KMR!
Would it be possible, in the future, to get an idea of the price on some of the clothing being listed on members of other Royal families? Some items will be bespoke, so those will not be possible. But others are perhaps accessible enough for us to know the price?
Thanks.
http://www.queenletiziastyle.com lists the price of her clothing and links directly to the product if available to buy. I assume this is the same blog KMR gets her info about Letizia’s clothing because it’s the best resource I’ve found.
I like to know how much Waity’s clothes cost because she’s a spendthrift with other people’s money. Other than that, I don’t care to know about the costs to other royals.
I don’t consider KMR to be a fashion blog but a substantial commentary on royal culture. Also, I think that KMR already does an enormous amount of solid research, and this would add needless hours to her labour, IMO, especially when one can find fashion blogs elsewhere.
ETA: Oh, there you go, RT has already provided a link. Thanks RT.
I agree with you Maven – this is so not a fashion blog there are lots of those around! This is a community, albeit it one that moves with some leaving and some joining, but actually life is like that too. People move in and out, some stay constant. Fashion is interesting because it shows so much about the personality. Max..well I don’t need to say anything, Leti is smart intelligent with the odd mad moment (culottes) but always appropriate for the occasion, Mary is I think a thinker – AH says the Danish RF have a lower budget, and her care to ensure her clothes can be reconfigured shines through. Kate is uber expensive and totally boring. Charlene is elegant and chic – very French I think – and top end designer because her husband can afford it.
Comparing cost of Royal wardrobes between the Families can be useful, for fairness. We harp at Kate being expensive, but she actually recycles at least at the same level, if not more, than Mary. Comparison to Leti cannot be totally fair, because she is Queen, and her position requires more umph than Kate’s being the wife of the second in line to the throne. And yet, Leticia goes through significant scrutiny in her country for the cost of her wardrobe, as do all other Royals, most likely. We critique Kate’s expensive style, but being a Royal in general is expensive, so I think we should be fair in evaluating them all to the same standard.
There is a fashion blog for Kate “What Kate Wore”. They have prices on her pieces there too. Yet we discuss the cost of Kate’s clothes here, and it figures in KMR’s posts all the same.
Maybe I will be in the minority in my interest to cover Royal fashion costs equally across the board. That would be fine with me 🙂
Ecelos
Actually we don’t critique Kate for her expensive style. We critique her lack of work and the fallout from it- her spendthrift ways while giving a paltry sum in return. Not to mention she rarely is seen to wear the same thing twice or more, and uses taxpayer funded clothing in her private life. The other non Brit royals seem at least to work, so I don’t care what they spend unless they wear gold leaf and drip taxpayer funded diamonds all the time.
All round the suggested comparisons would be a false equivalency.
Ecelos: without knowing exact cost of Leti’s wardrobe, I still know that she it costs a lot more less than Kate’s wardrobe even if she doesn’t recycle.
Leti’s wardrobe seems to be primarily from Zara and Hugo Boss for day wear and one or two Spanish couture designers for evening. The evenin stuff seem to be repeated often.
By highstreet standards, Zara is the really cheap end of the high street whilst Hugo Boss is the expensive end. In other words, you can source an entire look from Zara for £100 whilst you can source an entire look from Hugo Boss, for about £600. I buy my workwear from Hugo Boss, so i’m very familiar with their pricing. It is notable when Leti buys something new AND it’s expensive in the proper understanding of that word.
By contrast, even when she was buying highstreet, Kate tended to the high end of the highstreet. Eg Reiss – a blouse for £120. To source an entire look from them, you are looking to spend about £300-£400 and that’s the lower price point of Kate’s style.
Every time she steps out, she wears a look that is about £3000 on average, not including accessories.
In terms of repeats, Kate repeats only about 5% of the time whereas Leti repeats about 50% of the time. That tells you which one is really thrifty.
In conclusion, even if you don’t have a price guide for individual clothing at each of their engagements, it’s easy to find out because the press always tell you what labels they are wearing, and from that estimate for yourself how much it all cost based upon the known price point of the label.
