Queen Letizia of Spain put on a brave face as she made a solo appearance in Madrid, just days after she was seen clashing with her mother-in-law Sofia in church. Letizia was said to be inconsolable after the pair were filmed in a tense exchange – and the video went viral – but on Thursday, the queen was all smiles.
She was pictured arriving at a conference, which explored the role of social media, looking typically elegant in a black suit and tweed jacket. Letizia smiled and waved at the cameras and showed no signs of awkwardness following her viral video.
Queen Letizia appeared to be in high spirits
Last week, the mother-of-two was seen arguing with her husband's mum as the royal family attended church on Easter Sunday in Majorca. Sofia seemed to be posing for a photograph with her granddaughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia – Letizia's daughters – when Letizia walked in front of them, appearing to block the photo. It's understood the queen was protecting her children from being pictured by other churchgoers; the family later posed for their official photos outside the church.
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The royal looked elegant in a black trouser suit
However, the tense exchange caused quite a stir on Twitter, and Letizia was said to be inconsolable. Her close friend and former colleague Imma Aguilar, who worked with Letizia at CNN+, told Telemadrid: "I think it shows a mother worried about her daughters' image. I spoke to Letizia a while ago and she's worried and upset about the situation. She cares deeply for her daughters and their image, and worries about who takes their photos and who approaches them, like any mother would."
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Imma continued: "It's just a bit of silliness, it's nothing serious. It was a natural reaction. She hasn't been educated from birth about how to behave in a certain way in public. She's very dedicated to her work, her job, her role as a royal and as a mother. She's been really worried and upset. It's difficult because she can't talk and explain herself."
Letizia's outing on Thursday came just a day after her husband King Felipe carried out a solo engagement. It was business as usual for the 50-year-old monarch as he visited "The Copero" military base in Seville, where he toured the facilities of the Electronic War Regiment No. 32.