Sometimes we do branch out beyond the Windsors for our royal coverage. I personally like covering the Grimaldis because they’re so tacky and strange and interesting. But I also like the Spanish royals, even if the current king and queen are sort of boring. These are photos of Queen Letizia and King Felipe at Easter Mass at the Cathedral-Basilica of Santa María de Palma de Mallorca. They were joined by their two daughters Princess Leonor and Sofia. They were also joined by Felipe’s parents, Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos.
I often think of Spain as a conservative Catholic country, so I was slightly surprised to see Queen Letizia wearing honest-to-God trousers at Easter Mass. The trousers are not crazy or revealing or anything, I just would have thought that Easter-wear for a Catholic royal would have involved a below-the-knee skirt and everything looking very prim. Obviously, though, I am utterly clueless about church fashion. I’d also like to point out that Letizia’s trousers have giant shiny buttons, almost as if she’s taking fashion tips from our beloved Duchess of Buttons, Katie Keen the Button Queen. Do you think Kate will look at photos of these trousers and think “dang it, I could have been wearing giant shiny buttons on my trousers this whole time?!!?” Also, does anyone think these pants are like a fancy version of stripper’s pull-away pants?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Kate is going to see this and come out next in a full buttoned jumpsuit with nude heels.
The looks is good, it’s a smooth and sleek look and it still looks nice and neat, I would almost want to wear it to work so that makes me wonder if perhaps it too casual?
No its def not too casual – esp nowadays
Queen Let almost always wears trousers to easter mass. Those princess are such beautiful little girls
I OTOH find the King and Queen of Spain fascinating , I think they are the best looking european royals…that king !!!!!
Most interesting royal would be Queen Maxima of Netherlands.
Just popped in to say the same thing. Letizia always wears trousers at Easter. I love that the little girls dress like little girls (most royal offspring do, I’ve noticed). And I love Sofia’s Easter egg necklace.
Take note, Kate. This is how you do buttons.
I love this look, and would wear it-if I was taller, thinner, etc.
Yes!
Me too! But I am a sucker for polka dots.
me, too! Polka dots forever!
In navy and white like that – perfection.
ITA! Love this look, top and bottom. Trousers are a perfect length and the handbag color adds a nice accent.
She is so gorgeous and fashion-forward!
Love the pants, wide leg pants definitely make you look thinner & taller. Especially if they have a tighter waist. If you want to look tall & thin stay away from skinny pants that end at the end.
If all their outfits are the work of Spanish designers, I know where I would shop. Fresh, appropriate and nicely detailed, every single one.
For high street Spanish design check out Zara (zara.com), polka dots are all over their new season stuff at the moment and she has been known to wear Zara on official events.
I love Zara but I’ve been told the US selection is more limited than that overseas.
@GoatsontheRoof – it depends on the store in the US. Most probably do not have the same selection as the European ones, but the flagships (NYC, LA, Vegas, etc.) seem to have everything. Personally I scored some amazing deals at the Zara in Monte Carlo of all places. Probably the only stuff that was cheap in all of Monaco!
Thanks. Am in Canada but will browse around. It’s just nice to see things that aren’t dull OR outlandish.
Zara is great-but you can’t be bigger than an American 8, last time I checked. Those Spanish clothes are cut small (at least the Zara stores I went to in London-maybe the American ones are more generous.)
Oh hey! https://www.zara.com/ca/
She really looks great in that outfit!
Love the whole look, and I don’t even like polka dots. But they’re perfect here.
I think she looks perfectly put together. I wouldn’t think I’d like buttony pants but she makes a good case for them.
The Spanish royals always do a more casual dress code for Easter. Look at any year of them attending and you’ll see that they always wear pants
True I’ve rarely seen Letizia wear dresses at Easter. I like the girls are not being dressed in identical outfits anymore.
Me, too. Dressing them alike always seemed silly to me. They both look adorable.
Has Kate ever worn pants that were not leggings since her marriage?
Super expensive tracksuit bottoms, LOL. These trousers are nice though, I like this outfit.
Actually yes, Kate owns similar trousers
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/89/dc/29/89dc29540380e7869758823996d87a4f.jpg
They’re so tight they’re pulling in sideways whiskers and the seams of the pockets are straining against the fabric of her thighs. One or two sizes up would be appropriate, but then she loves her skin-tight clothes.
Léonor and Sofia are adorable — and look like twins!
