The relationship between Queen Letizia and her sister-in-law, Infanta Cristina, is once again under scrutiny. Just days before Cristina's 60th birthday, which will be celebrated on June 13, 2025, tensions that had remained latent since previous episodes have resurfaced. What is behind this episode that has captured media attention?
What happened?
Infanta Cristina has organized a private gathering to celebrate her birthday, away from the protocol and media attention that surrounded other recent family celebrations. According to what has emerged, the event will be discreet, with a reduced guest list focused on close family members such as Queen Sofía, Infanta Elena, and Irene of Greece, if her health allows. Among her children, only Miguel has confirmed his attendance to accompany her in Madrid.
In contrast to the celebration of Elena's 61st birthday, where King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended along with the emeritus royals and several family members in December, this occasion is expected to see numerous absences: neither the King and Queen nor King Juan Carlos—who initially intended to attend—will be present.
The brief official explanation refers to wishes for privacy and respect for the reserved profile that Cristina has kept in recent years, but there is no shortage of voices interpreting these absences as symbolic gestures of separation.
Reactions from the royal household
No formal statements have been issued from the royal household, but sources close to the family, cited by media outlets such as Infobae and El Debate, suggest that the Queen and King declined the invitation simply to avoid mishaps or forced images. On social media, some users interpret the absence as an "explicit slight" toward Cristina, and even speak of "three stabs" delivered by Letizia, a rather graphic metaphor used in media such as El Nacional.
The poor relationship is not new
The tension surrounding Letizia and Cristina is not new. One of the most memorable episodes was that clash in Marivent, when Cristina criticized Letizia's sportswear, which triggered a tense controversy over disagreements related to image and protocol. That incident, together with the impact of the Nóos Case—which involved Cristina's ex-husband, Iñaki Urdangarin—continues to leave scars on the family dynamic.
Elena's celebration served as a kind of public reconciliation of convenience—provoked by other internal debates, such as the family scandal mentioned by Pilar Eyre and other analysts—while this party for Cristina seems to reveal itself as another chapter of estrangement lecturas.com.
Near future
For now, the possibility of a real public rapprochement between Letizia and Cristina seems distant. It is suggested that reconciliation could come in the form of protocol gestures, such as joint photo opportunities at official events. However, the discreet approach adopted by Cristina—who keeps her professional life between Barcelona, Geneva, and NGOs, and has avoided media commotion for years—doesn't make these displays of unity easy.