There's Queen Elizabeth royalty, and there's Queen Letizia royalty.
Who exactly is she you may ask?
How did she become the Queen of Spain?
What's her royal scandal?
Is she really from the working class?
Stay tuned to find out more about this little known royal queen!
We often associate tiaras, palaces, and lavish gowns with royalty…
"Her thinking is based on tradition, and she is comfortable and confident in what she inherited."
But, Queen Letizia of Spain did not grow up with access to such riches.
As noted by Vogue, the queen was born in Oviedo, Spain, in 1972 to working-class parents.
Her father, Jesús Álvarez, worked in the news industry as an aspiring journalist, and
her mother, Paloma Rocasolano, worked in the medical profession as a nurse.
By all accounts, she had a very normal childhood.
She attended La Gesta School in Oviedo, and later Ramiro de Maeztu High School.
After completing her elementary and high school education, Queen Letizia of Spain set her
sights high.
She first received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Complutense University
of Madrid.
Later, she went on to get her master's degree in audiovisual journalism from the Institute
for Studies in Audiovisual Journalism.
While we don't often associate higher education degrees with royalty, given the traditions
of private tutors and the limited time to commit to school, Letizia certainly breaks
the mold of royal intellect.
Even though she's no longer a working journalist, she is no stranger to her alma mater.
Letizia attended Complutense University of Madrid's 50th anniversary celebration and
even received the title of honorary alumni while paying tribute to her school.
As for the school itself and Letizia's credentials, it's no wonder she had such a lucrative career.
The school is one of the most reputable senior institutions in Spain, and it's responsible
for seven Nobel Prize winners.
Talk about a legacy!
Given Queen Letizia of Spain's impressive alma mater, it makes complete sense that she
hit the ground running after receiving her master's degree.
One of her earliest reporting jobs was with the daily La Nueva España, and from there,
Letizia made her way over to the Siglo 21 newspaper.
After that, she continued securing other reporting jobs, including CNN Plus, which was a 24-hour
news channel in Spain.
Letizia stayed with CNN Plus for over a decade.
When her time with the network came to an end, she was hired as the anchor for Television
Española's flagship program.
With time, Letizia's career as a reporter escalated in an incredibly successful way,
and she was trusted to cover some of the early 2000s' biggest stories.
One of her first major stories came when she covered the horrifying events of 9/11.
She clearly proved that she had what it took to be successful on the ground, going on to
cover the invasion of Iraq that soon followed.
Shortly thereafter, in November 2002, Letizia was on the scene once again when she reported
on the devastating sinking of the Prestige oil tanker located on the ​​Galicia coast.
She was certainly getting the kind of attention that any up-and-coming journalist wants, and
her efforts were turning heads.
When we think about royal scandals, we often think of Prince Charles' affair with Camilla
Parker Bowles, or Prince Andrew's troubling past and allegations.
However, head-turning affairs and private lives aren't exclusive to the British royal
family.
As it turns out, Queen Letizia of Spain has a little bit of a skeleton in her marital
closet.
"Who is this woman?
Is she a saint or a swine?"
Letizia met high school teacher Alonso Guerrero Perez when she was just 16 years old.
He was 25 at the time, and the two sparked a love affair that would go on to last a decade.
They clearly had intentions to see their relationship through because Letizia and Perez got married
in a civil ceremony in 1998.
However, the union was not built to last.
The future queen and her former high school literature teacher got divorced in 1999 — just
one year after they were married.
Queen Letizia of Spain may have one of the most public roles in the country now that
she's a monarch.
However, her experience as a news anchor caught eyes before royalty ever entered the picture.
King Felipe — then Prince Felipe — clearly watched the news because in the early 2000s,
he asked a fellow journalist and friend, Pedro Erquicia, to set him up with the thriving
journalist.
So how did the initial meeting go?
Some reports suggest that, while Letizia did give the prince her phone number, the couple
didn't actually make it official for months.
And they also dated largely in secret.
Late 2003 effectively changed Queen Letizia's life forever, as she and then-Prince Felipe
announced their engagement to a shocked Spain.
CNN reported at the time that the announcement, quote, "plunged the media into a royal wedding
whirl," and pretty much everyone was dying to know who Letizia was and how she snagged
the prince's heart.
Of their engagement, the future king said:
"I am very happy to be able to show how happy our engagement has made me and how in love
I am with Letizia."
Of course, with any engagement, we have to talk about the ring.
And thanks to Express, we have the info.
Felipe got down on one knee with an unexpected engagement ring that featured no center stone,
but rather 16 baguette diamonds with white gold inlay.
The ring was designed by Suárez, and while it's absolutely stunning, it's hardly ever
seen on the queen's ring finger anymore.
Is there an event that really captures frivolity, grandeur, and fairytale-like love more than
a royal wedding?
We don't think so, and Queen Letizia's wedding to King Felipe was certainly no exception.
"His wedding a decade ago to a Spanish television journalist projected all the groom glamor
of a British royal wedding."
The two tied the knot on May 22, 2004, in a lavish ceremony at the Cathedral Santa María
la Real de la Almudena.
The wedding's celebratory events didn't just take place on the day they said "I do," though.
The nuptials extended over a number of days and took the form of a gala and formal dinner,
as well as the actual ceremony.
Speaking of the ceremony, millions of people tuned in to watch Felipe and Letizia exchange
vows, not to mention the 1,600 people in attendance.
