Queen Letizia of Spain took over the job of being a gracious Royal Guide for more than 20 Partners of NATO Leaders who are attending the 32nd NATO Summit in Madrid.
While the leaders were busy discussing international Politics and Diplomacy, their wives and partners learned about Spanish Culture, History, Architecture, and much more in their free time.
Queen Letizia joined them for three special tours on Wednesday – the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, the Royal Glass Factory of La Granja, and the Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum.
It was a perfect opportunity to put the limelight on various tourist spots and showcase what Spain has to offer as the world media was focused on Madrid. All three spots are located within or nearby Segovia which is northwest of Madrid, where this week’s NATO summit is taking place. The ancient medieval town is famous for its medieval walls, Roman churches, and its medieval castle, which served as one of the templates for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. The city center was declared a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1985.
The Royal Site of La Granja de San Ildefonso, declared a Historical Monument, is one of the best examples of the monarchical splendor of the 18th century. King Philip V, the first Bourbon to reign in Spain, fell in love with this beautiful place back in 1717 and decided to build a palace and gardens adorned with sculptures and fountains that reminded him of his childhood in the French court of his grandfather King Louis XIV.
The group toured the gardens of the Royal Palace. The gardens have a number of fountains with themes from mythology: The Fountain of Apollo, The Fountain of Neptune, and The Fountain of Andromeda.
The second stop of the day was the Royal Glass Factory of La Granja.
The Royal Glass Factory of La Granja was built with the arrival of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain in 1727 when Philip V was King of Spain. financed by the crown the factory was installed as a small flat glass oven to supply windows and mirrors to the Palace.
The Royal Day out ended at the Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum. After the group photograph, they visited the work “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso.
The Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum is the southern vertex of what is known as Madrid’s Art Triangle, which includes two other famous museums, the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. It is part of the famous Landscape of Light that was declared a World Heritage Site on July 25, 2021.
For the day out, Queen Letizia chose a chic summer look. Letizia was wearing a summer dress from Laura Bernal. Thanks to Nuria for the id.
The grey sleeveless dress features a collared neckline, a wrap-style bodice paired with a matching belt, and a pleated mid-length skirt.
She was carrying a Heden Shoulder Rectangular MM Bag. Another fabulous id by Nuria.
Letizia teamed up the look with her Macarena Alba 50 wedges.
Her Tous earrings and Karen Hallam ring were finishing the look.
