Queen Letizia revives British royal wedding gown for Peru gala dinner

27/2/2019

On Wednesday evening, King Felipe VI & Queen Letizia held a gala dinner in honour of the President of Peru and First Lady, who are on a State visit to Spain. This followed on from the official welcome and luncheon held earlier in the day.

Their Majesties arrive and welcome their guests at the Royal Palace of Madrid.

A look at the elegant setting.

Queen Letizia resembled a fairytale princess in a voluminous Felipe Varela tulle gown which she first wore in 2011 for the pre-wedding dinner on the eve of Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton.

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Here's a look back at Letizia arriving at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London for the pre-wedding dinner.

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Tonight, Queen Letizia complemented her regal style with the Mellerio Floral Tiara, a piece she has donned on many occasions, and was arguably her favorite when she was the Princess of Asturias.

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The tiara is made of diamonds set in gold and silver floral motifs, and is the property of her mother-in-law, Queen Sofia. She also wore her "wedding" earrings - a gift from her parents-in-law, and "joyas de pasar" diamond bracelet.

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The purple sash and medals are the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service Peru.

FASHION FLASHBACK

This was the eighth State Visit of a foreign Head of State to Spain since Felipe and Letizia became monarchs in June 2014. Below is a look back at Letizia's regal garb for the gala banquets. Do you have a favourite?

Oct 2014 - Gala dinner for President of Chile

Mar 2015 - Gala dinner for President of Colombia

Jul 2015 - Gala dinner for President of Peru

Feb 2017 - Gala dinner for President of Argentina

Nov 2017 - Gala Dinner for President of Israel

Apr 2018 - Gala Dinner for President of Portugal

Nov 2018 - Gala Dinner for President of China

Feb 2019 - Gala dinner for President of Peru

25 Comments

Joanne

10/3/2019 06:23:13 pm

I love this gown! I love the flow of it...she’s like Cinderella. I would love to see her try lightening her hair again. So pretty.

anonymous

10/3/2019 06:49:05 pm

My favourite gown is the one she wore for the gala with the president of Peru in 2015, the blue one by Felipe Varela. I love it so much I think that its stunning, the colour and detail is also amazing.
I think that she looks great tonight as well. I do think that the 2 purples don't work together the best but, no matter she looks great anyhow.
Glad that your back Elizabeth!

Elena Mihaela Ciocan

10/3/2019 07:07:19 pm

Thank you so much for the recap of state visits! Lovely outfits each time!

BlondieBlueEye

10/3/2019 09:06:46 pm

My favorite is the Navy Blue with pearls for Gala dinner for President of Portugal in April, 2018. The gown is so elegant and a classic.

Jennifer

10/3/2019 09:32:22 pm

I had no idea that this gown was quite so beautiful, I remember seeing pix-elated images years ago and just glazed passed it. The colour is perfect against her complexion, I'm thrilled the Queen chose to re-wear it, she looks simply divine. The Mellerio Floral Tiara is one of my absolute favourites and her hair as been styled romantically around it, everything works harmoniously. First Lady Maribel Diaz Cabello looks very elegant in royal blue, her gorgeous earrings highlight the embroidery and add a little extra sparkle.

Bertie

11/3/2019 05:39:03 am

I feel sorry for First Lady Cabello, it must be a tough call knowing you're up against the elegant Letizia in the fashion stakes. She held her end up admirably well in that fabulous blue and those wonderful earrings.

Jennifer

11/3/2019 10:10:23 am

She did splendidly and what a beaming smile, I personally would have been cowering behind Letizia's chiffon :o)

Elizabeth, thank you so much for covering the state visit this weekend, I hope you managed to get some down time in too.

Elizabeth (Admin)

11/3/2019 04:54:07 pm

Thank you Jennifer. Yes I managed a few hours of downtime with my family :)

Wendy

11/3/2019 07:19:23 pm

Bertie, Lady Díaz..
Maribel Díaz Cabello, in the Spanish world we have two surnames, father's and mother's, so Cabello is her mother's surname.
Nowadays you can choose and that can be the first, not father's
I hope I explained it well.

Bertie

11/3/2019 07:52:41 pm

Wendy, thank you so much for your explanation, always happy to learn something new. I also greatly admire those of you posting in a foreign language, I wish I had half your skill!

Wendy

11/3/2019 08:53:00 pm

Moreover, we keep our maiden surnames...
I struggle writing in English, I am not a spring chicken anymore...
You can always teach me..

