Wedding of Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz

Wedding of Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz
Monogram of Felipe and Letizia
as Princes of Asturias
Date 22 May 2004 (2004-05-22)
Venue Almudena Cathedral, Royal Palace of Madrid
Location Madrid, Spain
Participants

The wedding of Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz was held on 22 May 2004 in Almudena Cathedral at Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain. The groom, Prince Felipe, was at that time the heir to the Spanish throne. The bride, Letizia Ortiz, was a journalist. The wedding was presided over by the Archbishop of Madrid, Antonio María Rouco Varela.

The wedding was attended by more than 1200 guests including 36 royal houses and a score of heads of state, as well as the main representatives of the political, economic and social class of Spain.

It was considered a state wedding, the first in Spain for more than 50 years, and it was also the first wedding to be held in the cathedral of Madrid, which had been consecrated in 1993. It was also the first royal wedding held in Madrid for almost a century.[1]

Engagement announcement

The exact date they started dating is unknown. On 1 November 2003, to the surprise of many, the Royal Household announced Letizia's engagement to Felipe, then Prince of Asturias.[2] The Prince of Asturias had proposed to her with a 16-baguette diamond engagement ring with a white gold trim. She marked the occasion by giving him white gold and sapphire cufflinks and a classic book.[3]

The official hand petition was made on November 6, 2003 at the El Pardo Palace.[4]

Pre-Wedding Dinner Gala

On May 21, 2004, a day before the wedding, they royal family made a Gala Dinner for the guests of the wedding in honour to Felipe and Letizia in the Royal Palace of El Pardo. The Spanish royal family presided the four main tables. The dinner was attended by 300 guests.

Felipe and Letizia occupied the presidential table, and with them Queen Margrethe of Denmark and her husband, Prince Henrik; the kings of Norway, Harald and Sonja; the president of Ireland and her husband, Mary and Martin McAleese and the president of El Salvador, Francisco Flores Pérez and his wife, Lourdes Rodríguez.[5]

At the table of King Juan Carlos I were Paloma Rocasolano, the mother of the bride; Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands; the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg, Henriand María Teresa; the president of Panama, Mireya Moscoso; the president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev and his daughter, Aliya as well as the president of Germany, Johannes Rau and his wife, Chirstina.

At the table chaired by Queen Sofia, were Jesus Ortiz, the father of the bride; the kings of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia; the kings of the Belgians, Albert and Paola; Nelson Mandela and his wife, Graça Machel and the president of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio, and his wife, María José Ritta.

At the table of the Infanta Elena and her husband, Jaime de Marichalar were Erika Ortiz, sister of the bride and her husband, Antonio Vigo Pérez; the Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II; the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Andrew Bertie and the President of Ecuador, Lucio Gutiérrez and his wife, Ximena Bohórquez Romero.

At the table of the Infanta Cristina and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin were Telma Ortiz, sister of the bride; the president of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe; the President of Nicaragua, Enrique Bolaños and his wife, Lila T. Abaunza and the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and his wife, Sonsoles Espinosa.

After the dinner was over, the guests returned to the Room of the Austrias, where a dance was held.[6]

Wedding

There was no specific date for the ceremony, although it was expected to be around 11 in the morning. It was planned that a wedding procession accompany the groom to the Cathedral, where he would wait for the bride to arrive.

At 10:42 hours, the royal procession left by the Puerta del Rey of the Royal Palace of Madrid. Headed by an officer followed by six halberdiers, it consisted of:

The bride arrived at 11:12 in the morning to the Cathedral in a car (a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV), instead of on foot as planned, due to the persistent and intense rain. When HM King Juan Carlos I entered the cathedral, the anthem of Spain sounded. At 11.49 there was the moment of giving consent. Once the ceremony was over, the bride and groom left the Cathedral and toured the streets of Madrid.

Route

After the religious ceremony, the newlyweds took a tour by car, a black Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, through the streets of Madrid escorted by the Motorcycle Section of the Royal Guard, they left in a Rolls-Royce car covered by Bailén Street to the Cuesta de San Vicente, to reach the Spain Square. They continued along the Gran Vía, passing through the Red de San Luis to Alcalá street, in the direction of Plaza de Cibeles.

