The Flamenco Dress, Queen Letizia’s Running Report

The presence of Victoria Federica at the April 2022 fair made us think about her aunt, Queen Letizia, whom we have never seen in flamenco. Some royals from other countries did not want to miss the fairHowever, Letizia cannot be seen in the stands of Sevilla yet. To solve the mystery, we spoke to Andrea Mori, an expert in royalty, style and protocol. The only royal to make an appearance this year is Victoria Federica, who has enjoyed the fair like no other.

Victoria is the latest in a long list of royals we’ve seen at the fair, explains Andrea. “There are many royals that we have seen dressed as flamenco over the years. For example, in 1966, the then Princes of Monaco, Rainier and Grace Kelly were in Seville, invited by the Duchess of Alba. At that time they were staying in one of the most important hotels in the city, the Alfonso XII, and took the opportunity to visit the April Fair. The princess did not hesitate to dress as flamenco, after a design by Lina”.

The spectacular actress shared a booth with Jackie Kennedy who, while not part of the performer, was practically a star in the United States. “For the United States, she came closest to being a queen. whatever it was First Lady wore a mantilla in a bullfight and a Cordovan suit for your visit to the fair”, Andrea tells us.

Jackie Kennedy did not hesitate to get on horseback and explore Seville for the attentive gaze of those present. The wife of the President of the United States was very close to the Sevillians.

A more recent case is that of the Dutch royal family, who visited Seville in its entirety to experience the fair for themselves. Guillermo and Máxima have a very special bond with the fair, because it was the stage where they met, as Andrea tells us. “In 1999 Argentina and the then Prince William met. Twenty years later, they returned with their three daughters, exuding spontaneity and friendliness. Both the Queen and her daughters chose designs by Fabiola García-Liñán”.

The family enjoyed the fair like no other, we could see Máxima and her daughters dancing sevillanas.

The Dutch royal family did not want to miss any tradition and also took a carriage ride.

How could it be otherwise, Queen Sofía has also put on her flamenco dress more than once. “We’ve seen her dressed up as flamenco several times. One in 1968, just a few months after Prince Philip was born. His presence at the fair was an event, with a Lina suit. At that time, both she and Don Juan Carlos were still princes of Spain and had to win the affection of the people. Doña Sofía has also dressed up as flamenco to visit El Rocío”.

We already know where Victoria Federica’s penchant for frilly dresses comes from, here we see a very young Elena wearing her flamenco dress as she rides a horse.

And with all this travel comes the million dollar question Why didn’t Letizia dress up as flamenco? Andrea Mori gives us her opinion. “As with events such as fashion shows, the fact that the Queen can attend the April fair or dress as flamenco may cause some controversy. It should be borne in mind that Doña Letizia has an intense agenda and does not have the opportunity to appear at all the notable regional festivals. If it only went to the April fair, it could be interpreted as something negative compared to other excellent cultural events. Perhaps the passage of time makes Letizia reconsider her time at the April Fair, Andrea Mori’s expert point of view, he does not see many opportunities to see the most flamenco version of Letizia. “It is not known if the queen will dress as flamenco, although it is possible that the kings will attend the fair on some notable ephemeris.”

The outfits by Letizia Ortiz are viewed with a magnifying glass in each of their appearances. Which designer would the queen choose? “He probably chose a custom design, perhaps made by the seamstress from Zarzuela, to avoid comparative grievances. The same strategy was followed in his recent visit to the MBFWM, in which: stated that she was dressed in “Spanish fashion”†

Andrea Mori has the outfits of Queen Letizia that most resemble the style of flamenco dresses† “When he visited Almonte, he opted for an Armani design with dots, as a nod to Andalusia. In the same way, she has in her wardrobe many pieces of this line, such as the dress by Matilde Cano from Cordoba, the polka-dot dress with halter neckline by Carolina Herrera, the blue blouse from the same firm that she wore at Easter Mass in 2018”.

“Beyond the moles, outfits Flowers are one of the basics of the queen’s wardrobe. Models such as Matilde Cano’s floral dress she wore on Naruhito’s accession, as well as several outfits of both Carolina Herrera and Boss”. Queen Letizia has made it clear that Hugo Boss and Carolina Herrera, whom she uses regularly, are among her leading firms.

The change Queen Letizia made to a scarf by designer Ángeles Espinar by turning it into a skirt was highly controversial. “As for scarves, unlike Queen Sofia or Infanta Elena, Doña Letizia usually doesn’t wear the scarf as such, opting to ‘customize’. This is the case of the set of blue skirt and blouse made by Duyos from a scarf by Ángeles Espinar, that she premiered at a gathering in Aranjuez or the dress she wore at one of the receptions in Palma de Mallorca, a model made of scarves”.

We’ll have to wait until next year to see if Queen Letizia is encouraged, like her cousin Victoria Federica, to dress as flamenco. Andrea Mori gives us her vision on the styling of the new generations at the April Fair. “The daughter of the Infanta Elena made her debut in La Maestranza as godmother of the carriage exhibition at the Seville April fair wearing a classically cut model and beige mantilla by Enrique Rodríguez Hidalgo, as well as wearing a Manila scarf”.

This year she has worn several flamenco dresses, although Andrea emphasizes one look that reminds him of Queen Victoria Eugenia. “The young woman has visited the fair several times, with models from different designers. On this occasion, he chose companies like ‘Mi Abril’. But maybe your look most prominent is one of the last he has worn. One Rondeña amazon styling, with a short black jacket with rhinestone details, matching cardigan and white shirt. One outfits which is completed with a Cordovan hat and a long skirt. With this lookVictoria emulates her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenia, who attended the fair in 1923 in the same way.”