Credits: www.marieclaire.es
It has now been nearly 20 years since the tv journalist Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano amazed the whole world and stole one of the most coveted men of that period from the bachelors market.
The then Prince Felipe and Letizia, in fact, had been dating for about a year, but they had managed to keep their relationship secret – it is said, also thanks to the complicity of his sister, Infanta Cristina and her husband Iñaki Urdangarin.
Therefore the announcement of the engagement on November 06th, 2003 was a real surprise for the public, as much as the choice of the ring.
This ring looks like a beautiful eternity band, composed of 16 baguette cut diamonds mounted on a white gold setting. It is different from the typical engagement ring with a central stone, which the other royals usually have proposed with and has a rather rigorous appearance. Precisely for this reason, it seems to me that it perfectly reflects Queen Letizia’s personality: she seems so disciplined, severe, combative and rational (we all remember her first serious trouser suits and the wide and stiff neck of her wedding dress designed by the couturier Manuel Pertegaz).
This model is often proposed as a wedding ring and, in particular, it reminds me of the ring that Joe Di Maggio gave to Marilyn Monroe shortly after their wedding.
This stunning ring was created by the historic Spanish jeweler Suárez and is said to be worth around £20,000. And speaking about money, the sore points come…
After the wedding, Letizia regularly wore the wedding band and the engagement ring, then out of the blue, both disappeared. I remember thinking how strange it was for a royal figure to give up such jewels, both personally and nationally significant! Princesses and queens of other countries never give up their engagement rings, except in very rare and well-motivated occasions, and even less do they take off their wedding bands.
The disappearance of Letizia’s engagement ring has risen several conjectures. According to the best known, Prince Felipe asked his brother-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin to go to the jeweler Suárez and collect the ring, but the latter, instead of paying the bill with his personal credit card, apparently has used the credit card of the Nóos Foundation, i.e. the charity institution which he ran with the purpose to organize sport events. Furthermore, it also seems that Urdangarin did not want Felipe to repay him for the said amount and so the ring would be an expense borne by the Foundation. Two years later, Urdangarin was charged with embezzlement for mishandling the funds he was supposed to administer and ended up in prison. Therefore it seems plausible that this scandal could have caused embarrassment and discomfort to Letizia, and that she may have decided to wear the jewel no more.
According to other theories, at the base of the ring eclipse there would be some quarrels between Felipe and his sister Cristina, but also the fact that Letizia seemingly feels annoyed in wearing rings, since in public events she has to shake many hands (perhaps this theory could be founded, considering that she removed the wedding band too).
In the end, we will never know what was the real reason leading Queen Letizia to abandon the ring, but it is certainly a shame not to see it on her finger anymore.
Credits: diamondfoundry.com Credits: www.glamour.com
Credits: Dana Press / www.gala.de Credits: Gtres / www.marie-claire.es
You may have noticed a Bulgari diamond ring in the photo with the overlapping hands. This jewel appeared shortly after the birth of the second child, Infanta Sofia, and it is said to have been a gift from King Felipe. Letizia wore it for a long time, but then this one too disappeared from the radar and was never seen again during her public outings.
Credits: Gtres / www.marie-claire.es
In recent years, a new jewel has appeared on the Queen’s finger: it is a ring designed by Karen Hallam, which is said to have been given to her by her two daughters Leonor and Sofia. It is a yellow gold band in which an irregular oval is interposed with slightly raised ends. Letizia usually wears it on the ring finger or more often on the index finger of her left hand. I like to think that Queen Letizia has chosen to publicly wear this ring on the two fingers which represent resolution and emotions so as to underline that every choice is conditioned by the bond she has with her girls.
Stop wearing the wedding band and the engagement ring is an unconventional choice, especially for a woman who occupies a prominent role like hers, but frankly it doesn’t surprise me. Letizia arrived at the Palace with the reputation of being a solid person and she started giving ample proof of this on the day she announced her engagement to Prince Felipe to the press: she spoke first (perhaps she was more used to being at the center of attention, if compared to the reserved Felipe) and, moreover, during the conversation, she silenced the Prince in front of everyone by saying: «Don’t interrupt me, I haven’t finished speaking yet». She was one of the first non-noble and divorced princesses of the modern era, the first to silence an heir to the throne in public, the first to take off her wedding band and engagement ring.
Queen Letizia is undoubtedly a strong and modern woman and I find that her new ring – thanks to the large oval shape and the robust workmanship – perfectly manages to combine her solid character with the eternal love for her girls and her family. This is a wonderful example of what a love ring is!
Credits: © Casa de S.M. el Rey_www.queenletiziastyle.com Credits: Gtres /www.marie-claire.es
Credits: karenhallam.bigcartel.com
Sources:
www.vanityfair.it
www.hellomagazine.com
www.thecourtjeweller.com
www.amica.it
www.marie-claire.es