She always wears pants to the Easter service. In Letizias early days of her marriage, she wore dresses but it’s been a long time.
Love Letizia, love this loook, love this post! More Letizia coverage, please!!
Yes, please more Letizia, Maxima, Victoria, et. al.
I third it!
She knows how to kill it, love her outfit. She has excellent posture. If I was walking in those heels I’d be falling all over the place.
Don’t normally comment on Kate’s outfits as they are always the same twee, tight or themed outfits. So would like to see more of other Royals.
And Mary!
I’d like to see more coverage of all of them. Some of them are doing really interesting work in addition to killing it in the fashion department.
More Mary please. She is a true royal fashion icon, Maxima’s style is not my cup of tea but she always gives us something different to talk about at least.
Agreed. They are interesting.
Yes please, Crown Princess Victoria. Love her!
Love this look and if I was thinner I would wear too. QL always looks good. She and QRania are beautiful, hard working and set the bar high. 👍🏼
I always love her style. She is fresh and can be edgy. I love his look. Beautiful woman!
I usually think Letizia looks great but I think this look is too casual for an Easter church service. Everyone else is dressed up. And I absolutely loathe polka dots. Especially on adults. My head is spinning from looking at all the circles on both the shirt and the pants.
She looks great and so does the girls. Amazes me how the Spanish monarchy and its royals gets so little press in the world compared to the BRF? I really like the SRF. Sucks that their monarchy is very fragile.
Personally, I can’t with them. They have a long history of madness and severe inbreeding. Felipe is king mostly because his father became so unpopular. The old king, Juan Carlos, outmanouvred his own older brother and father for the throne, by being BFFs with general Franco. Juan Carlos killed his own brother too. It’s highly uncertain how much of an accident it was. The two princes were indoors and supposedly holding the same gun. No witnesses. Then there was the whole criminal scandal involving princess Christina, Felipe’s sister. No thanks.
Alfonso was JC’s younger brother; there was no eliminating-the-older-rival to the throne with an “accident”. Franco was the one doing the maneuvering around the throne, not the Borbons. But I agree to JC being a lousy human being in general, definitely a lousy husband, and about Cristina and her husband.
@ANCKEL, So do you like Felipe and Letizia? Do you see the Spanish monarchy strong and secure in the long term?
I never said he killed his older brother for the throne though? He had several siblings, including the younger brother he probably killed. Also, Juan Carlos could have declined the throne when Franco offered it. If not, he could have abdicated later to the advantage of his father or brother, not his own son.
@ Kitty,
I think the spaniards want political stability now, what with the civil war only decades away, and the whole situation with Catalonia. But one day, they’ll get rid of the monarchy, I’m sure of it. Even if the ruling couple seems fine and looks attractive.
I’m not a fan of Juan Carlos (or monarchs in general), but in his defense, he was not bffs with Franco. Franco expected him to continue his regime and arranged for the return of the monarchy and his position as king, but once Franco died, Juan Carlos was instrumental in disassembling the Franco regime and establishing the constitution. He also shut down a coup meant to bring the Francoists back into power in 1981.
@ANKHEL, yeah I have the same sentiments about the Spanish monarchy. I like Felipe and Letizia a lot but I also believe that the Spanish monarchy is not strong and secure a lot. I believe no throne for Leonor to inherit which sucks. Also, I would think since Felipe and Letizia are popular that they could secure the monarchy for long term.
Oh, Juan Carlos was friendly with Franco and his cronies when Franco was alive and in power. Franco thought Juan Carlos was a man after his own heart, a fascist. Some of the other fascists distrusted Juan Carlos and suspected him of being false, but Franco wouldn’t hear of it. Once Franco died, and left Juan Carlos as king, the king got rid of the fascists, yes. Make of that what you will.
@Surely, if you discount his faults, Juan Carlos was a great king and much better at it than his son who is simply a governments puppet but I understand it though because if he’s not the monarchy will dissolve now. Which he had his fathers natural abilities and charisma.
Juan Carlos could never have refused Franco. He would’ve been killed if he said no to being the King. Franco saw him as the heir to continuing his regime but Juan Carlos had different ideas and brought democracy back to Spain. Can you say the same if it were his father or brother whom Franco chose to succeed him? Spain would probably still be a dictatorship had Juan Carlos not stood his ground and fought off a coup d’etat.
