Meet the woman dubbed Spain's Kate Middleton after she moved from being a commoner to a queen

Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano went from being a TV news anchorwoman to become Spain's first commoner Queen when her husband, King Felipe VI, took the throne three years ago.
She was already popular as a TV personality before she married crown Prince Felipe in 2004 following a completely secret relationship that only became public information after their surprise engagement was announced in 2003
Letizia, 44 is the granddaughter of a taxi-driver and the daughter of a journalist and a nurse. She first met the prince at a colleague's dinner party in 2002. At the time, she was a well-recognised television presenter and reporter who covered events such as the Iraq War and 9/11. She had worked at various newspapers, as well at Bloomberg, CNN+ and Spain's state TV company Television Espanola.
Letizia had been married before to a teacher in 1998. Their marriage only lasted for a year. The fact that she was a divorcee led to criticism from hardline monarchists when they shocked the country with their engagement news.
Prior to that, no one even knew Prince Felipe had a girlfriend. She made headlines when she told Felipe in public to shut up during her engagement photocall. "Let me finish," she said, smiling, in front of the cameras. Since then, she has become quite popular with the public for her down-to-earth approach. Queen Letizia and King Felipe have two beautiful daughters, Leonor and Sofia.The King and Queen of Spain will arrive in London today for a three-day state visit and will be formally greeted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on Horse Guards Parade on Wednesday

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