Queen Letizia's 50th birthday: 15 September 2022

[Blog Real]

Queen Letizia turns 50 on the 15th of September.
To mark the date, some Spanish TV channels will broadcast documentaries and specials about Queen Letizia.

Telecinco offers the first promo of the special report that it will broadcast for Queen Letizia's 50th birthday. Carme Chaparro and Defense Minister Margarita Robles will be some of the personalities who will provide her testimony.
https://vertele.eldiario.es/noticia...-letizia-relevo-sonsoles-onega_1_9251487.html

https://www.telecinco.es/masdetelec...letizia-proximamente-estreno_18_07257777.html

It is not yet known whether new official photos will be released to mark the date.

 

[Blog Real]

Today's weekly supplement of the Spanish newspaper "El Pais" features a report on Queen Letizia, to mark her 50th birthday.
https://elpais.com/eps/2022-08-28/el-enigma-letizia-la-reina-cumple-50-anos.html?outputType=amp

https://c3.quickcachr.fotos.sapo.pt/i/Gde17aefe/22348854_iOwDe.jpeg

 

[Prinsara]

Calling her "the enigma" is not exactly the most deferential thing, is it.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Hopefully the Palace will issue a new photo to mark the queen's 50th birthday.
The Spanish Royal House is not as media savvy as other Royal Houses but hopefully will mark the occassion.

 

[Blog Real]

Queen Letizia turns 50 and Telemadrid premieres a documentary on September 11 in which prominent personalities will assess and give their opinion on the essential role of Queen Letizia for the monarchy. Her family life, the causes she is most committed to, etc.

 

[Mbruno]

Hopefully the Palace will issue a new photo to mark the queen's 50th birthday.
The Spanish Royal House is not as media savvy as other Royal Houses but hopefully will mark the occassion.

It would be a nice gesture if the King, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, presented Queen Letizia with the Collar of the Order of Charles III on the occasion of her 50th birthday. She could wear the sash of the Collar in her new birthday picture then.

Queen Sofia was upgraded from Grand Cross to Collar when she was Queen consort and it is already past time they did the same for Letizia.

 

[Charlotte_Aster]

It would be a nice gesture if the King, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, presented Queen Letizia with the Collar of the Order of Charles III on the occasion of her 50th birthday. She could wear the sash of the Collar in her new birthday picture then.

Queen Sofia was upgraded from Grand Cross to Collar when she was Queen consort and it is already past time they did the same for Letizia.

It would be quite fitting. Queen Sofia was given the the Grand Cross as a 45th birthday present


https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1983-28595

 

[Stefan]

It would be quite fitting. Queen Sofia was given the the Grand Cross as a 45th birthday present


https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1983-28595

And when did she get the Collar?

 

[Mbruno]

And when did she get the Collar?

In 1983 on the occasion of her birthday, according to the following Royal Decree . It was the first time a dame was given "the sash of the Collar" (Banda del Collar), although I believe the Queen was not given the actual physical collar (i.e., the metallic chain). Our fellow members Lula, Blog Real or some other expert may be able to confirm that.

The grade of "Banda del Collar" for dames was discontinued in 2002 and merged with the new single grade of "Collar" awarded both to men and women on an equal basis. The previously awarded grade of"Banda del Collar" was not changed by the Royal Decree of 2002, but it remains equal in rank/precedence to the new unified grade of Collar, see Disposición transitoria primera. Equiparación de las concesiones anteriores in the Decree of 2002. I believe the new (i.e. post-2002) female Collars also receive now the actual metallic collar and may wear it in lieu of the sash of the Collar (whose design is different from that of the sash of the Grand Cross). That information also requires confirmation from the experts.

EDIT: Similarly, the previous grade of Banda de Dama for dames was unified in 2002 with the new gender-neutral grade of Gran Cruz. Dames who bear the "Banda de Dama" prior to 2002 are equal in rank, however, to men who are Knights Grand Cross.

 

[lula]

The organizations with which Queen Letizia collaborates have published a joint video to congratulate her on her 50th birthday

UNICEF

https://twitter.com/x/status/1570306168941154304

Spanish association against cancer

https://twitter.com/x/status/1570306429474545665

Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases

https://twitter.com/x/status/1570306429382234114

Mental Health Spain

 

[An Ard Ri]

Has the not so media savvy royal House released anything to mark the queen's milestone?

 

[Blog Real]

Spanish Royal House announces Queen Letizia's activities on her birthday.

"Today he has intense office work, because he has to finish preparing an official act tomorrow, also everything related to the trip to London, and also from the day after the funeral, his entire agenda of official activities in New York both with UNICEF, within the scope of the UN General Assembly, as well as in the events to mark World Cancer Research Day", they say from the Zarzuela Palace in an unprecedented gesture, although caused by the interest generated by knowing how The Queen will spend this day.

https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencia...zia-cumpleanos-dia-palabra-casa-real_3490961/

Today, September 15, Queen Letizia turns 50. The Informative Services of RTVE dedicate a special program to him. A tour of her biography and the latest events on her agenda, documented by RTVE, and an analysis of her current role as mother of the heiress to the throne.

