Queen Letizia Pairs an Edgy Cut-Out Gown with a Diamond Bracelet from Her Pre-Royal Days
The Spanish royal brought back a bracelet she hasn't worn in 22 years while attending a major literary prize.
Queen Letizia joined King Felipe to hand out the 2026 Planeta Prize for Fiction, one of the biggest literary awards in the Spanish-speaking world, and she went for something old and something new at the prestigious event.
The Spanish queen debuted a black gown by Spanish designer Sybilla at the October 15 ceremony, with the sleek column dress featuring cutout detail along the neckline and back of the dress.
She accessorized with the PDPAOLA pavé twist hoops she’s worn on several occasions over the past year, but what stood out was the dainty diamond bracelet Queen Letizia wore to the awards—a piece that hasn’t been seen in more than two decades.
Queen Letizia wears a Sybilla gown and an old favorite diamond bracelet.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia cheer for the winner of the Planeta Prize, Isabel Allende.
Letizia wears the same bracelet in May 2004, just over a week before her wedding to Prince Felipe (now King Felipe).
According to Hello! magazine’s Spanish publication, HOLA!, Queen Letizia hasn’t worn the bracelet, which features a rope of diamonds with circular accents, in 22 years.
Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, who was a broadcast journalist at the time, became engaged to the future King Felipe in 2003, and she wore her diamond bracelet to a pre-wedding dinner for King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark in May 2004. Nine days later, Letizia went on to marry Prince Felipe, but the bracelet hasn't been seen since.
The royal couple supported the annual literary prize.
Queen Letizia poses for a photo with a fan in the autonomous city of Ceuta on October 13.
The king and queen accepted the keys to Melilla on October 14.
The queen's outfit was a striking departure from the businesswear she wore on October 13 and 14 to visit Ceuta and Melilla, both autonomous Spanish cities on the coast of Morocco.
Letizia left the geometric cutouts at home for her day of royal engagements on the 13th, opting for a blue tweed Hugo Boss jacket with classic navy trousers. She added the same black Sezane flats she's worn to 14 royal events since May 2025, per royal fashion blog UFO No More.
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And on Wednesdays, the Spanish queen wears pink, with Letizia choosing a pastel blazer and a sheer ivory blouse to visit Melilla, where she accepted the keys to the city with King Felipe, cradled a newborn baby and took plenty of selfies with fans.
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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.