Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Queen Letizia likes to pull a style surprise and among the biggest of the year so far is her decision to dust down a sapphire necklace that hadn’t been seen for decades.
The Queen of Spain wore a very special but rarely seen set of jewellery for one of the most important royal events of the year when she and King Felipe welcomed diplomats from around the world to Madrid’s Royal Palace.
The diamond and sapphire necklace was a wedding gift from her parents in law, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, but it hadn’t been worn publicly for almost twenty years when Letizia chose it for the reception in January this year.
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The last time it was seen was at the glittering event held in Madrid on the eve of the wedding of the then Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz in May 2004.
However, as the now King Felipe and Queen Letizia hosted the annual diplomatic gathering at the Royal Palace in the Spanish capital, the gems were one again on show.
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The Queen of Spain’s necklace is a simple design featuring the blue stones and sparkling diamonds that twist down to hold a giant pearl pendant.
The necklace was a particularly sentimental gift from King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia to their daughter in law. The gem had originally been given to Sofia for her own wedding.
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However, the long hidden necklace wasn’t the only talking point when it came to Queen Letizia’s jewels back in January. One of her bracelets came loose as she was greeting some of her guests and fell to the floor. King Felipe helped her to refasten it.
The annual reception sees the King and Queen greet the diplomatic body accredited in Madrid which currently consists of 126 embassies and around 800 consulates.