She is the granddaughter of a taxi driver, was an award-winning journalist before marrying Spain’s royal family, and is known to her people as the “Queen of the Commoner”.
So it’s perhaps unsurprising to see Queen Letizia of Spain taking a more down-to-earth approach to royal life.
Indeed, that was demonstrated when the mother-of-two, 50, literally jumped for joy as she joined the Spanish squad’s raucous celebrations after winning the Women’s World Cup in Sydney last weekend.
Letizia cheered on the team from the stands alongside her 16-year-old daughter Infanta Sofia. But even though the Spanish players were royals in the crowd, no members of the British royal family attended the game to support the defeated Lionesses.
The wife of King Felipe VI also proves her more modest ways through what she wears: she’s incorporated High Street fashion into her looks for the royal engagement, has worn many outfits and is clearly not afraid to wear highlighting her very toned silhouette.
Letizia (pictured lifting the trophy) literally jumped for joy as she joined the Spanish team’s raucous celebrations after winning the Women’s World Cup in Sydney last weekend.
The Queen of Spain – known for following a strict diet and exercise routine that includes cardio workouts and yoga – is often pictured showing off her remarkably sculpted arms, back or well-toned stomach thanks to the outfits that she wears.
For example, in May 2022, she showed off her toned belly in a daring pink cut-out dress at a Red Cross event in Valencia.
While she’s not shy about showcasing her enviable figure, the royal also proves her fashion choices aren’t just for the rich and famous by shopping at major department stores including H&M, Zara and Massimo Dutti.
An even more relevant Letizia moment happened when the royal was pictured posing for photos for the BeReal app in images that were shared online by royal fans in January 2023.
All followers of the social media app are notified simultaneously at an unpredictable two-minute time slot and asked to post whatever they are doing on the spot.
The Spanish mother-of-two was meeting a group of young swimmers on an undated occasion when it appears one of them received their notification for the day and dutifully posed for a selfie.
In snaps shared on Twitter by @david_h_moralesthe royal can be seen beaming with joy in a photo with the group.
In a video clip from the moment, Queen Letizia appears to be receiving instructions from one of the young swimmers on how to use the app.
King Felipe VI’s wife also proves she’s more modest through what she wears: she’s incorporated High Street fashion into her looks for the royal engagement, she’s worn many outfits and clearly hasn’t afraid to show off her very toned figure.
The Queen of Spain – known for following a strict diet and exercise routine that includes cardio workouts and yoga – is often pictured showing off her remarkably sculpted arms, back or well-toned stomach thanks to the outfits that she wears.
Following Spain’s win, the players celebrated with Queen Letizia (pictured left) and her daughter Sofia (pictured right). Aitana Bonmati (center) receives the “Ballon d’Or”
At one point (pictured left), the royal was seen dancing, kicking the air and jumping in celebration. Meanwhile, her daughter Sofia wrapped herself in the Spanish flag (pictured right)
She can be seen doing her hair as she prepares for a selfie photo, before snapping another shot of a group directly in front of her.
In the undated photos, the royal is dressed in a fuchsia pink blouse and black pants. Letizia’s appearance on the social media app appears to be a first for a member of the royal family.
A profile of Letizia published in 2022 in the newspaper El País saw the Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Pilar Cancela, declare: “The Queen is our most important helper. I thought she was cold and distant, but she’s professional, normal and fun,” reported euronews.
The relatable royal also comes from humble beginnings. Born on September 15, 1972, in Oviedo, northern Spain, Letizia grew up in a middle-class family and attended public school.
While her mother, Maria Rodriguez, was a nurse, Letizia followed her father, Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez, and stepmother Ana Togores, both journalists, and studied communication at the University of Madrid.
She then obtained her master’s degree in audiovisual journalism and, after a stint with the Asturian daily La Nueva España, she worked for ABC, a popular national newspaper which enjoys the third largest circulation in Spain.
She then worked at the Spanish news agency EFE before moving to Guadalajara, Mexico, and taking a role in the local newspaper Siglo 21.
In May 2022, Letizia showed off her toned belly in a daring pink cut-out dress at a Red Cross event in Valencia.
Another sculpted display of Letizia at the Reina Letizia 202 awards in 2021. Here she finds the winner Inmaculada Vivas Teson wearing the exact same dress.
Queen Letizia of Spain was pictured posing for photos for the BeReal app in snaps shared online by royal fans earlier this year.
Back in Spain a year later, she worked for the Spanish version of Bloomberg, a news channel and agency specializing in economics, before joining CNN+.
Before meeting Felipe of Spain, Letizia was married to high school literature teacher Alonso Guerrero Perez, who was nine years her senior.
The couple married in 1998 after a decade-long romance – they met when the future Queen of Spain was just 16.
They married in a civil ceremony in the town of Almendralejo, Badajoz, but divorced the following year after only a year of marriage.
By the time she met her future husband, Felipe, in 2002, Letizia was working for the popular TV channel 24 Horas, where, in addition to hosting the popular evening newscast Telediario 2, she covered a wide range current events.
As a news anchor, she covered the September 11, 2001, attacks live from Ground Zero.
She met Prince Felipe the following year – at the site of an oil spill in northern Spain. The year after she first met Felipe, Letizia quit her job and a few days later their engagement was announced.
Letizia and Felipe’s wedding in Madrid in 2004 sparked renewed support for the royal family, and her habit of championing big brands like Zara proved popular. She and Felipe had two daughters, Leonor in 2005 and Sofia in 2007.