By the way, one of the royal forums post a comment some time ago about the clothing budgets all these ladies are working with. Of the Europeans, Charlene seems to have the biggest budget whilst Leti has the smallest one. Her preference for Zara may be a reflection of her limited budget or an inspired PR choice given the economic times.
I would say that Kate outspends the Scandinavians, but she may only a step below Mary of Denmark and Maxima of the Netherlands.
The only person who outspends all o them combined is Sheikha Mozah of Qatar. Haute Conture only. And it shows.
Maven: we critique Kate for all sorts of things. There was a whole slew of comments on the “http://katemiddletonreview.com/2016/02/21/kate-middleton-spotted-out-shopping-in-london/” post, dedicated to the cost and value of her outfit. We would probably critique her less if she worked more. But since she does not work, it is very easy to feel grumpy pretty much about anything, especially when media rub the cost of an outfit in our noses, like they did in Daily Mail that day.
Point is, each Royal is scrutinized, and frequently criticized, for everything they do. For example, in Denmark C.P. Mary used to be considered the world’s laziest Royal. Sorry, I could not find any links to support it now, but I remember reading about it years ago. Apologies.
KMR called to fairness in evaluating Kate. I really liked that.
Meanwhile, Letizia works like she is made of iron. I don’t know how she does it, but I hope she can keep it up. Ditto C.P. Victoria. Sofia amazed me in the months after her engagement, showing up to official functions in outfits featuring items for <$50, looking good nonetheless.
Could be Kate grew up wealthy, and simply does not know how or does not see the need to dress cheaper.
I wouldn’t mind so much how much money Kate spent on her clothes if they didn’t all look so much alike. Seriously though, how many pale blue coats with gold button does one woman need? How many pairs of $600 black suede pumps does one need? My problem with Kate’s clothing expense besides the fact that she buys nearly the same thing is how boring it is for money spent. For $100,000 a year I would expect some killer clothes not the same old boring thing.
Lauri: yeppers. 🙂 Perplexing, is what it is 😀
We always talk about Kate’s outfits. That’s the only thing in her life that gives us any variety…the physical and the tangible. Other than that, she hasn’t changed since she started dating William.
I just think she wears Zara because it is a Spanish brand. Why are we looking into this so much? She is obviously from country that isn’t as rich as Kate’s.
While Letizia does wear a good amount of bespoke clothing, she repeats her clothes *a lot*. Way more than Kate.
I understand why you would be interested in knowing the cost of the other royal’s clothing, as am I. I do try and include prices for the other royal’s pieces when I can a) find an id on the piece, and b) find the cost.
What gets to me is that Kate’s clothes always look so cheap.
And the combination of ill-fitting, poorly altered, wrinkled clothes, scuffed shoes and hats with lint on them make her look sloppy most, if not all, the time.
She really doesn’t care about anything, does she?
Her appearance certainly doesn’t justify the price tags. Good on Letizia for managing to look stylish, elegant and graceful (in very few custom designs) on a working wardrobe budget similar to that of the average corporate career woman.
I include the cost of Leti’s pieces when I can, as I do with all the royals. For Kate, it’s really easy. With the other royals it’s harder. I can’t always find an id on their pieces, and they wear more bespoke pieces than Kate does so there isn’t always a price out there to find.
Leticia has such good posture and arms at sides speaks of being confident, etc (the correct body language). She mostly dresses so classy and appropriate. I am not fond of the black leather culottes partly due to length (like the heels for something totally different). Leticia comes across as intelligent, knows her stuff. Nice to have a post totally devoted to her.
She attended a ballet school for years and all those years as a tv journalist were excellent training for royal speech giving!
Great post and like Cathy I’m exhausted . I loathe the culottes but I give her a pass because her posture is superb and she wears them with confidence. All her other outfits are fit for purpose, simple , classy and ensure the attention is on her and not her these are business meetings and her dress sense is exceptional.
I loved watching the speech even though I didn’t understand a word. I know she was a tv anchor and her confidence shines through. She hardly looks at notes and looks at her audience and her hair is not a distraction.