Spain also has no history of abdication. Juan Carlos was the first in 2014. That was why they had to rewrite the part in the Constitution about abdication in order to allow Felipe to accede as soon as possible. So how could Juan Carlos abdicate so soon when Spain was just getting back to democracy? Should he have abandoned the entire country that was just getting back on its feet?
And Juan Carlos was young when his brother died. Franco wasn’t even in the picture at the time as the Spanish Royals were still living in exile. Franco started grooming him as his successor when Juan Carlos was near adulthood, years after his younger brother died.
Kitty – that “government’s puppet” is more popular than any Spanish politician. His speech against Catalonia’s illegal independence move increased his and the monarchy’s popularity even more. He is the unifying symbol in Spain right now and as fragile as the Spanish monarchy looks, watch it still be here 50 years from now. Juan Carlos didn’t do a lot of things right but he prepared Felipe for the role and Felipe is doing an equally great job laying down the foundation for Queen Leonor in the future. There is no talk of referendum in Spain. No talk of abolishing the monarchy. When half of Spain’s politicians are embroiled in corruption scandals, it’s the King that the public trusts to lead. Forget charisma. I’ll take Felipe’s calm and solid leadership to any natural abilities. His father had charisma for days…and look what happened.
@Rainbow,
I was unaware that Juan Carlos took the throne because Franco was a threat to his life. Are you sure? That would surprise me greatly, and Franco seemed to like Juan Carlos. Franco’s possibly largest problem with Juan Carlos’ father and brother was that they were too leftist and democratic, wasn’t it? So I don’t see how Spain would have fared differently under them, had they been given power.
The whole fascist coup attempted in the eighties was pretty fascinating. Juan Carlos had little interest in letting the fascists back in power, what with him turning against them before. Still, it seems the fascists honestly thought he would back them again, and were bewildered when he didn’t. Juan Carlos became very popular for countering the coup, anyway.
As for shooting his brother, he was 18 and a soldier. The relationship between him and Franco started later, and lasted for over a decade. I think Juan Carlos was a brilliant politician, honestly, but that’s the best thing I can say of him.
@Rainbow, the Spanish monarchy as much as I like it is not strong enough and probably will be gone in the future. Also, the speech was not popular at all.
Kitty – the speech was widely praised in Spain. Not in Catalonia, obviously. But the majority of the country welcomed it. Don’t know which media you’ve been following but Spanish media have touted the speech as a great success and served as the catalyst for pro-Spain citizens in Catalonia to rally in support of Spain and the monarchy. In the protests, pro-Spain citizens shouted “Viva el Rey!” Not politicians’ name, but the King’s.
All this talk of “Spanish monarchy will not last long” has been going on since Juan Carlos became king. These talks were around when Cristina Borbon was being a disgrace. Heck, Letizia herself was once called the “downfall of the monarchy” by critics and tabloids in 2003. It’s been 15 years and nothing has happened.
And really, where is the proof that Spain will abolish the monarchy in the future? There are no grumblings about abolition or referendums to bring back the republic. There are no talks in Spain about the monarchy being in danger at all. As I said and you seem to have not noticed, Felipe is more popular than any politician in Spain. Many politicians even the Catalonian ones are embroiled in corruption scandals. The King having a clean image is preferable than corrupt politicians.
@Rainbow, obviously we have different opinions, but I still believe it won’t last long. No Queen leonor.
Felipe and Letizia seem okay, but the Spanish Monarchy has been a mess. Juan Carlos was a total disaster.
Bridget, recent years Juan Carlos has been a total disaster but before all of that he was a very good monarchy who help make Spain a democracy.
Except for the whole transition from fascism to democracy, which was kind of a big deal, and not really all that long ago. I took a Spanish history class with a very anti-Franco professor, and she had nothing bad to say about Juan Carlos. I think his “disaster” was about the small potatoes tabloid stuff, but his actual substantive contributions were hugely impactful for Spanish democracy.
@Tallyhoo, I 100% agree.
Pretty sure those buttons are decorative and you just slip on the pants, but I prefer this more laidback Easter style than the buttoned up style (ha!) of the BRF.
I always think Sofia and Leonor are twins, but I know they’re not, I think they’re like a year apart. I always look at them and try to figure out who they more closely resemble (Mom or Dad) but I can never figure it out.
I had trouble telling them apart until Sofia grew past her older sister in height. To me, Leonor looks like Letizia, Sofia looks like Felipe and her grandmother Sofia.