Bertie

11/3/2019 09:42:24 pm

No worries Wendy, you're doing absolutely brilliant. I'm afraid I wouldn't be sure in this case if Diaz was a surname or a first name - I will have to watch myself carefully 😃 I am no spring chicken myself so I guess we'll just have to help each other along 😉

Mary Rose

11/3/2019 02:28:43 am

Q.Letizia wore the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service; she received it in 2015. (king Felipe was awarded a higher class in november 2018) The Order of the sun looks purple/burgundy she wore it for a state visit from Peru in 2004

Felipe 2018https://www.alamy.com/lima-peru-12th-nov-2018-felipe-vi-king-of-spain-and-letizia-queen-of-spain-at-peruvian-government-palace-the-spanish-royals-arrived-to-peru-for-a-three-day-state-visit-to-sign-agreements-and-stretching-ties-credit-fotoholica-press-agencyalamy-live-news-image224700280.html

Letizia 2004https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/princess-letizia-during-gala-dinner-at-spains-royal-palace-at-palace-picture-id111677667

Elizabeth (Admin)

11/3/2019 08:57:30 am

You are right Mary Rose! Thank you. I have now updated the blog post.

Ava Pittman

11/3/2019 04:25:30 am

The Queen looks stunning, this gown is beautiful, the colour is exquisite. Fashion Flashback, my preference is November 17th. But really all of her gowns are gorgeous.

Sandy

11/3/2019 04:44:18 am

I like the colour and overall style of the gown but I don't like all the embellishments on the skirt. It's too overwhelming and busy. I prefer simplicity in all things and the dress would look better without all that stuff stuck on the bottom.

Bertie

11/3/2019 05:36:17 am

Letizia looks utterly sensational in this fabulous gown and it’s a huge treat to get to see it again given we barely had a glimpse of it for the London debut. I know you say it looks like Disney princess but I find it a touch more sophisticated than that, but only because my own version of Disney would involve untold yards of frilly tulle. I find this more grown-up with its clean off-shoulder bare of jewellery, and the wonderful slightly sinuous embellishment.

I like very much how the leafy pattern is more concentrated on the bodice and then beautifully fanned out on the gorgeous skirt. It’s an unusual, possibly off-beat colour, but definitely a dress to make the wearer feel like a princess, or in this case, a queen, that’s for sure.

I’m also glad to see the lovely Mellerio floral tiara as opposed to the bigger offerings in her jewellery vault, this one feels more contemporary for being a bit less showy. Love her earrings and bracelet, all suitably dripping with bling without overpowering. Classic chic Letizia.

Greenlee

11/3/2019 08:30:00 am

This gown is my favorite. She looks every inch a queen in it. The tailoring is so spot on. Usually I dislike the sashes and honors but in this case the beauty of the dress overcomes their distracing elements. Just wish she had worn the tiara a little father back on her head.

Marsha link

11/3/2019 08:48:04 am

Whenever Letizia wears a tiara, we know we are going to be treated to to an amazing royal look! I can remember in the past (like in 2011 in fact when she wore this gown to Prince William's festivities) when she was so very thin that strapless gowns were not an attractive choice for her. That was then, and this is now. She seems to have filled out a bit more so that she can wear this elegant gown with all the regal aplomb it deserves. The color is the perfect complement for the purple sash. Letizia gets a 100%!

Stephanie

11/3/2019 11:45:27 am

Queen Letizia looks beautiful and serene in this dress/tiara/sash/hair combination. Let's hope we don't have to wait another 8 years till we see her wear it again.

Joanie

11/3/2019 11:46:46 am

I love this gorgeous gown. Do not like the lumpy look of her back. What causes this? Too much weight training?

Stephie

11/3/2019 12:07:32 pm

I first noticed Queen Letizia at the 2011 wedding - both she and Queen Sophia looked so beautiful and elegant in their subtle-coloured gowns. So it's lovely to see this gown again, and the pretty tiara is a perfect match. Of the flashback gowns, I particularly love the two in 2015.

Karen

11/3/2019 02:48:20 pm

She looks so good. So regal. Love the crown/tiara. Last time, she this gown in London - she was too skinny. This time, she looked healthy.

Gowns from before, if I have to pick 1 as my favourite?

November 2017.

Zoe link

13/3/2019 01:41:35 pm

It seems QL saves her biggest, 'baddest' gowns for the Peru visits. It is wonderful to see this gown again, and this time the added weight fills it out nicely. These two and the grey/blue lace of March 2015 are my favourites.

Geneviève

14/3/2019 11:40:34 am

So many fabulous gowns! But I think 2019 is the winner for me! It's so pretty on her. I also like the 2015 in a similar colour and the elegance of the long sleeved velvet that was worn twice.

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Queen Letizia revives British royal wedding gown for Peru gala dinner

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