To me what all this shows is how important it is for a ‘commoner’ to have worked before entering a royal marriage. She brings something very concrete to her role as queen.
I know the royal family of Spain is considered the least secure monarchy but she and her husband seem to work tirelessly for their people. Remarkably whenever you see her with those beautiful princesses it is clear that they are a close happy family too – even without full time stay at home parents and nannies.
Thanks for the post it is really interesting to see it all together as it shows how hard she is working. This type of engagement does clearly take preparation too as she is not just turning up for 45 minutes looking pretty and anxious.
+1
I find myself annoyed by the trailing belt on the coat, an untidy end note.
+1
Letizia is nowhere near being my favorite royal, but I do recognize she brings quite a lot to the table. Her husband must be so proud.
Love her wardrobe!!!!
But more importantly, love how King Felipe and Queen Letizia perform their work diligently despite all the negative reporting on the Spanish monarchy. They demonstrate their value to their country. A great example of a modern monarchy.
Oh those Culottes should be put with the Wedges of Doom and burnt! A rare fail for Letizia. She looks fantastic in everything else that she has worn though.
Poor Jason, if you are reading this, you might want to show it to Kate, once she is off the rowing machine. This is how a Royal lady works. If she won’t take advice from the Brits, maybe she will from a young lady who is a Queen and who is managing to raise two girls.
It’s interesting but in the video I noticed that none of the ladies curtsies to her. Is curtsying a british custom? Once I saw Camilla curtsying to Rania. The Queen’s relatives ( the ladies) have to curtsy first to her before kissing her.
I noticed the same but it makes the walk thru so much simpler without the need to curtsy.
IMO curtsying should be for very rare formal occasions only. And then only to the queen.
There are several pictures of Leti curtsying to her in-laws and to a few other royals and some of other royals curtsying to her, so I think you curtsy if you have a rank or want to show respect?
I’ve been checking the other videos & I think curtsying is a custom among the royals not just for UK. Once one becomes queen, the lower ranking royal ladies have to curtsy to her. Mary & Maxima are best friends but once Maxima becomes queen Mary has to curtsy to her.( at least in public)
There are a few pics on the Internet of Mary curtesying to Maxima. She started doing it after Maxima became Queen.
Herazeus I think in public a Royal should curtsey to a queen . So Mary to Max. I don’t like the idea that even in private the hard working and exceptional Anne should curtsey to the lazy Kategoing forward I think it’s is outdated . Is Kate better than me ? Absolutely not. HM ? Yes I think she is better than me her commitment to her job is exceptional though not perfect I would gladly curtsey to her. Camilla ? No for me never.
I wouldn’t curtsy to any of them. Happenstance of birth or marriage does not make them better than me to deserve that kind of deference. And, in my opinion, there are loads of people who work hard and are dedicated to their jobs so that isn’t enough for me to curtsy to someone either. But that’s just me.
I think KMR that only subjects should curtsey . So an American is not a subject. I would not curtsey to Max or Leti , actually I would not to Charles, Will or Kate. But I personally would to HM who has been my HOS all my life .
Grace Kelly said that you curtsy to the office that the person holds not the person. This allowed her to curtsy without thinking too much about relationships. But in most cases once you see that person as a person, you wouldn’t want to curtsy to them.
Yeah, here’s a video of Wax and Max arriving in Denmark for a State visit last year and Mary and the others curtsy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0juqqZwY2I
KMR,
I’m with you there. Americans don’t have to curtsy to *anyone.* I’m not against showing respect (I grew up a military brat, afterall), but the curtsy thing just rubs me wrong lol
Curtseying seems so quaint now doesn’t it? I guess in their ethereal world they have strict protocol to follow….
Myself, I prefer to follow the sensible etiquette rules posted at our local dog park. Works like a charm for all social situations.
Whereas I do respect every opinion on curtesy as indicated by those participating in this subject area. It is as I look at it a sign of respect to the position held. It is a part of all Royal ettiquette for those countries who still have Royal families; a part if you will of a long legacy. I appreciate that there are customs that continue on. But I also can understand the other side of thinking. Just my humble opinions.