Her outfit is perfect. It’s not too casual either. Church services in Spain are very casual and laid back and Letizia is a reflection of that. If you look at other photos from this event, many women were wearing pants and some were even in jeans. Letizia is the picture of a modern Spanish woman. Most of her outfits are what many women in Spain wear.
The best thing about Letizia, though, is she always wears perfectly tailored and fitted clothes. That’s why she also looks neat and groomed. Her ball gowns never drag on the floor. The hem is always the right length. It’s like many of her clothes are bespoke when they aren’t.
She used to be criticized for wearing really pretty skirt suits and having her hair styled perfectly all the time. Media said she looked stuffy and cold, not reachable/relatable to the public, too “royal”. So she ditched that and went for more relaxed outfits and a business-casual style. Most of the stuff she used to wear were never seen again, and she started wearing MANGO, ZARA, and other affordable Spanish brands. It’s only when she became queen, 10 years after being a Princess, that she was able to wear Carolina Herrera, Prada, etc.
They do have much more casual style in their royal events overall. When she shows up in a hat, like British royal wedding or UK visit last year, the formality seems completely out of place on her. Rock a tiara yes, a hat, no.
I wouldn’t wear it because I’m nowhere near tall and willowy enough to pull this off, but is it wrong that I kind of love this? Kate’s tall, I could see her or Meghan in this (okay, when I say ‘tall’ I mean compared to me)
To be fair this look is elongating. Wide leg pants, pair with a good fitted shirt/blouse lengthen and make you look thinner. Her outfit is why she looks thinner.
I liked Felipe and Letizia so much but now… No thanks. Their Catalonia handling changed my mind. Felipe’s speech was a disgrace. As the king his job was to unite and calm both sides… All he did was blaming the “evil separatists”, he ignored the hundreds of peaceful protesters who were beaten by the police. Neigher he nor Letizia showed up in the hospitals to support “their subjects”. Pro and anti-independence protesters brutally silenced by their own state and ignored by their head of state. Disgrace.
He isn’t better than his corrupt family, just better looking.
His job is to be the King of Spain, not king of a divided Republic. If the government says the separatist movement is illegal, it is his job to support the stance of the Spanish government. His position is not like that of the absolute leader of Liechtenstein, threatening to jail any women seeking abortions because he controls the laws in that country. That is like blaming QEII for the UK being part of the EU for years, because she reads the speeches written for her by the UK government and some extremists perceive that as a betrayal of the country.
Well Nota the British gov’t is much better than the Spanish gov’t. Maybe if Felipe had more power he can fix the mess Spain is in.
You’re failing to recognize the basic idea of how their monarchy works. He is not an absolute monarch, and any attempt to grab power from the government would end the monarchy. His powers can be removed at any time, much like Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg lost the majority of his years ago over his personal stance on euthanasia.
@nota, I am simply comparing him and his father. His father did have a lot of power and brought Spain to democracy, seems like Felipe doesn’t. Not saying he should be an absolute monarch. I know how a monarchy works. The Queen has many powers but doesn’t use it. When Charles becomes King that maybe a different story. Spanish monarchy not secure.
He brought Spain to democracy backhandedly with help (and reaction to) Franco. Felipe is not an absolutely ruler and has no power. You wanting him to be something other than the defined role – and criticizing him for it – makes no sense.
@nota, do not be a hypocrite you always criticize. Secondly I meant the government in Spain are so incompetent and corrupt It would be great if Felipe would have a little bit more power as he is a great leader and wants unity and peace. It won’t happen but that is my opinion.
Luckily we are beyond the days of monarchs being given more power.
Why would they show up in hospitals when the reports were greatly exaggerated? Nobody was killed or seriously hurt. Many people fabricated stories about police beating them up, like that woman who said police broke the bones in her fingers but was found out to be lying after all.
And really, this is Catalonia. They burn effigy of the Spanish Royals year-round. They boo Felipe every chance they get. They have no love for the Spanish Royals and nothing Felipe or Letizia does will ever pacify them. Catalonia propaganda against the rest of Spain has been going on for decades, indoctrinating kids to hate their own countrymen and nation.
Felipe’s job is to protect the WHOLE of Spain. It is in their Constitution that Spain must be protected from secessionist movements. Majority of Spain have to be protected from the selfish, entitled, and illegal actions of a small faction of separatists. Is Catalonia the majority in Spain? The independence movement isn’t even the majority in Catalonia itself LMAO. It’s a selfish and illegal move by separatists that have since backfired. What is going on in Catalonia now? Oh, right. Nothing but chaos. The separatist parties themselves can’t even decide how to be united and move forward!!! All the separatist politicians and their supporters do is protest and shout but have no idea how to sustain a “free” Catalonia. They have no support from anyone.