Letizia stunned in her Manuel Pertegaz-designed gown, and from that moment on, the country
of Spain had a new royal to call their own.
Of their marriage, historian Charles Powell told Reuters:
"What she brings to the marriage is basically that she grounds him.
She makes him aware of everyday issues, everyday problems."
Shortly after she became a royal by marriage, Queen Letizia of Spain became a mom for the
first time.
She welcomed her first daughter, Leonor, in 2005, and her second daughter, Sofia, in 2007.
Of Letizia's role as a mom, expert Elaine told Express that it's clear the queen has
passed down to her daughters her own sense of hard work, dedication, and commitment.
Drawing from her time as a commoner, the queen has also shown her daughters what hands-on
parenting looks like.
Soller told Express:
"She has been pictured dropping her kids off on their first days of school and ensures,
discreetly, that the princesses have time to have fun with their friends.
When attending to her commitments as a working queen, she is the picture of confidence, and
her strong work ethic has set the bar high for her children."
While the two royals are often seen accompanying their parents on royal outings, not a ton
is known about them.
Letizia and King Felipe certainly do their best to keep their daughters' lives private.
A coronation always seems like the most official royal occasion, but when Letizia became queen
and Felipe became king of Spain, it was all rather muted.
King Juan Carlos of Spain, Felipe's father, abdicated the throne in 2014 due to health
issues and questionable financial ongoings.
As per the succession to the crown, Prince Felipe became king and Letizia became queen.
We know what you're thinking — there were crowns, jewels, some sort of cape, and definitely
a palace involved in the coronation, right?
In actuality, it couldn't have been further from that.
Felipe took his oath as king in about half a minute.
And instead of adoring fans and subjects, the historic occasion was attended by members
of parliament.
Letizia, from our research, didn't have a ceremony herself but rather adopted the title
along with her husband.
It all seems very low-key given what we associate with royalty.
As for her own historic ascension to the throne, Reuters noted that Letizia became Spain's
"first commoner queen" at that moment.
There are political figures and royal family members, and then there's the pope — and
the pope always tends to be the most untouchable of all public figures.
When it was announced that Queen Letizia's first overseas trip as queen would be to Vatican
City, all eyes were on the new ruler of Spain.
Accompanied by her husband, King Felipe, Letizia stunned when she held a private audience with
Pope Francis, and special attention was paid to her ensemble for the occasion.
It is in accordance with Vatican protocol that visitors of the pope wear black.
If you can recall, Melania Trump wore a black dress and veil during her visit.
However, Letizia was granted special privilege for the occasion, as she was, and is, the
spouse of a Catholic monarch.
As such, Letizia chose a white skirt and jacket ensemble that was absolutely stunning.
She paired the look with a tasteful pair of nude wedge heels, a white clutch, and pearl
earrings.
In 2016, Queen Letizia of Spain found herself on the wrong side of the headline.
The queen came under fire when text messages between herself and controversial businessman
Javier López Madrid — a good friend of King Felipe — were leaked to the public.
The texts, which were friendly and jovial in nature, were released shortly after Madrid
was accused of, quote, "personally misusing bank funds."
In part, it resulted in the European Union's "bailout of Spain's financial sector."
Overall, not a good look.
"When the very unity of Spain is under threat, the monarchy has rarely been more necessary
to hold the country together."
So what did the texts say?
First and foremost, Letizia called Madrid her "yoga mate" and later told him that the
stories about the credit use didn't match what she knew of his character.
Even Felipe got involved, agreeing with Madrid's statement in which he said,
"We live in a very difficult country."
To say that the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything is an understatement, and Queen
Letizia of Spain took it upon herself to advocate for the children of the pandemic.
She used her role as honorary president of UNICEF Spain to bring attention to the children
missing out on social opportunities, educational advancement, and, even worse, children who
suffered due to poor conditions and quality of life.
In a speech that took place in partnership with the Caixa Foundation, Letizia did not
mince her words.
She shared during her speech:
"All the success achieved has reverted back, because of the pandemic, in all of the important
indicators for childhood."
Taking a moment to bring children who are suffering to the forefront of thought, the
queen discussed those, quote, "exploited for work or sexually, or both" due to the pandemic's
impact across socioeconomic levels.
She implored supporters to make conscious efforts toward change, asking:
"In what kind of society do we want to live?
The will of societies like ours [...] have the means to change this reality."
In that moment, she made her stance firmly known.
The world has watched in horror and disgust as Russian forces have descended upon Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been chastised by many corners of the world, and
Queen Letizia of Spain is among those who have made their stance on Russia's decision
known.
Letizia attended an event held by the Mutua Madrileña Foundation in Madrid, Spain wearing
a vyshyvanka.
The vyshyvanka is a traditional Ukrainian blouse that has a rich history and is even
honored in Ukraine with its own day of celebration.
As such, her decision did not go unnoticed, and her effort echoed a larger attitude that
Spain has taken toward the Ukraine crisis.
Vogue noted that, along with 141 United Nation countries, Spain has condemned Russia for
its unprompted and deadly attacks on the Ukrainian people and has joined other countries in anti-Russian
efforts.
CNN reported that Spain closed its airspace to all Russian airlines following the European
Union's guidance on the escalating situation.
While Letizia's nod to the Ukrainian people was subtle, her open display of support could
be seen as influential over public attitudes and advocacy of the Ukrainian people.
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