New photos, taken as historic portraits of the King and Queen of Spain, have been revealed for the first time.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are shown in the Royal Palace of Madrid in two images commissioned by the Bank of Spain as a permanent record of this royal reign.
One of the world’s most famous photographers, Annie Leibovitz, was responsible for the portraits which will be part of the Bank’s permanent collection.
They’ve gone on show for the first time as part of an exhibition, the Tyranny of Cronos, in Madrid.
The portraits show the Spanish king and queen in the Gasparini room at the Royal Palace. They were taken in February this year to mark the tenth anniversary of the accession of Felipe VI and the twentieth anniversary of the royal couple’s marriage.
King Felipe wears the uniform of the Captain General of the Spanish Army.
Queen Letizia is in a vintage Cristobal Balenciaga gown and wears some of the jewels set aside queens of Spain.
Annie Leibovitz has known the Spanish royal family for over a decade, since being recognised for her art with a Princess of Asturias prize in 2013.
The Bank of Spain commissioned the portraits from her and paid for them – it’s reported that the fee was almost 200,000 euros. The bank has portraits of many of Spain’s monarchs and consorts and decided that, for the first to mark a 21st century reign, they would turn to the art of photography for the images.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia aren’t the first royals to be photographed by Annie Leibovitz. She famously captured Queen Elizabeth II on film several times.
The portraits are on show in an exhibition at the Bank of Spain in Madrid from November 27th 2024 until March 29th 2025. Entry is free but must be reserved on the bank’s website before arrival.
