We are only a day away from the most anticipated State Visit of the year! King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will arrive in the United Kingdom on the evening of 11 July with the official visit running from 12 - 14 July.
It will be a low-key start to the tour as the Spanish Monarchs land at Luton Airport where they will be greeted by the Viscount Brookeborough, Lord-in-Waiting. We can expect Queen Letizia to wear a modest outfit befitting the subtle start to the visit, much like her arrival in Japan and Mexico. Here's a look back at some of her recent State Visit arrivals:
Apr 2017 - Japan
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Nov 2016 - Portugal
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Jun 2015 - Mexico
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Jun 2015 - France
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On Wednesday evening, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will roll out the red carpet for a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in honour of the visiting Spanish Monarchs - an event guaranteed to bring out the best of the royal jewels!
Queen Letizia has a suite of tiaras to choose from and below we list the tiaras she has worn in the past and the ones Her Majesty may consider for the State Banquet.
The Prussian Diamond Tiara
Coined the "starter tiara" by the Order of Splendor blog, the Prussian Diamond Tiara was Letizia's choice on her wedding day and for some of her first gala events as the Princess of Asturias. The tiara is from Queen Sofia's mother, Frederika and was also worn by Sofia for her wedding.
The Mellerio Shell Tiara
This tiara, created by the famed jeweler Mellerio in 1867, is known as the Shell tiara for its shape and pearls. Letizia has only worn it once, on the occasion of the Gala Dinner in honour of the visiting President of The Philippines on December 3, 2007.
Mellerio Floral Tiara
The Mellerio Floral Tiara is one of Letizia's favourites. She has worn it on many occasions both as the Princess of Asturias and now as Queen consort. The royal headpiece is made of diamonds set in gold and silver floral motifs, and is the property of her mother-in-law, Queen Sofia.
The Ansorena Princess Fleur de Lys Tiara
This tiara was reportedly a gift from Felipe to Letizia on the occasion of their 5th wedding anniversary in 2009. However, we had to wait until 2015 for its debut! Also dubbed the "Princess" Tiara - the piece features 450 diamonds, ten Australian pearls, and 3000 gemstones.
The Fleur de Lys Tiara
The Fleur de Lys tiara is a diadem exclusively reserved for Queens of Spain, and Letizia finally wore it for the first time at a gala dinner for the visiting President of Argentina and his wife in February this year. The headpiece is the most prominent tiara that the Spanish royal family possesses. It is affectionately named the "La Buena," or "The Good One" by the royal family. It has a connection to the British Royal family because it belonged to Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain who was a grandchild of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
There are currently two other significant tiara's Letizia has never worn which are possible contenders for the State Banquet. She may choose to don the Cartier Diamond and Pearl Tiara because it too has a historical connection to the British Royal Family via Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain.
The other hefty diadem is the Maria Christina Cartier Loop Tiara, which was a wedding present to Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria for her marriage to King Alfonso XII of Spain in 1879.
I found photo montages on Getty Images of what these two stunners may look like on Letizia.
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VOTE!
Cast your vote below for the tiara you would like to see Queen Letizia wear for the State Banquet. Should she stick to something familiar or do you think she should add another Spanish diadem to her rotation?
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