He went from paying the mortgage on a small apartment on the outskirts of Madrid to living in a palace.
He went from giving the news to starring in it.
She is from Asturias, although she has probably not gotten used to the rain: “It always rains on the most important days of Letizia's life.
The day of her wedding with Felipe, the day of the birth of her daughter Leonor, the day she buried her sister Érika”, writes Mábel Galaz (Madrid, 64 years old), in the book
Letizia real
(editorial La Esfera de los Libros ).
A very detailed journalistic review of the adventures of the now Queen, who turns 50 this September 15, written by who for more than three decades dealt with information on royalty in EL PAÍS.
Ask.
Monarchs are both people and symbols.
We see them a lot, but we know little.
Response.
The members of the royal families do not speak, they only communicate through gestures.
There is a contradiction there, because the acceptance of the monarchy depends a lot on the person who occupies the position and on the perception we have of it.
Some closeness is necessary.
More information
The Letizia enigma: the Queen turns 50
Q.
We interpret your messages as if it were the oracle of Delphi.
R.
And that it is very important that they make themselves known.
In the 21st century, the monarchy is contested in some sectors of society and many people wonder if it is of any use.
They have to give a new meaning to the institution.
Q.
Why can't they communicate more smoothly?
R.
Everything they say has to be supervised by the Government.
I think that the House of the King should transmit the work of the Kings in a much more open way.
When in doubt, they always prefer not to communicate, but today that is not valid.
They could use more transparency.
The King has already shown the accounts of him.
The Queen does not, because she has no constitutional role.
But I think he should show them too.
P.
That constitutional vacuum, makes each queen have to build their own space?
R.
_
Of course.
But what should be changed in the Constitution is the article by which there is prevalence of men over women to access the throne.
We are the only monarchy in which if there is a man, he has preference.
It is a pending change when you play.
The article by which there is prevalence of men over women to access the throne should be modified in the Constitution
P.
The then princess Letizia, only 32 years old at her wedding, had a hard time adjusting.
R.
It was one of his big problems.
She used to say what she thought, because of her profession and her character, she began to see how she could not say anything.
And to hear how things were said about her that did not fit reality.
Q.
Was she a rebellious princess?
A.
Yes. My conclusion is that she was a rebellious princess who approved and that she is on her way to being a Queen who knows how to fulfill her role.
Q.
Has it been integrated into the system?
A.
Not exactly.
The system has changed.
Before she was a secondary, Juan Carlos I reigned. Now she is a leading actress, the Queen, and that is a substantial change.
P.
How has your relationship with Queen Sofia been?
R.
He went from taking her as an example to not wanting to look like her.
He realized that Sofia was old school: go to a function, shake hands, smile, pick up a bouquet of flowers.
Doña Letizia, on the other hand, left with the folder, the notes, she learned everything about what she had in her hands.
They have different ways, different generations, different origins.
Q.
Nothing to see.
R.
She has traveled by subway, she has paid a mortgage, she has had problems making ends meet, like the rest of us mortals.
She knows that the monarchy has to reinvent itself and be more of a citizen.
She flees tiaras and palaces and moves like a fish in water with the NATO leaders.
They try to become a kind of ambassadors… how to say it?
Q.
Premium
?
_
R.
Yes, something like that, some
premium
ambassadors .
Now Letizia has been able to adapt her way of working, although surely not as much as she would have liked.
Q.
In what way?
R.
For example, one of his first receptions as Kings in El Pardo was to the LGTBI groups.
Quite a gesture.
But I think they need more gestures to achieve the outstanding.
Receiving the LGTBI groups in El Pardo was a gesture of change.
But I think they need more to get the A
P.
Doña Letizia tries to be a very professional Queen, but that was also said of Sofía.
R.
But in that case, professionalism consisted of holding on in his position, despite everything that was happening in his private life, so that the monarchy would not suffer and his son would be king.
But Sofia is the daughter of a king, a sister of a king, a wife of a king and a mother of a king.
P.
Being a monarch: sounds good, but your freedom is diminished and your life becomes cumbersome.
R.
Being a member of the royal family gives many privileges, but I did not change for them.
I know that the infanta Elena was very much in love with a person who did not want to change her life for love.
Jaime de Marichalar, on the other hand, was looking forward to being part of it.
Iñaki Urdangarin took advantage of it.
Letizia married for love, but she paid a high price by giving up her former life.
Q.
When you marry a king, you get a partner, but also a job.
R.
When she has complained about not being able to do the things she wanted to do, she has been reminded: “The king was born, but you are here because you wanted to.
And she knew where she was getting into.”
P.
You have had numerous detractors.
R.
Letizia has had a problem: lifelong monarchists did not like her, for being divorced, for not being blue blooded.
And, logically, neither do the Republicans.
She has had the fans quite against her.
Letizia has had a problem: lifelong monarchists did not like her, for being divorced, for not being blue blooded.
And, logically, neither do the Republicans.
Q.
How has your perfectionism affected you?
R.
He is very perfectionist and does not like to make mistakes.
That is why she may seem cold, distant, haughty, she may not like her at first.
She is not like Máxima from the Netherlands, that she is very natural and has no sense of the ridiculous.
With the cameras off, Letizia is more relaxed, but when she feels watched...
P.
But that position was adopted in the first moments, when he verified the repercussion of his actions and they cut his first naturalness.
R.
Yes. But now she is relaxing, because she feels safer.
Almost 20 years do not pass in vain.
I hope that over time she feels closer.
Galáz poses during the interview.
Alvaro Garcia
P.
What has been the position of Letizia regarding the scandals of the monarchy, carried out by Urdangarin and the King Emeritus?
R.
Radically against.
Very eager to distance herself from that, to let it be known that the Kings have nothing to do with it, to establish a cordon sanitaire.
This probably also distanced her from Sofia, who approached him in a more emotional and understanding way.
Q.
What future do you see for the Spanish monarchy?
R.
Letizia is now focused on Princess Leonor, on being queen.
Regarding the perception of the monarchy, the younger generations do not understand it.
That is why I believe that the way that the Kings have to recycle themselves is to become exceptional ambassadors.
I still say outrageous, but in a monarchy that can resemble what a president of the republic is.
It is clear that there has to be a change, and the recent death of Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom is going to cause many things to change in all monarchies.
Letizia is now focused on Princess Leonor, on her being queen.
Regarding the perception of the monarchy, the young generations do not understand it
P.
How was the figure of Elizabeth II of England?
R.
_
She was the quintessential queen.
The people, whether they were monarchists or not, revered her.
Now they face a big problem: Carlos III questioned, Camila is not accepted by many people….
Meanwhile, a tremendous winter is approaching with a probable recession and energy problems.
The British queen gave stability.
P.
The journalist Sol Gallego-Díaz, former director of EL PAÍS, says in the prologue of her book that when reporting on the Casa del Rey you have to navigate between the stormy waters of pink journalism, on the one hand, and yellow , for another.
R.
Sol was one of the people who encouraged me to write the book and I feel lucky because he wrote the prologue.
In her opinion, one thing is to preserve the private life of people and another thing is not to know anything about those who send us or, in this case, represent us.
So what I try to do is explain what is behind the photos, what people are behind them.
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