Surprise at the gala dinner that King William and Máxima of the Netherlands offered to King Felipe and Letizia this Wednesday. The Queen has been sitting in a high chair during the greeting to the guests due to a foot problem that prevents her from being in a static bipedal position (standing and still), while Máxima, Guillermo and Felipe remained standing.
The tiaras and gala dresses have been overshadowed by the problem that Letizia suffers from in her left foot: Morton’s pneumonia (inflammation of the nerves around the fingers) and metatarsalgia (inflammation in the metatarsals of both feet). An ailment that also affects her when she walks, but that prevents her from standing for long periods of time without moving.
During the almost forty minutes that the greeting lasted, Queen Letizia remained seated in a chair somewhat higher than normal, with her long dress covering the furniture. La Zarzuela has previously announced this circumstance, aware that the situation will provoke reactions, not always understanding. Years and years of wearing high-heeled shoes, in which she has remained standing for hours and hours, have played a trick on the Queen, who is being treated for the ailment and although it seems that she will never climb into stilettos again , hopes to improve from the illness to be able to face his commitments normally.
Before greeting the guests, among whom were Frankie de Jong, Ronald Koeman and Susila and Jordi Cruyff, the Kings posed for a family photo with Guillermo and Máxima and also with the crown princess Amalia, the princess (previous queen Beatrice) and Princess Margaret. In that first composition, both the Kings of Spain and those of the Netherlands are seated, while the three princesses appear standing behind.
The protocol and press services of the royal palace of the Netherlands have prevented media access beyond the family photo and the image of Queen Letizia, sitting while the King and the kings of the Netherlands, standing, it has only been captured by official photographers
The Queen has debuted a midnight blue dress by The 2nd Skin, sleeveless and crew neck, and has worn the tiara called La Rusa, while Máxima has opted for a low-cut aqua green chiffon dress by Jan Taminiau and on her head , a tiara that she had only worn, and without the second floor, on another occasion.
Before starting the dinner, the two monarchs gave speeches in which there was no lack of reference to the ties of friendship that unite the two royal families and specifically the two couples of kings. Something else unites them and it is that it was in Seville, during the fair in April 1999, where the then Prince William met the Argentine economist Máxima Zorreguieta. This is how the current king of the Netherlands recalled it by highlighting “Spain occupies a special place in my heart” as it was at the Seville fair where in 1999 he had a “love crush” with his wife Máxima. “A visit to Spain It is always like a warm hug.”
In his speech, the Dutch monarch revealed that Princess Amalia, the heir to the throne, resided in Madrid last year after receiving threats in the Netherlands from organized crime, thanking the complicity of Kings Felipe and Letizia who were attentive to the princess during her stay in Spain. “All this was possible thanks to the affectionate dedication of a large number of fellow citizens and their majesties. It was a moving test of friendship in a difficult period. I want to express my sincere gratitude to their majesties and to all those who collaborated in that effort”, concluded King William.
King Felipe also made a reference to the decisive meeting of William and Máxima in Seville 25 years ago and to Princess Amalia, congratulating that both countries face the future of their crowns “with the help of two young women of their generation”, the princesses heirs Amalia, 20, and Leonor, 18, “deeply committed to their nations and their citizens.”
