The Stunning Transformation Of Queen Letizia Of Spain

While we often associate tiaras, palaces, and lavish gowns with royalty, Queen Letizia of Spain did not grow up with access to such riches. As noted by Vogue, the queen was born in Oviedo, Spain, in 1972 to her parents, both working-class professionals. Her father, Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez, worked in the news industry as an aspiring journalist, and her mother, María de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodríguez, worked in the medical profession as a nurse. Letizia, born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, was the couple's first daughter, and soon became the older sibling to two younger sisters.

Although the British royal family, for example, is tied to the Church of England and serves as its figureheads, Spain and its heritage largely stem from Catholicism. With that in mind, it makes complete sense that Letizia was baptized in the Catholic church located in her hometown shortly after being born. By all accounts, she had a very normal childhood and attended La Gesta School (the equivalent of elementary school) in Oviedo, and later Ramiro de Maeztu High School, per The Famous People.