I truly admire Letizia’s work ethic. She always seems very informed of what she is doing and very much involved. I truly hope that her daughters will take after her and her husband work wise and secure the spanish dynasty.
I love her hair in the white Hugo Boss blouse pic. Its so perfect.
I love the way Letizia gives the speech. So warm & engaging ‘cos she looks directly at the audience & seems to know what she is talking about. Experience & hardwork counts. I’m sure she does research & knows the details about her charities & projects. She cares & her people know it. That’s all that matters.
When I first started following Letiza, she struck me as rather cold and aloof, but I can see that over time she has really worked hard to let her warmth and compassion come through. I really like that photo of her with her arm around that young boy. As someone who is not naturally demonstrative or comfortable with public displays of affection, I really appreciate the hard work she’s done to improve that part of herself.
I think I read Letizia had problems with her S-I-L in the first years of her marriage. I wonder if she was unhappy.
From what I’ve read she was very unhappy. They all treated her like garbage.
They did but look at her now. Kate could learn a thing or two from her! To me the current King and queen of Spain are shining examples of why countries should want a monarchy over a presidency.
Just look at her sisters-in-law now. One is a divorcee & the other one is in the midst of court proceedings. Letizia is still her gracious self, dignified, with the love & support of her husband.
The black leather cutouts are a fail and they look worse with the pink.
However,the white skirt suit is a win,I esp. like that white rose on the jacket-quite elegant.Also,that black and white horizontal stripes skirt is a stylish win for me and the Zara jacket is cute as well.
Now this is how you take on royal duties. Appropriate attire. Engaged. Knows her stuff… Love her! I wish I had her posture. It’s amazing! It truly shows what having a work ethic vs not having a work ethic does for a person. I’d be proud to have Leti as my queen. Kate on the other hand… yeah, not at all. I’d say Kate needs to take notes, but what’s the point?
Hi Miss K, I practice my posture all day, every day and slowly over time standing and sitting up straight is becoming second nature. It does take practice and work though but it is possible to have the best posture you can for your spine and body. This is way I can get so crazy about Kate’s poor posture, the hunched shoulders and slouching while seated, as it just speaks of laziness and a lack of self confidence.
This posture thing is really interesting. I watched an overview of manners and society on Downton Abbey. The actors had to learn to sit upright, never slouch, never lean against the back of a sofa, stand a certain way, all very formal and precise, because that was what was expected of high society during that era; this was expected even when you were hanging out at home with your relatives.
I watched that show too Maven! I love the etiquette and the manners, really sad that they don’t seem as important these days 🙁
Agreed, Lauri from Ca! Gracious living, huh? I miss manners and etiquette- showing respect for others, making them feel comfortable. Sigh. I was raised that way, and I imagine you were, too. We’re largely such a slovenly lot these days. 🙂
That’s exactly what’s missing Maven, respect for others and making others feel comfortable. Imo, that is the true mark of a lady or gentleman, their respect and treatment of others.
Who said ‘manners maketh a man ? Can’t remember but so true. Being polite showing respect for everyone you meet is simple but vital. My granny always said ‘ manners cost nothing’ how right she was, but how easy it is to forget.
Well Colin Firth said that line in the movie Kingsman and if Colin Firth says it then it’s gospel to me 🙂 Gawd, that man is delicious!
One of my faves too, Lauri. I just love him. 🙂
If there’s one thing you can say about Leti, it’s that she works. I got tired just reading about everything she’s done.
Not a fan of those leather culottes. Although I don’t think of them as culottes as I have an entirely different picture of that garment in my mind. The lowered waistline doesn’t help the line of them either. They just don’t work well on her. But I guess they were stylistically good for that event.
Yeah, those would only look good on the pampas.
Her working wardrobe is elegant, colourful but not intrusive.
Thank you, thank you, thank you KMR!! It’s so lovely to breathe fresh, royal air again!!!
