Diamond Hoops (and Royal Treasures) for Queen Letizia in Madrid

On Tuesday, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain attended the official inauguration of the new Royal Collections Gallery, on the grounds of the Royal Palace complex in Madrid.

The new museum highlights the incredible cultural legacy of the Spanish crown, focusing on objects related to the history of the monarchy and created under Spanish royal patronage.

The idea for the royal collections museum project goes back to the early 1930s, before the Spanish Civil War and the abolition of the monarchy. It was revived in the 1990s, and construction began back in 2006. The works on display include numerous artifacts and artworks, including pieces by Titian, Velázquez, El Greco, and Caravaggio.

For the inauguration ceremony, Queen Letizia was elegant in a black and white floral dress from Carolina Herrera. The construction of the bodice, and the full, tea-length skirt, both echo the New Look silhouette popular in the 1950s.

With the dress, Letizia kept her jewelry simple, wearing a modern pair of large, pavé-set diamond hoop earrings.

The earrings have been in Queen Letizia’s collection for nearly five years. Above, she makes her debut in the earrings in Madrid in October 2018.

She’s worn the earrings for several outings over the years, often paired with dark clothing for a dramatic effect.

Here’s another look at the earrings from Tuesday’s museum inauguration.

Letizia’s only other jeweled accessory with the outfit was her gold Coreterno ring, which features the final line from Dante’s Divine Comedy in raised letters. (See a close-up here!)