the curiosities of the historic photo session on a sad day for the queen

It is Monday, November 25, but In Madrid it’s raining like it’s May 22, 2004. Circulation in the heart of city It’s dense, as usual, with the water getting worse. If a single drop falls on the capital, the whole world seems to stop. Nevertheless, the feat of avoiding vehicles along Paseo de la Castellana until reaching Plaza de Cibeles and crossing, along Calle Los Madrazo, the historic facades of the Bank of Spainit is definitely worth it.

The aforementioned institution presented to the media – under embargo until Tuesday 26 at 1:00 p.m. – the portraits of the kings of Spain, Philip VI (56 years old) and Letizia (52), ordered at the end of last year from the prestigious American photographer Annie Leibovitz (75).

SPANISH was present to experience first-hand the result of one of the best-kept artistic secrets of Their Majesties. Finally, as shown by the images provided by this newspaper, it is a diptych in which Philip VI He wears an Army uniform, surrounded by the characteristic elements of classical portraiture: a mirror, a table, a chandelier and an open door with curtains.

For his part, Letizia wears a strapless black dressin pleated silk tulle, accompanied by a gala cape, also in silk, in fuchsia color. The whole bears the signature of the Basque designer Christophe Balenciagaconsidered the best dressmaker of the history of Spain.

These pieces were offered by the Antoni de Montpalau Foundationwhich has an exquisite textile collection born in Sabadell in December 2004. The foundation, created by Josep Casamartina i Parassols and Anna M. Casanovastakes its name in homage to the writer Joan Perucho and her novel Natural storiesset in 19th century Catalonia.

Currently, the collection exceeds 6.000 piecesincluding dresses, accessories, fabrics, drawings, photographs, objects and documents, kept at its headquarters located at Calle de Gràcia, 52, in Sabadell.

During the historic photo session, The Queen posed with the tiara -no tiara, since this term is not used in Spain- of the Fleur de Lys and the band of the Order of Charles III. Finally, Leibovitz decides to break with this idea and I chose this Letizia appeared without these attributes although it appeared with other jewelry. The dress, from the start, was going to be this one: Balenciaga. The king also wore a morning coat and tailcoat, but Leibovitz He opted for the military uniform with belt and sash.

When it comes to jewelry, the Queen Letizia She wore the kitten earrings, a gift from Alfonso XIII to the then princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg. The most impressive piece of the portrait is the necklace, which is also part of the “passing lot”, a group of jewels that the aforementioned sovereign stipulated must be passed from queen to queen. There are several versions of this necklace – one of them, with countless diamonds – but it seems that Letizia takes the most littlecompound only for 27 diamonds. He wore it for the first time during the induction of Naruhito (64) in Japan.

Leibovitz’s wish granted

“Annie Leibovitz She is one of the great contemporary portrait painters. He received the Prince of Asturias Prize for Communication and Human Sciences in 2013, awarded by the then princes Felipe and Letizia. This was a decisive detail. His desire, since he met them, was to create these portraits. Leibovitz had absolute freedom: from the stage, even considering doing it outside the Royal Palace, to the outfit,” he said. Yolande Romerocurator of the exhibition and curator of the painting collection of the Bank of Spain.

The artist renews the concept of the portrait: his images are pictorial and evoke the style of the portraitist Velázquez, with a decor inspired by Gasparini’s Salon. Leibovitz studied earlier portraits, such as those of kings Juan Carlos I and Sofia of Greecedirected by Carmen Laffon.

Felipe and Letiziagreat admirers of Leibovitz, emphasized his artistic abilities. According to the monarch, the photographer is “universal” and develops his work with “extraordinary aesthetic intensity” and transforms his works into images “sculptural and full of beauty”.

The photo session took place February 7a significant and sad date for the Queen Letiziasince it had been 17 years since the unexpected death of his little sister, Erika Ortiz. Perhaps that’s why she chose the jet tone for her dress: elegant, distinguished, exquisite. The rain also decided to appear on that fateful day in February 2007.

For almost five hoursfrom 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Kings They posed before the divine lens of Leibovitzwho took hundreds of photographs with his team of five from Connecticut. “The Queen arrived a little before the King and the atmosphere was relaxed, because they knew each other, and although the session was intense, it was also calm,” he said. Rosemary. “Annie Leibovitz is very meticulous, she did a lot of tests and even chose the frames,” he remembers. Rosemary who explains that several scenarios were considered, including outside the Royal Palace, but that the photographer was impressed by the room in which she finally decided to immortalize the Kings.

Portraits, in detail

The large photographs – each 223.52 x 170.18 centimeters – show the kings with the pomp, pageantry and palace splendor characteristic of the Bourbon lineage.

“Annie Leibovitz was able to bring together the tradition of Spanish institutional portraiture” he emphasized Yolande Romero. This diptych of Kings is the first portrait made with photography that will be part of the collection of the Bank of Spain, which reflects its history since its creation in 1782, at the initiative of the King Charles IIIlike the Bank of San Carlos.

The portraits of Their Majesties will be exhibited in the Royal Gallery alongside iconic works such as the portrait of Charles III directed by Goya; that of Charles IVby Mariano Salvador Maella; that of Elizabeth IIby Federico de Madrazo; that of Alfonso XIIIpainted by Jose Villegas and Cordero; and, more recently, that of kings Juan Carlos I and Sofiawork by Carmen Laffón.

The cost of these portraits amounts to 136,000 euros, made on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the reign of Philip VIcelebrated on June 19, as well as the 20th wedding anniversary of the Kings, commemorated on the aforementioned May 22. The contract with the photographer also included the portrait of the former governor of the Bank, Pablo Hernandez de Coscosting 97,000 euros, presented at the same event.

The diptych of Their Majesties visible in the exhibition The tyranny of Kronoswhich will be open to the public from November 27 to March 29, 2025, by reservation of invitations, in the exhibition hall of the Bank of Spain. The end result: a monumental diptychworthy of kings like Felipe and Letiziawho, with their daily work and commitment, restored prestige to the Crown of Spain.