What is Queen Letizia of Spain's Net Worth?
Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano is the Queen of Spain. Queen Letizia and her husband King Felipe VI have a combined net worth of $3 million according to his own personal financial disclosure.
King Felipe ascended to the throne in 2014 upon the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos I. Previously, she worked as a journalist for the Spanish newspaper ABC and the news agency EFE, and later became a news anchor for Spain's CNN+ and TVE. Notably, Letizia is the first Spanish-born queen consort since Mercedes of Orléans in 1878, and the first-ever Spanish queen to have been born a commoner.
Early Life and Education
Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was born on September 15, 1972 in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain as the eldest daughter of nurse María and journalist Jesús. Her sisters are Telma and Érika, the latter of whom passed away in 2007 from an apparent suicide. Letizia was educated at La Gesta School in Oviedo before she moved with her family to Rivas-Vaciamadrid, where she attended the Ramiro de Maeztu High School. For her higher education, she went to the Complutense University of Madrid, from which she obtained her bachelor's degree in journalism. Letizia went on to earn her master's degree in audiovisual journalism from the Institute for Studies in Audiovisual Journalism.
Journalism Career
Letizia got her professional start in journalism working for the Asturian daily newspaper La Nueva España. She then worked for the national daily newspaper ABC and the news agency EFE. After completing her master's degree, Letizia traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico to work for the paper Siglo 21. Although she also began a doctoral program during that time, she ultimately left it behind to return to Spain. Following her return to Spain, Letizia worked for the Spanish version of Bloomberg and then began working for the television news channel CNN+. In 2000, she joined the broadcaster TVE, where she started working for the news channel 24 Horas. Letizia went on to anchor the weekly news report program "Informe Semanal" and the daily morning news show "Telediario Matinal." In the summer of 2003, she was promoted to anchor of the TVE daily evening news program "Telediario 2," Spain's most-viewed newscast.
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First Marriage
In the summer of 1998, Letizia married her first husband, writer and high school teacher Alonso Guerrero Pérez. They had dated for ten years before getting married. In 1999, the couple divorced.
Second Marriage and Becoming Royalty
To the surprise of many in the public, the Spanish Royal Household announced in late 2003 that Letizia had become engaged to Prince Felipe. Following the news, she moved to a wing of the Zarzuela Palace, where she lived until her wedding day. Letizia and Felipe were married in May of 2004 at the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. The pair went on to have two daughters, Leonor and Infanta.
Having been made a princess, Letizia began joining her husband on royal duties throughout Spain and around the world. Among her activities, she helped greet international dignitaries and attended gatherings of foreign royalty. In 2006, Letizia's solo agenda was announced; it included work focused on social issues related to children's rights, education, and culture.
Queen of Spain
Upon the abdication of Felipe's father, King Juan Carlos I, in mid-2014, Felipe became the new King of Spain. Consequently, Letizia became the new Queen. Notably, she is the first Spanish-born queen consort since Mercedes of Orléans in 1878, and the first-ever Spanish queen to have been born as a commoner. As queen, Letizia embarked on her first solo engagement at the inauguration of a modern painting exhibition at Madrid's Prado Museum. In their first trip overseas as queen and king, Letizia and Felipe met with Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace. Later, in 2015, Letizia was named Special Ambassador for Nutrition by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Text Controversy
In March of 2016, Letizia was involved in a controversy when text messages between her and businessman Javier López Madrid were leaked. Madrid had previously been accused of corruption with other executives and members of his financial group, and Letizia had expressed her support for him. A palace official eventually stated that both Letizia and Felipe had cut their ties with López Madrid.
