Queen Letizia revives Spain’s most famous jewels

A night of such significance called for jewels to match. Queen Letizia proved exactly that, captivating Barcelona while reaffirming her role as Countess of Barcelona by wearing, for the first time in Catalonia, one of the most spectacular and historically rich sets from the royal joyas de pasar: the diamond chaton necklace and earrings that once belonged to Queen Victoria Eugenia.

After a long weekend defined by downtime and a few unexpected visits, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia returned to their official duties to mark a milestone moment, the 50th anniversary of El País. Their Majesties traveled to Barcelona to preside over the commemorative gala, which coincided with the presentation of the Ortega y Gasset Awards, the prestigious journalism prizes the newspaper has bestowed since 1984.

The evening was set to culminate with a highly anticipated address by the father of the future Queen, Princess Leonor. Though the heir to the throne was not in attendance, she nonetheless remained one of the central figures of the occasion, bringing a sense of continuity to a day devoted entirely to journalism.

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This is not the first time Queen Letizia has worn these pieces, which have been altered over the years; the pendant was originally designed as a double-strand rivière-style choker. It is, however, the first occasion on which her choice to wear them carried a clear and meaningful message about her role within the institution.

© Getty Images

© Getty Images

A couple of years ago, at the 2024 Planeta Awards, Queen Letizia showcased these spectacular high jewelry pieces, originally left by King Alfonso XIII’s wife to be passed down to successive queens, a gesture that gave rise to the name “joyas de pasar.” While she did not wear the striking pendant on that occasion, the mother of the future Queen presided over the 73rd edition of the awards alongside King Felipe VI, with the diamond chaton earrings taking center stage.

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We saw the full set later that same year, when the long-awaited official portraits of the King and Queen, shot by Annie Leibovitz, were unveiled. In them, Queen Letizia paired the dazzling jewels with two remarkable Balenciaga pieces: a black pleated silk tulle gown with a strapless neckline from 1948 and a pink silk evening coat cape created for María del Carmen Ferrer Cajigal de Robert, Countess of Torroella de Montgrí and Marchioness of Robert, who first wore it to the wedding of King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in May 1962.

Leonor, very much present

Before the gala got underway, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were treated to a walk through of a gallery filled with historic images captured by the photojournalists of the honored publication, where they were unexpectedly met with a beautiful photograph of their eldest daughter, Princess Leonor. A snapshot titled “Leonor and Her Generation” prompted warm smiles from both, who paused for several moments to take in the image of the heir to the throne. It is a timely reminder that next June, Princess Leonor will complete her military training after three years serving alongside her peers across Spain’s three branches of the armed forces. Her next step will be to begin a degree in Political Science at Madrid’s Universidad Carlos III this September.

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The history of the ‘joyas de pasar’

As noted, the first queen to wear these remarkable jewels was Queen Victoria Eugenia. They were a gift dating back to 1906 from her then-fiancé, King Alfonso XIII, ahead of their wedding. The pendant, crafted by Madrid jeweler Ansorena and set with 30 diamonds totaling 90 carats, mounted in the Russian style, or chaton, and set in platinum, has been altered numerous times over the years, gradually increasing in size as the King gifted her two additional diamonds for each anniversary, birth, or birthday.

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While this was the first piece in the collection, a pair of chaton-style earrings was soon created to match. Queen Letizia first wore them in 2017, and since then they have become a defining statement for her at the most significant occasions, particularly during state visits and gala dinners.