Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano

About Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano

Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, born September 15, 1972, currently reigns as Queen of Spain, married to King Felipe VI. Her background was distinctly middle-class. Prior to her royal marriage, she carved out a successful career in journalism, contributing to publications like ABC and EFE, before transitioning to television as a news anchor for CNN+ and Television Espanola. Her first marriage was to Alonso Guerrero Perez in 1998, with a divorce following in 1999. In 2004, she married Felipe, then Prince of Asturias and heir to the throne. Together, they have two daughters, Leonor and Sofia. During her tenure as Princess of Asturias, she actively represented her father-in-law, King Juan Carlos I, both domestically and internationally. Upon King Juan Carlos I's abdication in June 2014, Felipe ascended to the throne, elevating Letizia to the position of Queen consort. Within the Spanish monarchy, the Queen consort does not possess independent constitutional duties, with the exception of assuming a regency role. Her primary functions involve undertaking public engagements, often alongside her husband, and she dedicates significant effort to her patronage, presidency, and membership in various charitable organizations. She also serves as a prominent advocate for Spanish international cooperation, frequently traveling to oversee and promote such initiatives.

Born at Minor Sanatorium in Oviedo, Asturias, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano entered the world on September 15, 1972. Her father, Jesus Jose Ortiz Alvarez, was a journalist, and her mother, Maria de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodriguez, worked as a registered nurse and a hospital union representative. She has two younger sisters, Telma and Erika. Sadly, Erika passed away in 2007 due to an intentional drug overdose while Letizia was expecting her second child. Letizia's parents divorced in 1999, and her father later remarried a fellow journalist, Ana Togores, in 2004. Her paternal grandparents included Jose Luis Ortiz Velasco, who worked in sales for Olivetti, and Maria del Carmen "Menchu" Alvarez del Valle, a respected radio broadcaster in Asturias for over four decades. Her maternal grandfather, Francisco Julio Rocasolano Camacho, was a mechanic and taxi driver in Madrid for more than twenty years and had French and Occitan heritage. Letizia's maternal grandmother, Enriqueta Rodriguez Figueredo, was a white Filipino born in the Philippines to Spanish parents. Genealogical research suggests a lineage tracing back to Astorg Roquesoulane through her mother's Rocasolano ancestry, and her family's coat of arms reflects this connection. There are also unconfirmed reports suggesting a descent from medieval Castilian nobility on her paternal grandfather's side.

Letizia received her education at La Gesta School in Oviedo before her family relocated