Queen Letizia stuns in £10 Zara dress to attend a debate in Madrid today

Queen Letizia, 46, chose the bright blue dress, which comes with a black belt, to attend the ‘Microfinanzas BBVA’ Foundation debate at BBVA in Madrid today. Keeping her eye on cost, the royal selected the dress from high street powerhouse Zara. Although not online in the UK, it costs just €12 in Spain. Letizia teamed the eye-catching item with black and blue accessories to keep the entire look tonal.

On her feet, Letizia wore the Lissette pump, £281 (€377), from Spanish brand Magrit.

A pair of butterfly earrings sparkled in her ears. These are the Butterflies Mini, £523 (€593), from Elena Carrera.

Letizia completed the look with a black clutch from Varela.

Mum-of-two Letizia wore her glossy brown hair loosely curled over her shoulders, with a side parting giving her a sideswept fringe.

Subtle bronze eyeshadow complemented her brown eyes.

Although based over in Spain, Letizia has been spotted taking inspiration from British royalty for her outfit choices.

Last month, looked chic in the dark denim CH by Carolina Herrera dress, £640.

The dress Letizia chose was very similar to one worn by Meghan Markle to watch Prince Harry play polo last summer.

Meghan’s dress was also by Carolina Herrera, but it cost £2,357 as it was from the main line, rather than the lower priced diffusion line that Letizia opted for.

Letizia paired her dress with a small dark blue clutch and suede sling back heels in the same colour.

Queen Letizia of Spain: Five facts about the Spanish royal

Career

Letizia was already famous in her native Spain thanks to a career as a TV presenter and journalist.

She even won an award for best Spanish journalist under 30 in 2002, just before she met King Felipe.

Wedding

Felipe and Letizia Ortiz, as she was called then, wed in 2004.

She wore a long-sleeved wedding dress with a 15 foot train by Manuel Pertegaz.

As is custom with royal weddings, Letizia wore a tiara. Her diamond and platinum Prussian tiara is a German imperial heirloom created in 1913 by Koch for Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia’s wedding to Prince Ernst August.

Family

Letizia is the eldest of three daughters, with her middle sister tragically taking her own life in 2007.

Now, Letizia has two daughters, Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia of Spain. She is a hands on mum, taking the children to school and enjoying countless family holidays with them.

Divorce

Letizia has been married before, wedding Alfonso Guerrero, a teacher, in 1998.

However she did not require an annulment before her roman-catholic marriage to then Prince Felipe in 2004 as her marriage to Guerrero was a civil ceremony.

Plastic surgery

In 2008, Letizia underwent surgery on her nose to correct a respiratory problem, the Spanish palace confirmed at the time.