Queen Letizia of Spain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Letizia Ortiz |
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Letizia in 2020
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| Queen consort of Spain | |
| Tenure | 19 June 2014 – present |
| Born | Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano 15 September 1972 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain |
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| House | Bourbon-Anjou (by marriage) |
| Father | Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez |
| Mother | María de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodríguez |
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Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (born 15 September 1972) is the Queen of Spain. She is married to King Felipe VI.
Letizia was born in Oviedo, Spain. Before becoming Queen, she worked as a journalist and a news anchor for several TV channels in Spain, including CNN+ and Televisión Española. In 1998, she married Alonso Guerrero Pérez, but they divorced the next year. In 2004, Letizia married Felipe, who was then the Prince of Asturias. He was the son and heir apparent of King Juan Carlos I. Letizia and Felipe have two daughters, Leonor and Sofía.
As Princess of Asturias, Letizia represented the Spanish Crown both in Spain and in other countries. When King Juan Carlos I stepped down in June 2014, Felipe became king, and Letizia became the queen consort. As Queen, she supports the Crown by attending public events with her husband. She also works with many charities and organizations. She often travels to promote Spanish international cooperation around the world.
Contents
Family and Early Life
Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was born on 15 September 1972 in Oviedo, Spain. She is the oldest daughter of Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez, a journalist, and María de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodríguez, a nurse. Letizia has two younger sisters, Telma and Érika.
Her paternal grandmother, Menchu Álvarez del Valle, was a well-known radio broadcaster in Asturias for over 40 years.
Education and Career
Letizia went to school in Oviedo before her family moved to Rivas-Vaciamadrid near Madrid. There, she attended Ramiro de Maeztu High School. She studied journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid. She also earned a master's degree in audiovisual journalism.
During her studies, Letizia worked for several newspapers and news agencies. After finishing her master's degree, she worked in Mexico for a newspaper. When she returned to Spain, she worked for Bloomberg Television and CNN+.
In 2000, she joined TVE, a major Spanish TV channel. She worked for the news channel 24 Horas. Later, she anchored the weekly news show Informe Semanal and the morning news program Telediario Matinal. In August 2003, she became the anchor of Telediario 2, the most-watched evening news program in Spain.
Letizia reported from different parts of the world. In 2001, she reported live from Ground Zero in New York after the 9/11 attacks. In 2003, she reported from Iraq after the war. She also covered the Prestige oil spill disaster in Galicia, Spain, in 2002.
Marriages and Children
First Marriage
In the late 1980s, Letizia met Alonso Guerrero Pérez, a school teacher. After dating for 10 years, they married in a civil ceremony on 7 August 1998. Letizia was 26 years old. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1999.
Second Marriage and Children
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On 1 November 2003, the Royal Household announced that Letizia was engaged to Prince Felipe. The wedding took place on 22 May 2004, at the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. This was the first royal wedding in this cathedral. Letizia's wedding dress was designed by Spanish fashion designer Manuel Pertegaz. Because her first marriage was a civil ceremony, the Catholic Church did not require an annulment for her to marry Prince Felipe in a Catholic ceremony.
Letizia and Felipe have two daughters:
- Leonor, Princess of Asturias, born on 31 October 2005.
- Infanta Sofía, born on 29 April 2007.
Both were born in Madrid.
Princess of Asturias
After marrying Felipe, Letizia became the Princess of Asturias. She joined the royal family and moved to the Prince's Pavilion, Felipe's private home near the Zarzuela Palace.
Letizia quickly began her duties, representing her father-in-law, King Juan Carlos I. She traveled with her husband on official visits to many countries, including Mexico, Hungary, the United States, and Japan.
In 2006, the Royal Household announced that the Princess of Asturias would have her own official schedule. This schedule would focus on social issues. Her first solo event was opening a public school in Madrid. Since then, Letizia has regularly attended events and meetings about children's rights, rare diseases, culture, and education. In 2010, she became the honorary president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC).