There the motorized escort was relieved by the escort on horseback of the Royal Escort Squadron, composed of a Squadron of Batters, Band of Bugles and Timbales, and a Cuirassier Section. They continued through the Paseo del Prado to the Emperor Charles V square and took the Barcelona City Avenue, to reach the Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha, where they were received by the Mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Monsignor Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, and the Priest of the Basilica, Father José Antonio Álvarez. Once there, the Princess deposited the bridal bouquet before the image of the Virgin of Atocha, traditional patron of Spanish royalty.

Once finished, the Prince and Princess of Asturias greeted the large audience present to begin their return to the Royal Palace by the same route they had used on the outward journey. In the Royal Palace, they greeted the large crowd gathered in the Plaza de Oriente from the balcony of the Royal Palace. To that greeting also joined both families, to join later to the rest of the guests at the banquet that was served later.[7]

Banquet

Menu of the Royal Wedding

After the visit to the Atocha's Virgin, the newlyweds went to the Royal Palace for the bridal banquet. In the banquet, both King and Crown's heir gave a speech.

The King, in his toast, expressed to Letizia the enormous happiness and enthusiasm of the entire Royal Family for this event, asked the new spouses to always think of Spain, and to dedicate "with love and devotion, the best of your efforts to the Spaniards, to join their hopes, share their illusions and be able to always fuse with their feelings and difficulties", with the certainty that "you are inspired by the passion to serve this great, diverse and plural country, proud of its coexistence in democracy and freedom."

Prince Felipe corresponded with his words, in which he expressed his great happiness, that "we will always think of Spain and that our whole life will be dedicated to the welfare of the Spaniards," and thanked the constant expressions of affection and generosity, especially those of both families. The Prince finished with an emotional memory for "the absent, those who were not criminally and brutally allowed to continue living their illusions and anxieties, and also those who today can not enjoy with them, free and civically of the Madrid spring that welcomes us and it raises our spirits" (in a clear reference to the victims of 11-M).[7]

The royal menu was designed by famous Spanish chefs Ferran Adrià and Juan Mari Arzak and consisted on:

Cake

The bridal cake was designed by renamed Spanish cakemaker Francisco Torreblanca. The cake consisted of a kind of chocolate serpentine of different floors. Along with the cake, different desserts were served, among which one of new creation that joined the tastes of both the groom and the bride, and was baptized as "Royal Gianduja"

Cost

The cost of the wedding was shared between the Government (who assumed the majority of the budget for security and public decoration of the streets) and the Royal House (who was in charge of the banquet, the wedding, dresses, invitations ...). Some estimates calculate that it cost between €21 to €40 million (approximately $28-54.5 million at that time).[9][10]

There were numerous criticisms of RTVE for the high cost of retransimisión of the wedding, which according to the Corporation the total cost was €4.5 million[11] something that calls into question former Minister Bono, who said it cost more than €13 million, something that the Corporation denies.[12]

Wedding attire

Bride

Letizia wore the tiara with which Queen Sofia, of empire style, married in platinum and diamonds. The wedding dress, designed by Manuel Pertegaz, was white, long sleeves, tight around the waist, neckline in the shape of a corolla, wide skirt and 4.5 meter tail embroidered with heraldic motifs. The nuptial cloak was a gift from the Prince to Letizia; with triangular shape, three meters long by two wide, of natural silk tulle in ivory white with scrolls and hand-embroidered wreaths, which mixed the fleur-de-lis and the spike. The shoes work and creation of the illicitana designer Pura López.

Groom

Felipe wore the Great Tag suit of the Army. The Emblem of the Infantry weapon was embroidered on the neck with golden thread, and in the cuffs are the badges corresponding to his use as Commander. The Prince also wears the Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Fleece or Vellocino hangs from the necklace in enameled gold. The heir of the Crown also carried the Grand Cross of the Necklace of the Order of Carlos III and the sky blue sash. Another of the decorations that the Prince wore that day are the Great Crosses of Military, Naval and Aeronautical Merit.[13]

Guests

The official list of the wedding was not made official but according to the Prince in January 2004, that list would be formed between 1,200 and 1,400 guests.[14]

The first invitations began to be sent in April 2004, consisting of 3 different letters. One of them signed by the Kings, another by the Chief of the Royal Household and another by the parents of the bride.

