Spain’s Queen Letizia brings splash of glamour to Three Kings parade

Spain’s Queen Letizia is fast becoming a style icon

The traditional Epiphany parade in Madrid – held every January 6^th to mark El Dia de los Reyes (the day of the kings) – was attended for the first time by Queen Letizia, who brought an understated flash of glamour and elegance to the occasion…

The queen, 42, stood demurely alongside her husband, King Felipe of Spain, as the procession and military parade unfolded on Madrid’s sunny January streets.

The national holiday, which marks the epiphany and the moment the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem bearing their gifts for the baby Jesus, is one of the best-loved holidays in Spain, with many Spaniards proclaiming to enjoy the period more than Christmas itself.

And despite missing a lavish breakfast of Three Kings cake at the Palacio Real, the Queen appeared to enjoy the day, flashing smiles at onlookers while dressed in a stylish, floor-length teal gown.

Once the military procession had passed, the Royal couple retired to their palace to welcome the Military Archbishop of Spain, Juan del Río Martín, who has held the ceremonial role since 2000.

Elsewhere in Spain, the day was marked with a number of colourful and vibrant parades in many towns and villages across the country. Typically, families watch the processions before enjoying a long and lazy lunch before the gift-giving begins.

Spain’s oldest Three Kings parade belongs to Valencia, but Madrid’s is the one that always draws the crowds, usually because there are four kings, not three, on display: the three in the procession, and the real one, with Felipe enjoying his first Epiphany since replacing his father as King of Spain in 2014.