I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but this week Queen Letizia has completely disappeared from the public radar. No official agenda, no events, no appearances. And while some might assume she’s taking a break, the truth is she’s more active than ever—just behind the scenes.
What’s interesting is that this pause coincides with two major moments in her daughters’ lives. Leonor has started her third year of military training in Murcia, and Sofía is about to move to Lisbon to begin her university studies. Coincidence or a deliberate gesture? I’m leaning toward the latter.
Letizia wasn’t physically present when Leonor entered the Air and Space Academy, but she also had no public commitments that day. Coincidence? Hard to believe. We know the Queen plans her time with surgical precision, and if she didn’t appear anywhere, it was likely so she could be available—even if quietly.
Same with Sofía. These last few days before she heads to Portugal are her final ones at home, and Letizia is right there with her—helping pack, offering support, and surely sharing those bits of advice only a mother can give. I find it meaningful that, at a time when her daughters are taking such big steps, Letizia has chosen to prioritize her role as a mother over her institutional duties.
In the Royal Household, where everything is measured to the millimeter, even silence speaks volumes. And if you ask me, this is one of those moments when the “empty nest” starts to settle in—though she seems to handle it with grace.
By the way, Letizia turns 53 on September 15. She’ll celebrate without her daughters nearby, but with an official trip to Egypt kicking off the very next day. So between suitcases, farewells, and birthdays, the Queen is living a very personal kind of September.