All letters were sent in English. The letter signed by the Chief of the Royal Household invited attendees to the religious ceremony at the Cathedral of Almudena at 11.00 am on May 22. The letter signed by the Kings invites the attendees to the banquet held on the same day at 2:30 p.m. The letter signed by the bride's parents are limited to saying that they participate in the wedding.[15]

Title upon marriage

With the marriage of Felipe and Letizia, she received all the constitutional titles that are recognized to the Prince as heir to the Spanish throne, being the couple known since then as:

  • The Prince and Princess of Asturias, the title of the heir of the Crown of Castile.
  • The Prince and Princess of Gerona, the title of the heir of the Crown of Aragón.
  • The Prince and Princess of Viana, the title of the heir of the Kingdom of Navarre.
  • The Duke and Duchess of Montblanch.
  • The Count and Countess of Cervera.
  • The Lord and Lady of Balaguer.

Also, Letizia obtained the treatment of Royal Highness.

Tribute to the victims of 11-M

At 8.00 am on the day of the wedding, a Lieutenant Colonel of the Army, escorted by two soldiers of the Royal Guard, deposited a wreath of flowers with the phrase: "Always in our memory, Felipe and Letizia" in the Forest of the Absent (current Forest of Remembrance), a composition in the center of the Emperor Charles V square with trees and flowers, in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks of 11-M.[16]

Coverage

The royal wedding was broadcast by Spanish public television reaching a national record as the most television program ever watched since there are records with 25.1 million people (without counting the millions of people who saw it from abroad).[17][18][19] These audience data exceed those reached by the weddings of the Prince's sisters. The wedding of Infanta Cristina was followed by 22.7 million viewers and the wedding of Infanta Elena by 21.4 million viewers.[20]

5,600 media outlets from around the world among televisions, radios, newspapers and magazines gave television coverage to the wedding with a potential audience of between 1,200 and 2,000 million.[21][22]

References

  1. ↑ País, Ediciones El (2004-05-23). "Los reyes del siglo XXI". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  2. ↑ "CNN.com - Media whirl over engagement - Nov. 4, 2003". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  3. ↑ Crown jewels: The fabulous rings which sealed the love of Europe's royal couples
  4. ↑ "How royal couples have announced their engagements - HELLO! CANADA". Pinterest. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  5. ↑ El Pardo se viste de fiesta para la primera gran celebracion con motivo del enlace del Príncipe Felipe y Doña Letizia Ortiz
  6. ↑ "Página oficial del enlace matrimonial de Su Alteza Real el Príncipe de Asturias con Doña Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano". www.casareal.es. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  7. 1 2 "Página oficial del enlace matrimonial de Su Alteza Real el Príncipe de Asturias con Doña Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano". www.casareal.es. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  8. ↑ Repsol, Guía (2017-05-20). "Menú con historia: la cena de la boda de Letizia y Felipe (2004) | Guia Repsol". Guía Repsol (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  9. ↑ "Real la boda, real el gasto". 2004-05-21. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  10. ↑ León, Diario de. "El coste total de la boda del Príncipe asciende a unos 40 millones de euros". Diario de León (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  11. ↑ "El día que TVE pagó 4,5 millones por la boda del príncipe Felipe | Bluper". www.elespanol.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  12. ↑ "La boda de los Reyes costó 13 millones de euros, según Bono". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  13. ↑ "elmundo.es - El Príncipe viste traje de Gran Etiqueta del Ejército de Tierra". www.elmundo.es. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  14. ↑ "Don Felipe confirma que a su boda en el Palacio Real asistir�n entre 1.200 y 1.400 invitados". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). 2004-01-06. Retrieved 2018-08-10. replacement character in |title= at position 61 (help)
  15. ↑ "elmundo.es | Boda Real". www.elmundo.es. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  16. ↑ "elmundo.es - Recuerdo al 11-M: 'Siempre en nuestra memoria, Felipe y Letizia'". www.elmundo.es. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  17. ↑ "Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz". Heart. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  18. ↑ "The most beautiful royal weddings of all time including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's". hellomagazine.com. 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  19. ↑ "Felipe y Letizia a 10 años de su boda real". www.milenio.com. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  20. ↑ AGENCIAS (2004-05-23). "Veinticinco millones de espectadores siguieron la boda por televisión". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  21. ↑ Extremadura, El Periódico. "´Tiempo´ detalla la boda del príncipe Felipe y Letizia Ortiz". El Periódico Extremadura (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  22. ↑ País, Ediciones El (2004-02-25). "Reportaje | Poco escote y manga larga". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
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