Former journalist, Queen Letizia of Spain, has become a global fashion icon with the British tabloids photo-documenting her every appearance. This week she accompanied King Felipe VI to the opening of the annual ARCO art fair in Madrid and she ended up filling columns of space in print and on line in numerous British publications, not to mention elsewhere in Europe.
“Queen of curls! Queen Letizia of Spain swaps her usual sleek bob for elegant ringlets as she dons a red floral dress to visit art fair in Madrid...” proclaimed the Daily Mail.
In a country where the monarchy is not everybody’s cup of tea, many would say that, at heart, Spain is a republican country, the King and Queen are doing a sterling job in fronting a royal family which over the past decade has been plagued with problems from divorces, unfortunate publicity, court cases and subsequent jail sentences to an abdication.
The Queen has come a long way from being behind the camera to becoming the star attraction for photographers world wide. The Queen’s parents - Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez and Ana Togores - were both journalists, and she enjoyed a long career in TV and newspaper reporting before marrying the heir to the throne in 2004 and they now have two daughters Princess of Asturias, 14, and Infanta Sofía of Spain who have also won the country’s hearts. They also, so far, have yet to put a foot wrong.