A commemorative portrait
On February 7, on the sad anniversary of the death of Erika Ortiz, King Felipe and Letizia were photographed by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz at the Royal Palace. This photo session took place on the occasion of the monarchs’ tenth anniversary on the throne and their twenty years of marriage. This commemorative portrait marks a key year for the new Royal House, which is renewed with a new artistic image and other airs.
A special session
Letizia, a lover of art and culture, was delighted to work with Annie Leibovitz, an internationally renowned photographer. Although they already knew each other previously, Letizia had always wanted Leibovitz to photograph her with Felipe VI. On February 7, both arrived separately at the Royal Palace, amid rumors of distancing, but they emptied their institutional agendas to dedicate the entire day to the photo session. There were hours of preparation and filming, an exhausting day for both parties. They even shared a lunch inside the palace to rest. Although the photos were not yet finished, the kings were very satisfied with the results.
Disagreements and delays
However, during the photo shoot disagreements arose between Letizia and Annie Leibovitz, causing the images to be delayed in publication. The photographer, hired by the Bank of Spain, received a payment of 135,000 euros for this work. Although she is used to the pressure and responsibility of portraying important people, dealing with Letizia’s tastes and desires proved complicated. There were disagreements throughout the day that made the session endless and exhausting. It seems that the friendship between Letizia and Leibovitz has completely broken down since then.
The future of photographs
Although the photographs have suffered delays due to the numerous retouchings and revisions requested by Letizia, it is expected that they will finally see the light of day after the summer, coinciding with the start of the new institutional course in September. The public is eager to see these long-awaited images. Annie Leibovitz’s future as a photographer will largely depend on the success of this project, as she will have no shortage of commitments in the future if she manages to meet expectations.
