When it was revealed in November 2003 that Prince Felipe had unexpectedly become engaged to the newsreader Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, the strong relationship that she has with his mother, Queen Sofia, became immediately apparent.
Letizia was believed to have been mentored by the Queen in royal protocol before to her marriage to Felipe, and it was believed that the Queen had taken Letizia under her wing.
Because of the deepening bond that had developed between the two women, Letizia, upon giving her first public address after becoming engaged, paid respect to the woman who would become her mother-in-law.
“Starting from now, and continuing to do so more and more as time goes on, I am going to integrate myself completely into this new life with the obligations that come along with it and with the support and love of the King and Queen, as well as the precious example set by the Queen.”
After Letizia and Felipe’s wedding, which took place in May 2004, and after the birth of their two daughters, Leonor (2005) and Sofia (2007), it became abundantly evident that strained ties had developed between the relatives.
In 2018, as the family was attending Easter Mass at the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca, the two women gave the appearance of engaging in an argument in public, which was preceded by rumors that were published in the press.
The ceremony was supposed to be a demonstration of the royal family’s solidarity, and Prince Felipe invited his father Juan Carlos, who hadn’t participated in the gathering since 2013. The next year, he would unexpectedly step down from his position as king.
Nevertheless, when the family exited the church, everyone’s attention was focused on Sofia and her daughter-in-law.
Letizia seemed to maneuver in such a way as to obstruct the photograph that was about to be taken of Sofia with her grandchildren Leonor and Sofia. .
So positioned themselves in such a way that they were immediately in the middle of the three people and the cameras, and they were seen taking Sofia’s hand off Infanta Sofia’s shoulder. After that, the two females had a brief conversation before Felipe intervened. It is unknown what exactly caused their heated contact with one another.
The fact that Letizia’s mother Paloma Rocasolano became a frequent presence at the palace and was known to take care of the children when their parents traveled has led some to think that Sofia felt more excluded from her granddaughters’ life.
Letizia and Sofia, two of the world’s most fashionable women, seem to have put their feuds behind them in recent years.
During the month of August, they took pleasure in posing for photographs with one another in Palma de Mallorca, where they always spend their annual summer vacation. In one of the pictures, Sofia can be seen beaming as she warmly embraces her daughter-in-law Letizia.