Queen Letizia's Chic Tweed Jacket Has a Poignant Backstory

The Spanish monarch leaned into current trends while supporting a meaningful cause.

Queen Letizia of Spain attends the annual meeting with members of Princess of Asturias Foundation at the El Pardo Palace on June 13, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Queen of Spain definitely knows how to power dress and how to make a statement while she's at it.

While attending the annual meeting with members of Princess of Asturias Foundation at the El Pardo Palace in Madrid, Spain on June 13, Queen Letizia dressed in a runway-approved collarless tweed jacket, proving once and for all that less absolutely is more.

At first, the monarch arrived at the central headquarters of the Association for the Prevention, Reintegration, and Care of Prostituted Women (APRAMP) in a long, all-black coat by Carolina Herrera, as reported by Hello!.

Once Queen Letizia removed her coat, she revealed an equally regal red, white, and black tweed cropped jacket. The piece came with a meaningful detail: It was embellished with silver buttons and designed by human trafficking victims, the publication also noted.

The Queen completed the meaningful look with a pair of black culottes, black, patent leather Mary-Jane style ballet flats by Adeba, a simple gold ring, and a pair of gold hoop earrings by Gold & Roses.

Queen Letizia of Spain attends the annual meeting with members of Princess of Asturias Foundation at the El Pardo Palace on June 13, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.

 Queen Letizia of Spain attends the annual meeting with members of Princess of Asturias Foundation at the El Pardo Palace on June 13, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Queen's visit was a particularly meaningful one—the royal "learned about the work of APRAMP for victims of tracking and exploitation," Hello! reported.

The Spanish association was created in 1984 in order to better support people who have experienced and suffer from sexual exploitation, forced prostitution and human trafficking.

Queen Letizia took a "tour of the facilities and met with staff," Hello! noted, as well as women victims who have benefited from the APRAMP and are currently enrolled in some of the association's programs, which includes training at the Fashion School and the Survivors School.

The Queen also chaired a discussion centered on the association and the many ways it has successfully supported victims as they transition back into society and deal with the trauma of their abuse, as well as the "difficulties and challenges" the survivors have faced as they continue to rebuild their lives and pursue various career paths.

Queen Letizia on her arrival at the annual meeting with the members of the Princess of Asturias Foundation Board of Trustees, at the Royal Palace of El Pardo, on 13 June, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.

Queen Letizia on her arrival at the annual meeting with the members of the Princess of Asturias Foundation Board of Trustees, at the Royal Palace of El Pardo, on 13 June, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

During her important visit, Queen Letizia not only managed to highlight the work of victims and survivors via her collarless tweed jacket, but simultaneously leaned into an emerging summer trend, even among other royals.

Of course, Chanel's collarless tweed jackets are an iconic fashion staple, and one could easily argue they are never actually out of style. But as Hello! notes, Princess Kate Middleton—who remains absent from the public eyes as she continues her preventative cancer treatments—wore a red tweed jacket last year while attending a session for her "Shaping Us" campaign, Hello! noted. The Princess of Whales wore a similar look in 2017 while visiting the V&A, too.

Collarless jackets like the Queen's have also been reinterpreted in tweed, denim, and leather, at brands as varied as Anine Bing (for a sleek, SoCal take) and J.Crew (for a preppier, New York City-centric version).

Shop Collarless Jackets Inspired by Queen Letizia

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.