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Over the years, Princess Letizia's solo duties grew. She attended many official events and made international trips on her own. For example, she visited the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva and attended a research award ceremony in Berlin.
Queen of Spain
On 19 June 2014, Letizia became the Queen of Spain when her husband became King Felipe VI. She is the first Spanish-born queen consort since 1878. She is also the first Spanish queen who was not born into a royal family. Queen Letizia was present when King Juan Carlos I passed on his royal and military power to King Felipe VI. She was also there when Felipe swore to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of citizens.
Queen Letizia's first solo event as Queen was on 23 June 2014, when she opened an art exhibition in Madrid. Her first overseas trip as Queen was with King Felipe to meet Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace on 30 June 2014.
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In September 2014, Letizia became the head of the Royal Board on Disability, a government agency that helps people with disabilities. In October 2014, she attended the Prince of Asturias Awards. From 2015 onwards, these awards were renamed "Princess of Asturias Awards" with her daughter, Leonor, Princess of Asturias, as their president. Queen Letizia also traveled alone to Vienna, Austria, to open an exhibition about a Spanish painter. She continued her work with the Spanish Association Against Cancer.
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In 2015, Queen Letizia continued to support social causes related to diseases. She attended events for the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases and the Spanish Red Cross. In June 2015, she was named Special Ambassador for Nutrition for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. She and the King made state visits to France and Mexico. She also traveled alone to Milan, Italy, for the Expo 2015. In September 2015, the King and Queen visited the United States, meeting President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama.
In 2016, Queen Letizia continued to meet with social organizations. She and King Felipe also made state visits to Puerto Rico and Portugal. In 2017, they welcomed foreign leaders like the German and Argentine presidents to Spain. Queen Letizia also made a solo trip to Porto, Portugal, for a conference on health. Later that year, the King and Queen made state visits to Japan and the United Kingdom, where they met Queen Elizabeth II.
On 31 October 2018, Queen Letizia watched her eldest daughter, Princess Leonor, give her first public speech. A year later, on 18 October 2019, Letizia accompanied Leonor to the Princess of Asturias Awards, where Leonor gave her first speech as Princess of Asturias.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, King Felipe had to isolate himself at times. The Queen took his place in many events that she was allowed to do by the Constitution. For example, she presented awards and opened events.
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In July 2023, the King and Queen opened the Royal Collections Gallery, a new museum. In August 2023, Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofía went with Princess Leonor to the General Military Academy as Leonor began her military training. In late August 2023, Queen Letizia traveled with her youngest daughter, Sofía, to Australia to watch the final of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The Queen presented the trophy to the winning team, Spain.
In October 2024, during a visit to areas affected by floods in the Valencian Community, the King and Queen stayed to listen to the concerns of residents. The visit to other towns was postponed, but the Royal Household confirmed they would return. The King returned in November, and the monarchs resumed their visit later that month. In December 2024, the King and Queen made a surprise visit to Catarroja with Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía to check on residents.
Titles, Styles, Honours and Arms
When Letizia married Felipe, she was called "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias." This was because she was married to the Prince of Asturias, who was the heir to the Spanish Crown. She also used other titles that belonged to Felipe, such as Princess of Girona.
After Felipe became King, Letizia became Queen consort and is now called "Her Majesty The Queen." When speaking to her, it is polite to first say "Your Majesty" and then "Madam."
Honours
On 21 May 2004, the day before her wedding, Letizia received an important honour called the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Order of Charles III. Since then, she has received many other awards and decorations from other countries and from Spain.
Arms
The coat of arms of Queen Letizia was created in 2014. It combines her family's symbols with her husband's royal shield. This coat of arms does not have official status in Spain, unlike the King's coat of arms.
Images for kids
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From 2004 to 2014, Letizia's coat of arms as Princess of Asturias.
See also
In Spanish: Letizia Ortiz para niños
- Joyas de pasar
