Queen Letizia teamed £6m wedding dress with unexpected heirlooms from royal in-laws

Queen Letizia of Spain's gold-embroidered wedding dress garnered lots of attention at her 2004 wedding, not least because of its impressive £6 million price tag, but do you remember her accessories?

The former news anchor, then Letizia Ortiz, and Crown Prince Felipe married in Madrid's Almudena Cathedral on 22 May, meaning the couple are marking their 19th wedding anniversary. They had met at a dinner party held by a mutual friend and secretly dated for a year before their surprise engagement announcement in November 2003.

For her wedding day, which saw Letizia become a princess, the bride stepped out in an off-white silk dress with a high-standing collar designed by Spanish couturier Manuel Pertegaz. It featured long sleeves, a V-neck and a four-and-a-half-meter circular train, and was finished with gold embroidery depicting the fleur de lys and ears of wheat – details from the Prince of Asturias crest.

Perhaps just as special were her accessories, which were given to her by her new husband and his parents King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

On her head, she wore a cathedral-length silk tulle veil hand-embroidered with the same floral designs as the gown, which was a gift from Felipe. Leitiza added a diamond headpiece known as the Prussian Tiara which her mother-in-law had worn on her wedding day to King Juan Carlos in 1962, and a pair of drop diamond earrings also from Sofia and Juan.

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While all of these are classic accessories for a bride, there was one more unique item that Letizia was pictured holding in her official wedding photos instead of her floral bouquet. She was spotted with an antique fan which was reportedly from the family collection and appeared to have the same gold colourway as her outfit, although she held it closed so the finer details were not visible.

How expensive was Queen Letizia's wedding dress?

Queen Letizia's regal wedding dress was reportedly one of the most expensive of all time, with estimates it was worth a whopping £6 million. In fact, her gown featured real gold accents and the reception saw the newlyweds cut a two-metre wedding cake washed down with 1,000 bottles of champagne.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the wedding – attended by 1,500 guests and watched by around 25 million – was estimated to set them back £19 million.

During the couple's lavish wedding banquet, Prince Felipe delivered a touching speech to his new wife. "I am a happy man because I have fulfilled my most precious dream. I have married the woman I love," he said, gently kissing her forehead.

What engagement ring does Queen Letizia own?

Felipe proposed with a very unusual engagement ring with a whopping 16 diamonds. Instead of a large central diamond like Meghan Markle's rock from Prince Harry or a colourful stone like Kate Middleton's iconic sapphire from Prince William, Letizia was given a white gold band with sparkling baguette-cut diamonds, much like an eternity ring.

The special piece of jewellery was crafted by Suárez Jewellery, a Spanish brand established in 1943, and The Express reported it's worth £20,000.

LOOK: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's rarely-seen wedding photos: From tearful speech to guest slippers

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