On May 22nd in 2004, the world saw the entry of a new Princess in the Royal Sphere – Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano. Prince Felipe of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano tied the knot in front of Royal Congregation at the Cathedral Santa María la Real de la Almudena in Madrid after more than 2 years long relationship. The couple’s engagement in November previous year came as a surprise to the world as the couple kept their relationship extremely private and away from media eyes.
The Prince of Asturias, Felipe, met the famous journalist, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, at a party. The exact details of when their courtship started was never revealed. The world only got the confirmation that the future King of Spain is in a relationship only when on November 01s, 2003, The Royal Palace announced their engagement.
On the wedding eve, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia held a gala dinner for their guests at the Royal Palace of El Pardo which was attended by 300 close family, friends and guests. The guest list included Queen Margrethe of Denmark and her husband, Prince Henrik; the King and Queen of Norway, Harald and Sonja; the President of Ireland and her husband, Mary and Martin McAleese, and the president of El Salvador, Francisco Flores Pérez, and his wife, Lourdes Rodríguez, the King and Queen of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia; the King and Queen of the Belgians, Albert and Paola; Nelson Mandela and his wife, Graça Machel, and the president of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio, and his wife, María José Ritta.
On the wedding day, The royal family started arriving around 10:40AM. The procession and timing of the cermeony were impacted by the insistent rain. But the rain drops could not damper the excitement and enthusiasm of the wedding party, guests and general public at all. The groom, Prince Felipe escorted his mother, Queen Sofia.
Letizia arrived at he cathedral in a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV with her father just after 11:10.
The Princess-to-be was wearing a white wedding gown designed by Spanish couturier Manuel Pertegaz. The Valencia silk gown featured a distinctive corolla neckline, long sleeves, wide skirt and 4.5-meter long train embroidered with heraldic motifs. The gown featured an silver and real gold threaded embroidery of ears of wheat (a traditional sign of fertility, abundance, and life), and lilies (The House of Borbón symbol).
Felipe gifted his bride-to-be Letizia her ivory white natural silk tulle 3 meters long wedding veil which featured a triangular shape, scrolls and hand-embroidered wreaths, which mixed the fleur-de-lis and the spike. Letizia carried an an antique fan, a piece from the family collection dating back to the nineteenth century.
Queen Sofia loaned her own wedding tiara, The Prussian Tiara, to Letizia for her wedding day. The petite diamond and platinum kokoshnik tiara, dating back to early 20th century with German roots, features a quartet of design elements. On the gem-set columns and a meander base sits a band of laurel leaves with a pear-shaped double diamond cluster pendant suspended from a single round stone. The movement of the wearer mirrors the movement of the suspended pendant.
King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia also presented the bride with a pair of diamond earrings featuring a floral design which Letizia chose to wear on her wedding day.
The couple exchanged the vows in front of Family, friends and Royal guests. The guest list included the Prince Charles of Wales, Queen Rania of Jordan, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of Netherlands, King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Green, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her husband Prince Henerik, King and Queen of Norway, Crown Prince and Princess of Norway, Crown Prince Albert of Monaco, King, Queen and Crown Princess of Sweden.
After the ceremony, the newly married couple, The Prince and Princess of Asturias, took a tour through the streets of Madrid escorted by the Motorcycle Section of the Royal Guard in a black Rolls-Royce Phantom IV. The cost of the wedding was shared between the Spanish government (who assumed the majority of the budget for security and public decoration of the streets) and the Royal House (who was in charge of the banquet, the wedding, dresses, invitations, etc.)
During the speech at the wedding banquet held at the royal Palace, Prince Felipe kissing gently on the forehead of his wife said, “I am a happy man because I have fulfilled my most precious dream. I have married the woman I love“. The couple would ascend to the Spanish throne in June 2014 – just after celebrating their 10th wedding ceremony.