'Queen turns 50', today, at 10:00 p.m. on La 1 and RTVE Play

https://www.rtve.es/rtve/20220914/e...eina-letizia-50-cumpleanos-rtve/2402102.shtml

The congratulations of Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government, to Queen Letizia for her 50th birthday.

Thanks to Queen Letizia for her loyalty, work and solidarity. On such a special day, I join in the congratulations of all of us who recognize her dedication to others and her sense of duty to our country.

Happy 50th birthday.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1570349186033520641

 

[An Ard Ri]

So no new photo just the queen's agenda for the day from the Royal House!

 

[Prinsara]

It's actually not good PR to just say "she's going to be working". I cannot see a milestone birthday for Felipe or Leonor being celebrated like this.

But perhaps Letizia doesn't want to be seen as vain?

The enigma, after all.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Casareal have never been ones for thinking outside the box and not all surprised by the lack of anything to mark the day and I also wouldn't be surprised if they were even aware the queen was 50 today!

 

[Mbruno]

It's actually not good PR to just say "she's going to be working". I cannot see a milestone birthday for Felipe or Leonor being celebrated like this.

But perhaps Letizia doesn't want to be seen as vain?

The enigma, after all.

Yes, I think she wants to be known as a working queen and today is just another working day for her.

To be honest, I sympathize with that position.

I am sure she will mark the occasion privately with her family later today.


EDIT: As usual, Casa Real's website is having technical glitches today and the agenda of the King and Queen apparently has not been updated yet to include next week's trip to London. I know that the Royal Household only receives a modest annual grant of 8-9 million Euros from the Spanish government (not including security and maintenance of the Royal Sites, which are funded separately), but couldn't they hire a new webmaster to fix those constant glitches? It does not seem to be overly complicated.

 

[Prinsara]

Yes, I think she wants to be known as a working queen and today is just another working day for her.

To be honest, I sympathize with that position.

I am sure she will mark the occasion privately with her family later today.

Which is very dutiful and admirable, but you're not giving even the people who would be inclined to celebrate with you anything to celebrate, and you're not winning any new fans with a nose to the grindstone approach, and a large chunk of doing this job properly is PR.....and she should know this as a former member of the media.

Even having one of her main organizations give her a cake today would have been better than this.

 

[AnaC]

It's not a glitch, the agenda is updated on Fridays. There won't be any events for next week on their website until tomorrow.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Yes, I think she wants to be known as a working queen and today is just another working day for her.

To be honest, I sympathize with that position.

I am sure she will mark the occasion privately with her family later today.


EDIT: As usual, Casa Real's website is having technical glitches today and the agenda of the King and Queen apparently has not been updated yet to include next week's trip to London. I know that the Royal Household only receives a modest annual grant of 8-9 million Euros from the Spanish government (not including security and maintenance of the Royal Sites, which are funded separately), but couldn't they hire a new webmaster to fix those constant glitches? It does not seem to be overly complicated.

The website is technically in the middle ages, one could think that the government is doing this on purpose so people don't bother anymore looking it up.
Re birthday - very strange. On the 40th birthday tons of pictures and an exclusive article and now, nothing. I would at least have expected a picture that will be used as a thank you to her organisations for the good wishes. While other royals celebrate their round birthdays for days and weeks with pictures and events here - nothing, the other extreme.
At least Queen Sofia will not be part of the private celebrations, she's on a nice official trip to NY

 

[Mbruno]

It's not a glitch, the agenda is updated on Fridays. There won't be any events for next week on their website until tomorrow.

The glitches I was referring to are different, For example , this morning I could not upload Infanta Sofia’s page.

 

[Alisa]

Lovely moment the National Orchestra performed "Happy Birthday" to the Queen.

 

[noc]

Casareal have never been ones for thinking outside the box and not all surprised by the lack of anything to mark the day and I also wouldn't be surprised if they were even aware the queen was 50 today!

That sounds dreadful but perhaps like many others she would prefer not to celebrate her birthday in any large fashion. However, perhaps they will enjoy a quiet dinner together after their work engagements, she is a working royal after all

 

[An Ard Ri]

That sounds dreadful but perhaps like many others she would prefer not to celebrate her birthday in any large fashion. However, perhaps they will enjoy a quiet dinner together after their work engagements, she is a working royal after all

I'd imagine that Letizia celebrated her 50th in private with close family and friends.

 

[Blog Real]

Documentary "Felicidades, Letizia" by Telecinco.

 

[Mbruno]

Documentary "Felicidades, Letizia" by Telecinco.

Thanks, Blog Real. That was a nice documentary which paints a very positive picture of the Queen.

Queen Letizia is indeed very hard-working, and it is impressive how she and her husband are able to keep up alone with practically all the engagements of the Spanish Royal Family (which are quite a lot to be honest|). I still don't understand though why the King and the government don't recognize her hard work with simple gestures like awarding her the collar of the order of Charles III, or granting her a personal standard and coat of arms. I see no harm in any of those and it would be a fitting way to celebrate her 50th birthday.

 

[Blog Real]

In the report 'The Queen turns 50', analyzes Queen Letizia's evolution on the public scene, from when we met her as a journalist to her current role in the Spanish Crown.