Queen Letizia of Spain rarely wears her £25,000 engagement ring in public, sparking curiosity among royal enthusiasts. She and King Felipe VI celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on May 22, 2024. The ring has been absent from the Queen’s attire since 2012, with Letizia often opting for a Karen Hallam gold-plated ring instead. Diamond expert Maxwell Stone from Steven Stone explained that Letizia avoids the ring because it causes discomfort during the daily handshakes involved in her duties. Unlike traditional royal engagement rings featuring a central stone, Letizia’s band consists of 16 vertically set baguette-cut diamonds in either platinum or white-gold. Created by the Spanish brand Suárez, the ring is valued between £20,000 and £25,000.

The couple’s engagement was announced on November 1, 2003, and they wed on May 22, 2004, in Madrid’s Almudena Cathedral. Letizia left her journalism career to marry Felipe, and the couple has two daughters, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia, born in 2005 and 2007, respectively.