The Bank of Spain has finally revealed the photos of the Spanish sovereigns, taken at the beginning of the year by the star photographer, Annie Leibovitz. For this exceptional shoot, Queen Letizia searched for months for the perfect outfit. Her choice fell on a black dress, signed Balenciaga, owned by a collector. She enhanced her outfit with a red silk cape that belonged to a countess. This puffy cape was made especially to attend the wedding of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
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Queen Letizia found her ideal outfit for her shoot with Annie Leibovitz in the collections of a foundation
On the occasion of the 10 years of reign of King Felipe VI, the Bank of Spain wanted to complete its collection of portraits of Spanish sovereigns, already hanging on the walls of the room of the Board of Governors. The Bank of Spain asked the world’s most famous photographer, Annie Leibovitz, to take photos of King Felipe and Queen Letizia. The royal couple dedicated their day of February 7, 2024 to this exceptional shoot, which took place in the magnificent Gasparini salon of the royal palace in Madrid.
Annie Leibovitz, a multi-awarded American artist, had previously photographed other royalty, including Queen Elizabeth II and her family. Suspecting the quasi-historical significance that these photos will have, Queen Letizia, 52, took several months to find the right outfit. With the help of her stylist, Eva Fernández, Queen Letizia found the dress of her dreams in a private collection. Queen Letizia chose to put the Spanish designer Balenciaga in the spotlight, wearing a black tulle dress, designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga himself. This black dress belongs to the Antoni de Montpalau Foundation, located in Sabadell, Catalonia. The black dress is enhanced by the impressive puffy cape by Balenciaga, whose symbolic history is linked to the royal family.
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The red cape was created by Cristóbal Balenciaga for a countess invited to the wedding of Juan Carlos and Sofia
The black dress belonged to Maria Junyent, daughter of the painter, set designer and collector Oleguer Junyent, who was a neighbor of Balenciaga’s couture workshop in Barcelona, as explained by Mujer Hoy. The evening dress is believed to have been created in 1948. Maria Junyent’s son later donated it to the foundation in 2008. The red cape has an equally fascinating history. This is also a unique Balenciaga creation.
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The cape was created especially by Cristóbal Balenciaga for María del Carmen Ferrer-Cajigal Jorba, wife of the 3rd Count of Torroella de Montgrí and Marquis of Robert. The Countess wore this silk cape to attend the wedding of Juan Carlos of Spain to Sofia of Greece, in Athens, in 1962. Balenciaga had created the cape as well as a white evening dress but Queen Letizia did not held the dress. Carmen de Robert, daughter of the Countess, donated the dress and cape to the foundation in 2015.
Queen Letizia also wears jewelry which is part of the collection of jewelry which has been passed down from queen to queen since Queen Victoire-Eugénie. King Felipe VI wears his military uniform as captain general of the Spanish army. The head of state is standing with his hand on a table. The portraits were printed on canvas in the United States.
The black dress worn by Queen Letizia was the subject of several exhibitions linked to Spanish couture and during retrospectives of Balenciaga’s work. However, it had never been worn since its arrival at the foundation. The two haute couture pieces were transported to Madrid in an exceptional convoy, shortly before the shooting and were returned to the foundation, just after the photo shoot. The foundation collaborated on the project without hesitation. In addition to the honor of lending a piece to the Queen of Spain, the foundation also ensures that the dress and cape gain prestige and now become the centerpieces of future exhibitions.
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