Smiling and waving to the crowds, Queen Letizia looked every inch the confident, polished Queen as she touched down in the Republic of Cape Verde for a solo royal tour. Stepping from the plane, the Queen arrived at Nelson Mandela International Airport in Praia, Santiago Island, and was warmly greeted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Filomeno de Carvalho Dias Monteiro, as well as a host of other diplomats.
Letizia is due to spend a few days on the West African island (which forms part of the Macaronesia ecoregion along with the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Savage Isles) during which time she will learn about the Spanish Cooperation's work in the country. The Spanish Cooperation, managed by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), works to fight poverty through technical, economic, and financial cooperation, humanitarian aid and education.
Queen Letizia certainly looked the part: for her first day of her four-day visit, she sported a pair of relaxed chinos from Spanish brand Mango, which she teamed with practical brown walking boots. She topped off her look with a white shirt and bright red gilet bearing the Spanish Cooperation insignia – matching the rest of the organisation's representatives, whom she met during one of her first engagements.
The Queen's trip began with a visit to the country's Embassy of Spain, followed by a tour of two women's shelters in Santa Cruz with the First Lady of Cape Verde, Débora Katisa Carvalho. The Casa Familia shelter is aimed at improving protection, care and treatment services for female victims of gender-based violence, while Casa Manuela houses women under 18 who are victims, along with their children. In contrast to Letizia's low-key look, Débora dressed up in a sculptural, striped dress and white shirt, teaming her outfit with nude suede heels. The pair also visited the Cutting and Sewing Cooperative in Santa Cruz, to learn about the women's empowerment projects currently being developed on the island and meet the vulnerable women who are receiving all-important training.
Queen Letizia has also visited the community of Porto Mosquito, where the Spanish Cooperation is carrying out a comprehensive development and inequality reduction project for the 800 people and 300 fisherman who make up this rural neighbourhood. ‘There, she was able to learn firsthand about the social, economic and environmental challenges facing the population and how they are working on an inclusive and equitable development plan,’ read a caption to a set of images taken during the engagement, posted to the Spanish royal family's Instagram page. The carousel included pictures of the Queen meeting the community alongside a host of other volunteers.
The royal mother-of-two is known for her incredible sense of style, and her most recent outing was little different
The monarch has been spotted out and about conducting various solo engagements lately. Earlier this month, Letizia – who is Honorary President of UNICEF – looked calm and capable as she arrived to host a meeting with the Board of Trustees and the Youth Advisory Council on Childhood and Adolescence in Madrid, her iPad ready in her hand. She looked the picture of professional elegance (albeit with a subtle royal twist) in her classic, pinstripe suit by Hugo Boss, which she teamed with a soft-pussy bow blouse in a powdery, royal blue. During the meeting, nine young participants, aged 12 to 17, discussed key issues such as mental health, migration, climate change and the challenges faced by children and young people, both in Spain and worldwide.
Just a few weeks previously, the royal opted for another pinstripe suit (this time flared with a double-breasted blazer) as she made an appearance for World Rare Disease Day. Beaming as she waved to crowds who had gathered outside, the mother-of-two looked elegant in the navy outfit as she arrived at the Auditorium-Congress Palace Principe Felipe in Madrid. This time, the royal paired her suit with a sharp, white collared shirt, black mules and and a black tie, calling to mind Princess Diana, who loved to wear her suits with outlandish ties and popularised the look in the 1980s.
Given her busy schedule of late, one can only imagine that Queen Letizia is more confident than ever in her royal role, and will continue to conduct plenty more solo engagements – both during her tour of Cape Verde and beyond.
