Seeing double! Queen Letizia and King Felipe admired regal portraits of themselves on Wednesday at the Bank of Spain in Madrid. Their Majesties were joined by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, who captured the portraits.
According to HOLA! Spain, Their Majesties were asked by journalists if they liked the portraits, to which the monarch nodded with a smile.
Annie complimented Letizia's look on Feb. 26, telling the Queen, "Next time I'll photograph you like this, you look beautiful today!"
Letizia looked business chic for the outing, wearing a Carolina Herrera pantsuit in a similar color to the fuchsia garment she wore in her portrait. Her Majesty stunned in a vintage black strapless gown by Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga for her portrait. Meanwhile, Felipe was dressed in the formal uniform of the Captain General of the Army.
The portraits are said to have been taken last February in the Gasparini Room at the Royal Palace in Madrid. The diptych images are featured in the Banco de España's "The Tyranny of Cronos" ("La tiranía de Cronos") exhibition. The royal couple tour the exhibition on Wednesday.
According to the Banco de España, the portraits of the King and Queen in its portrait gallery "are the first to replace paint with photography, a medium that has marked contemporary visual culture and which is essential to any understanding of portraiture since the mid-19th century." The bank has previously noted that Annie's "portraits mark a new departure in a long line of works stretching back to the bank's origins. At the same time, the American photographer follows in the footsteps of illustrious artists such as Goya (some of whose works are also on show), bringing to these commissions a complete freedom and an awareness of the ultimate artistic purpose, enabling her to create images of historical significance."
"The Tyranny of Chronos" exhibition is open to the public, and will remain open until March 29, 2025.
The portraits were unveiled last November, months after the King and Queen's 20th wedding anniversary in May. Felipe had another special anniversary last year. His Majesty celebrated 10 years on the throne in June 2024. On the tenth anniversary of his accession, Felipe said (translated to English), "That June 19, 2014, I shared with all Spaniards my firm commitment to total dedication to Spain, based on the constitutional text. Ten years in the face of History may not seem like a long period, but in institutional and personal terms it is already enough time to take stock with serenity and perspective."
"I have adhered to the Constitution and its values - and I will always adhere to it - in the fulfillment of my responsibilities," the King continued. "They are a guide for the exercise of my functions. It was - and is - the commitment of a constitutional king, which transcends the demands of duty: it is also so on a personal and moral level, as a deep expression of my respect and loyalty to the Spanish people, to whom I am indebted. Today I reaffirm with enthusiasm and determination in that commitment that has permeated every gesture and every word in the past decade; in which I have ensured that this purpose is consolidated in all my actions as head of State."