May 22 marks 20 years since King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain got married.
This special day began with a dinner hosted by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at El Pardo Palace and was a grand display of high fashion and beautiful jewelry.
To celebrate this anniversary, with help from jewelry expert David Rato, founder of Spanish Royal Jewels, we look back at the jewelry worn by the bride and some of the most notable guests, such as the mother of the groom and the princesses.
Many important pieces from Spanish royal history were worn on this memorable day.
Spanish Royal Wedding Jewelry
Letizia’s Bridal Jewelry
Queen Letizia, who wore a stunning Pertegaz dress rumored to have cost US$6,500 as a symbolic price, became the Princess of Asturias with jewelry full of history and homage, especially to her mother-in-law.
She wore the Prussian Tiara, a neoclassical piece decorated with columns, laurel leaves, and Greek keys, made by German court jeweler Koch for Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia in 1913.
The tiara came to the Spanish royal family through Queen Sofia, who wore it at her wedding in 1962.
Princesses Elena and Cristina had also worn it before, but since Letizia’s wedding, only she has worn it, last seen in 2011. It’s expected that Princess Leonor might wear it next.
Along with the tiara, Letizia wore earrings gifted by her in-laws during her engagement: platinum earrings with six pear-shaped diamonds and four brilliant-cut diamonds.
She has worn these earrings on many occasions since her wedding, like the 2019 Princess of Asturias Awards and the wedding of Victoria of Sweden in 2010.
Additionally, she wore the engagement ring from Felipe, a white gold band with 16 baguette-cut diamonds by Suarez jewelers, which she stopped wearing a few years after the wedding, leading to much speculation.
Sofia’s Emeralds
Queen Sofia, the groom’s mother, also wore some of the most exquisite pieces from her collection.
This was her only chance to be the mother of the groom, so she went all out. “Queen Sofia wore a set of emerald and diamond jewelry, including a necklace, earrings, bracelet, and ring. The set appeared in her collection shortly after King Juan Carlos became king in 1975, likely an anniversary gift,” says Rato.
Sofia used this set frequently as Queen of Spain, often pairing it with diamond tiaras at formal events.
She later gifted this set to Letizia to celebrate the birth of Princess Leonor.
Since then, Letizia has worn the earrings many times, including during the Emperor of Japan’s enthronement and state visits to Portugal, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Besides the emerald set, Sofia wore one of the twin bracelets from the “passing” set and a diamond bow brooch that belonged to Queen Maria Cristina, used to attach her mantilla to her comb.
Infanta Elena’s Earrings
Elena stood out with her elegant attire, including a mantilla and comb, and special jewelry pieces.
She wore earrings she had first shown at her pre-wedding dinner nine years earlier: gold drop earrings with a double frame and pavé diamonds, ending with a round white pearl.
“These earrings are thought to be a gift for her coming of age. Her sister, Infanta Cristina, has a similar pair,” says Rato.
Elena also wore her diamond set and a bracelet from Infanta Isabel’s collection at her own wedding in 1995.
Infanta Cristina’s Brooch
Infanta Cristina chose an oversized hat instead of the traditional mantilla and highlighted her look with stunning earrings: six marquise-cut diamonds arranged like flowers by Van Cleef & Arpels.
She wore these earrings at the tribute to the late King Constantine at St. George’s Chapel and a week earlier at Marta Urquijo and Joaquin Marcos’s wedding.
Her main piece was a brooch worn at the pre-wedding event: an oval diamond brooch with a square emerald from which three large emeralds hung, worn on a ribbon as a choker.
“This historic diamond and emerald brooch belonged to Doña María de las Mercedes, Countess of Barcelona, and was gifted to Cristina at her wedding in 1997,” says the expert.
These pieces of jewelry added a touch of historical significance and personal meaning to the wedding of King Felipe and Queen Letizia, making it a day to remember not just for its fashion but for its deep connections to the Spanish royal legacy.
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