Order of Merit Jewels in Spain

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were on hand, along with the Princess of Asturias and Princess Sofia, for the awarding of the order, which recognizes “”the civic virtue of officers in the service of the Nation, as well as extraordinary service by Spanish and foreign citizens for the benefit of Spain.” (The official site outlining the order’s regulations can be found here.) Special recognition was given this year to Spaniards who have made important contributions during the pandemic.

Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia both wore shades of pink for the ceremony, plus nearly-matching shoes with pointed toes. According to Queen Letizia Style, Letizia’s dress is by a Spanish designer, Moises Nieto.

With her pink dress, Queen Letizia wore a familiar pair of earrings, her ruby and emerald earrings from Tous, plus her Karen Hallam gold oval ring.

Here’s another look at the Tous earrings from the ceremony. Recently, Queen Letizia has also worn these earrings for Armed Forces Day and for a visit to the Alhambra.

The Princess of Asturias wore a blue dress with shoes that matched her mother and sister during the ceremony.

On her dress, Leonor pinned one of the most important accessories she has: the ribbon and badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Spanish order is one of the most exclusive in the world, with only 17 living members. Leonor is one of four female members of the order; the others are Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands. (Not bad company!)

Leonor’s father, King Felipe, is the sovereign of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He also wore the insignia of the order for Friday’s ceremony.

Fifteen-year-old Leonor will one day likely succeed her father as Queen of Spain, and more and more, we’re seeing her step her toe into the public role of heir to the throne. I’m excited to see her begin wearing some of the grand jewels from the family collection in a few years!