The King and Queen of Spain welcome Pope Leo XIV at the start of his apostolic visit in Madrid on June 6, 2026 (Oscar Gonzalez/Sipa/Alamy)
This weekend, the Pope embarked on an apostolic visit to Spain, where he was welcomed warmly by King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and their daughters.
The King and Queen of Spain, with the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia, welcome Pope Leo XIV at the start of his apostolic visit in Madrid on June 6, 2026 (IPA/Alamy)
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Madrid on Saturday and headed to the Royal Palace in Madrid with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. The Holy Father and the royal couple have met before. They attended his inauguration in May 2025 and had an audience with him at the Vatican in March.
The King and Queen of Spain welcome Pope Leo XIV at the start of his apostolic visit in Madrid on June 6, 2026 (Oscar Gonzalez/Sipa/Alamy)
On all three occasions, Letizia has exercised the privilège du blanc—the right to wear white instead of black in the presence of the Pope. The privilege has been extended to the Queens of Belgium and Spain, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, and the Princess of Monaco, as well as the women of the House of Savoy, Italy’s former royal family. Technically, since they’re on her home turf, Letizia could wear whatever color she liked, but royal women often follow the pattern anyway during papal visits as a sign of respect.
The King and Queen of Spain meet with the President and First Lady of Egypt at the Heliopolis Palace in Cairo on September 17, 2025 (Cordon Press/Alamy)
For the occasion, Letizia rewore a dramatic white floral dress from her wardrobe. The dress comes from the Spanish fashion brand The 2nd Skin Co. We previously saw her wear it during the Egyptian state visit last September.
The King and Queen of Spain welcome Pope Leo XIV at the start of his apostolic visit in Madrid on June 6, 2026 (Jack Abuin/Zuma Press/Alamy)
For the palace reception this weekend, she paired the dress with diamond climber earrings from her jewelry box. The earrings, which come from Gold & Roses, aren’t a perfectly matched pair. One earring features two diamond stars, while the other features three. As usual, Letizia also wore her Coreterno ring on her left hand.
The King and Queen of Spain, with the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia, welcome Pope Leo XIV at the start of his apostolic visit in Madrid on June 6, 2026 (Jack Abuin/Zuma Press/Alamy)
Both of Felipe and Letizia’s daughters were also present to welcome the Pope to Spain. Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia both wore black dresses and pointed black shoes with low heels for the occasion.
The King and Queen of Spain, with the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia, welcome Pope Leo XIV at the start of his apostolic visit in Madrid on June 6, 2026 (Jack Abuin/Zuma Press/Alamy)
Leonor borrowed a pair of earrings from her mother’s jewelry box to accessorize the dress: the Pluja earrings from the brand Boira.
Boira
The earrings use borosilicate glass drops to mimic raindrops suspended from stainless steel hoops.
The King and Queen of Spain, with the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia, are pictured with Pope Leo XIV during his apostolic visit in Madrid on June 7, 2026 (Oscar Gonzalez/Sipa/Alamy)
On Sunday, all four members of the family were on hand again for Sunday’s events in Madrid, which included a large outdoor mass held in the Plaza de Cibeles.
The Queen of Spain, with the Princess of Asturias, is pictured during Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic visit in Madrid on June 7, 2026 (Oscar Gonzalez/Sipa/Alamy)
Letizia and Leonor both wore significant jewelry pieces for the mass. Letizia opted for a pair of diamond and pearl earrings from Ansorena that have been in her regular rotation for two decades, plus her Coreterno ring. Leonor again chose a pair of earrings that she and her mother have both worn: diamond and blue topaz drops from Luzz.
Luzz
Here’s a closer look at the diamond and blue topaz earrings, which Leonor paired with a cuff and a small stud in her second piercing. Leonor memorably debuted the earrings in 2022 at the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards in Barcelona.