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    1. Celebrity News

    Queen Letizia: 10 Facts You Need To Know About Spain's Newly Crowned Queen

    Move over, Kate Middleton...

    By Mariel Reed
    Published 20 June 2014 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Princess Letizia
    Princess Letizia
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    Move over, Kate Middleton...

    Felipe VI is now the King of Spain and his wife, Letizia Ortiz, who has long-been compared to our Kate Middleton, is the new queen. Here’s what you need to know about the impeccably stylish woman...

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    1. She’s famous in her own right

    Before marrying the Prince, she was a very well known TV presenter and journalist. She won an award for the best Spanish jounralist under 30 in 2002, just before she met Felipe.

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    2. It took a while to win the public’s favour

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    But after her younger sister, Erika, committed suicide at 31, the public sympathised with her. ‘Thanks to all who have felt sadness over the death of my little sister,’ she said through tears at the memorial service.

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    3. She was at Ground Zero

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    During the 2001 tragedy, she reported from the chaotic scene at Ground Zero. Before ending her career, Letizia's life was filled with heavy-hitting assignments, including one covering a story about an oil spillage in northern Spain in November 2002, where she and Felipe began their romance.

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    4. Her wedding dress was like something out of a fairytale

    Princess Letizia's long-sleeved, collared wedding dress for her 2004 was made by Manuel Pertegaz. She wore it with a 15 foot train and she donned the same diamond and platinum tiara that Queen Sofia wore at her wedding to King Juan Carlos.

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    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia
    (Image credit: Rex)

    5. She’s just another mum, on a school run

    A leading Spanish newspaper reported that she and her husband take their two children, Leonor, 8, and Sofia, 7, to school themselves.

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    6. She’s a divorcée

    In 1998 Letizia was briefly married to a teacher named Alfonso Guerrero. The previous marriage caused controversy for Spain, but because it was a civil ceremony, she did not require an annulment before her roman-catholic marriage to the Prince in 2004.

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    7. She's a fan of recycling fashion

    Though she's known for her incredible sense of style, the Princess is not afraid to wear things twice. And there’s a popular blog devoted to counting the number of times she’ll wear them. She's worn her favourite pair of Magrit suede shoes to twelve public appearances.

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    8. She certainly wasn’t born royal

    The granddaughter of a taxi driver, Letizia is not royal by blood, but she will be the first queen of Spanish descent since Maria de las Mercedes de Orleans y Bourbon, first wife of Felipe's great-grandfather Alfonso XIII, who died in 1904.

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    9. She’s been under the knife

    In 2008, she underwent surgery on her nose to correct a respiratory problem, said the Palace.

    Princess Letizia

    Princess Letizia

    10. She’s the boss

    ‘Let me finish!’ she scolded the Prince when he interrupted her while she was speaking to reporters as they officially announced their engagement to the press. You gotta love a woman with a bit of spunk. 

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    Mariel Reed
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