Queen Letizia of Spain has fractured the proximal phalanx of her right central toe after hitting it against a table a few days ago at her residence in the Zarzuela Palace.
This means she’ll have to wear wide, flat shoes for the next few weeks to ease the pain.
Queen Letizia’s foot injury
Arriving at Madrid’s Royal Theater for a concert organized by the Princess of Girona Foundation (FPdGi), Queen Letizia, wearing sneakers on Monday, was seen limping due to the discomfort caused by the injury.
“Bad luck. But this heals. I didn’t know what I had until I got the X-ray,” said Felipe VI’s wife when asked how she was feeling.
The Queen fractured her toe while walking barefoot at her residence and accidentally hitting it against a table.
After a few days of intense pain and bruising, an X-ray was performed on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury, according to sources from the Spanish royal household.
This happened the day after attending Felipe VI’s oath of allegiance at the General Military Academy of Zaragoza, where Queen Letizia, wearing low-heeled shoes, appeared seemingly normal but had to endure “strong pain.”
The recovery time will be “a few weeks” until the fractured phalanx heals, forcing her to continue wearing comfortable and wide shoes, “even at official or gala events,” the sources said.
To promote immobilization and bone healing, the Queen’s injured toe has been taped to the adjacent one, a procedure known as ‘therapeutic syndactyly.’
She must also apply ice and rest as much as possible, although her intention is to maintain her schedule of activities in the coming days.
This week, she has two other events in Madrid: the presentation of awards from the SM children’s and youth literature publisher on Tuesday at the Community of Madrid headquarters, and on Wednesday, the commemoration of the bicentennial of the National Police at the Royal Palace.
Queen Letizia’s Morton’s neuroma
The injury to her right foot adds to the chronic one she suffers from in her left foot, called ‘Morton’s neuroma,’ a pinching of the nerve in the metatarsal bone that causes pain and inflammation when she stands without moving for an extended period.
This condition forced her to sit during the reception before the gala dinner during the State visit the kings made to the Netherlands in mid-April last year.
The Queen’s injury follows that of Felipe VI in October last year when he fractured the scaphoid bone in his left wrist while playing paddle tennis, requiring him to wear a splint for over a month.