Oh, my goodness Queen Letiza is my posture guru. I see her and immediately my back straightens, by shoulders float back and my chin rises. Her posture and body language speak of a woman who is comfortable in her own skin and confident in her position in life. If she isn’t she certainly fakes it well 🙂
Unfortunately, I have to agree that I’m not a fan of these culottes, the material and zipper just don’t work for me. I do like that she took a fashion risk though and this event certainly was the place to do it. Other than that I love how she can wear a simple outfit. add some wonderful (but not overly done) jewels and look stunning. I truly believe it’s her “presence” that allows her to wear simple outfits, without a lot of embellishments, and still look incredible. I do have to say that I’m rather sad to see that she’s growing out that awesome bob she’s been wearing. With her height, stature and delicate bone structure, that haircut was really perfect for her, too bad she’s not keeping it :(.
I agree with everyone here who believes in the difference having a career before becoming royal makes in carrying out royal duties with style, grace and confidence. Max, Mary and Leti certainly set a high bar for any woman marrying into a royal family, thank goodness as I’m a bit tired of people being okay with the lowering of royal standards.
+1
I like and don’t like the culottes. They work with the pink jacket, but less so without it. However, I would love to wear those strappy shoes!
Her strong work ethic, commitment, and intelligence can transcend whatever fashion faux pas she may commit.
I like the thought of the culottes but the zipper just leaves me meh! But I’m glad to see that she took a fashion risk, especially at this event.
Culottes? CULOTTES?!!!! Oh, my goodness. They should have been put to sleep decades ago. Nothing is worse, imo. However, Leti is a whirlwind and I admire her work ethic and positive image.
Loved seeing her with the children at the hospital. Anytime one visits sick children is stressful and sad. One can only hope they recover and go on to lead happy lives. She retained her sparkle and I am sure the kids were delighted for her visit.
I am amazed by all she does. I guess it’s redundant to ask why Kate can’t take the hint, but oh, how I wish she would.
Leti, you impress us very much! Thanks, KMR. Another detailed look at the difference many other Royal women make.
OK so I’m the minority but I like the culottes, I think they are perfect for an arty event, and I love her boho themed hair. I also love her style for the other events, so classic. Great example of working royalty.
I agree…very cool look
Dutchroyal, I love the culottes, too. The style is so daring and, with her perfect figure, she rocks the look. It was an art event she wore them to, which I think is the only place where you could. The Queen has a great sense of style, the posture of a ballerina and the work ethic of a modern, professional woman. What’s not to like?
This is how modern people act! Mr Cambridge and his Missus need to take a look. Queen Letitzia, of course, has actually worked before she married. So did most, if not all, of the young royal spouses. It obviously is a better choice for companion in a public role to marry somebody who knows concepts like work, discipline and duty.
I agree that marrying someone who works is a far better choice for a spouse in the public life. Problem is, William barely works as it is, so he doesn’t find a problem with Kate not working at all. Just lazy all around!
Oh I am so totally with you on the hair. Her hair stylist does amazing things with her shoulder length quite thin hair. Wish he/she would help me out too. And whilst not a fan of the culottes I quite agree that the occasion was appropriate for something cool and trendy.
I like the culottes too 🙂
I will be the lone wolf here and say that I do like the culottes and especially like it with the pink jacket! It’s an unexpected choice for a queen and I love how Letizia has the imagination and the posture to pull it off! It’s not just another coat dress or nipped-in waist dress in a different colour with the same black pumps!
She is a beautiful and vibrant looking lady too. I am sure that even if the monarchy in Spain were to go the way of the dodo, Letizia would still work hard and do her best to make an impact in her role. Not like Kate who will most likely grumble and crumble and fall apart, if she were no longer in the running to be Queen Consort.
Surely he could have stopped her going out dressed like that…
Whaaaat ? Are you suggesting the King tells the queen not to dress like that? If my husband suggested that to me I would not be impressed.
The coloutttes…I can’t I just can’t. I am 5’5 and can’t pull them off. And they are wide-legged too? I’ll pass.
I love her fashions. She has the comportment and the confidence to wear anything well. I really loved her bob and am a little sad that it’s growing out.
I am a huge fan of hers. I do think it does help that she had a career and confidence prior to marrying Felipe. It shows in what she does and how she carries herself. She can obviously multitask and handle multiple charities as she does her homework and is prepared.