Felipe did what was right: He defended the rights of 90% of Spaniards, the actual majority, whose rights, freedoms, and stability were being threatened by the minority group of separatists. Separatists want to destabilize the entire country. Do you expect the King to support such actions and actively endorse a divided Spain?! LOL.
Amen to all that you said! 100 agreed!
I’m not really a fan of most of Letizia’s style, though she can knock it out of the park with her formal looks. Lots of weird looking pants and awkwardly fitting outfits.
It’s a great outfit for Easter, imo.
She looks more modern & fresh than those stale pastel, floral Victorian grandma dresses that some people pull out for Easter.
Blech! I really hate those dresses.
Spain is not as conservative nor catholic as people think.
I.g., same sex marriage is legal since 2004.
Wanted to say the same thing.
They had this well before the US.
What’s the US got to do with it? In many countries, homosexuality is still illegal, why don’t you have a problem with that?
You have to have really long and thin legs to pull off those pants. MegHan M and Letizia can but Kate couldn’t.
I like the idea of the outfit more than the final product. The kids look cute like, but I’d probably switch out the shoes. The grandmother (?) looks the best though I’d remove the necklace.
I, too, would welcome posts on other royals (even if they’re just round-up) as the woman have more interesting style to comment on, but I don’t know if they’d be popular or worth your time. I’m not sure that people are actually interested in these women and their work or if they just like using them to pick Kate apart and to prove she’s lacking (and this isn’t me saying that there aren’t legitimate criticisms against her).
I was thrilled to see this piece about Letizia. Please, more of her and Maxima. Also, Kaiser, if you like juicy, tacky royal gossip, pay attention to Mary and Frederick of Denmark and to Swedish royals. They are pure gold when it comes to crap.
Maxima is the daughter of close collaborator of Videla dictator from Argentina. She enjoyed the privileges of power of those who made the Argentine people suffer. People used to joked if it should spit the commemorative stamp for his wedding on the side of the photo and not the glue …
No, Lily, he was not a close collaborator. And Videla wasn’t the only dictator. I just love how people with zero knowledge of my country sprout lies. The Defacto Government was governed by a Junta, and Videla was one of many to lead it.
Zorreguieta WAS NOT part of this JUNTA, nor an army man. He did become Minister for the Agriculture Department. Considering his elder daughters, from a previous marriage, had attended the same school as Maxima, way before the Junta even existed, no, Maxima did not enjoy her lifestyle off of the backs of us, the suffering Argentinians. And trust me, she did not enjoy a privileged background – she was upper-middle class at most. Her family owned no land and she did not holiday abroad. The school she attended was elitist but welcomed many middle class families (like mine. I attended the same school).
I just hate how such a bleak and dark moment in our history gets trivialized so much.
She looks amazing and the girls are very age appropriate, yet fresh and modern without that vintage Princess-y look about them. I love the look on all of them.
Yes, it would be nice if Kate did trousers and separates – let’s be honest though, if she had worn this exact same outfit, the headline would have screamed BUTTONS!!! and inspired poetry and angst.
…her face is completely new…
She messed with her face, now looks like Melania Trump. Bad work by her doctor, too bad since she was so naturally pretty. On the other hand, that royal family is not my favorite, too many bad behaviors by its members starting for the previous King, corruption by princess’s (Infanta) husband, etc.
She used to be so stunning. Now she’s starting to look like every other pulled and plumped and botoxed woman of a certain age. Actually, very much like Rania of Jordan, who also bears little resemblance to her original face. It’s a shame.
OMG did you see the video where Letizia disrespects the Queen mother? Even Marie- Chantal wife of Pavlos tweeted about it!
I’ve just seen it and OMFG WTF.
I don’t see what she did that’s supposedly so bad?
Her daughters both looked miserable, and Leonor kept trying to get free from her grandmother. She pushes her arm away multiple times and each time Sofia just grabs her even closer, ending with pretty much a headlock position. Letizia was just looking out for her daughters, who were being made uncomfortable.
If your children don’t want to be touched and are being ignored, you step in.
Disappointed with Letizia and how she treated Queen Sofia.