Thanks, KMR for this great post about Leti. Can we also say RIP to Felipe’s beard? I miss it.
Now don’t stress Rhiannon your future husband still has his beard. Don’t worry about other men, stay true,
Dear Kate Middleton PR team:
Please instruct your charge to study Letizia and all the other fab ladies of European Royalty. Maybe WIlliam doesn’t want a confident, press friendly wife that acts like she has a brain in her head, but his subjects do and that is all that matters.
Thanks!
Seattle
Haha very much +1
On a different note, and I could be wrong, but I am picking up a vibe that Victoria may go into labour today and give birth March 1. Anyone else getting that?
Best to Victoria, Daniel, Estelle and their new little one.
Oh, this is exciting!!! I’ve been checking this site first thing in the morning, for the last week, hoping to see some announcement!
I know, I’ve been thinking about it nonstop for the last week, so exciting!!
Am I the only one who mistakenly first thinks about Queen Latifah when I first read Queen Letizia’s name?
Hahaha!! You are so funny Jennifer!
Hard working lady, is Queen Letizia! Such poise and elegance, too! Thanks, KMR! I see this level of reporting no where else!
Several posters have stated they were exhausted or tired just from reading about all Letizia’s done. If you look at the dates it was seven events over the course of a month. It was presented to appear as a whirlwind of work. I agree that she seems poised, connected and invested with the causes she champions. But some comparisons between her and KM are apples and oranges. She is the queen, not the spouse of the second in line to the throne. Her children are in school, not both under the age of three. So where is the uproar over only 2 appearances a week? I like Queen Letizia. I think KM could be doing more. Maybe we could all show a bit more restraint in our judgement of a situation that we really know very little about.
Letizia’s appearances were not “presented to appear as a whirlwind of work”. I included all of Letizia’s appearances since the last time I covered her, which happened to be a month ago. It’s not purposeful manipulation to make Kate look bad.
It is known how much work Letizia does behind the scenes, unlike some other royals. She stated from the beginning she wanted this to be a full-time job and she’s tried hard to make it that way for a decade.
Other royals worked hard while they had young children. Why the constant refrain that Kate Middleton should be the only royal that cannot handle both young children (with two nannies) and a few hours of work a week? It makes her sound completely incompetent.
IF she has time to shop, she has time to work. They take the perks of senior royals, they should do work at that level or return the perks. They are constantly outworked by people much further down the line of succession. Her husband being second in line means nothing when you look at how much work is done by the royals nowhere near the throne.
They can be compared in many ways. They married in around similar ages. Letizia had a decade of work experience, two degrees, earned her way in the world, and was at the top of her field. She dated her husband for less than a year before they announced their engagement.
Kate Middleton never really worked, waited for a decade, lived off her parents, went on vacation, and has yet to hit the ground at all much less hit it running.
There is a lot to compare between the two.
+1
+1,000
Hope we hear news from Victoria soon, too. I’m very excited. As for Leti, we all admire her posture and dedication, let me add some pointers from body language perspective: she does a firm handshake, has an open stance with head and face upright and really is soooo good in public speaking.
I didn’t get one word while watching her speech, it doesn’t really matter, and I’m not saying it didn’t take probably some time to perfectionate her professional look and skills but it’s so obvious she can do a speech out of her hat. She seems she not only knows her stuff but also has a power influence on her audience in terms of voice projection, eye contact, naturality and confidence. All in all she can be persuasive.
As for etiquette: I love it and agree that our times is missing it. I’m not talking here about empty manners and snobbish attitude, I’m talking as others have commented, about respect for oneself and others. Good manners reveal our education and culture. BTW, didn’t Kate take lessons of etiquette before marriage? I don’t know if it only involved curtsy lessons, imo she can do with some more!
Excellent post Elina!
You have to give her points for trying. She’s possibly the only person – and a shortie – who has managed to look great in such a difficult garment.
The main thing that I notice first and foremost with this woman is her presence. She is just great. Dignified, calm and yet warm.