Annie Leibovitz Reveals Regal Portraits of King and Queen of Spain

Courtesy of Banco de España

Annie Leibovitz has revealed her new portraits of Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain that are done in the photographer’s iconic, dramatic style making excellent use of color and light.

Shot in the grandiose setting of Gasparini Hall in the Royal Palace of Madrid, the photos celebrate the royal couple’s 20th wedding anniversary and are similar to the ones Leibovitz captured of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

Rather than being placed in the same frame, Leibovitz opted to shoot their portraits separately as a diptych. Both photos are enormous, printed on a polyester canvas, they each measure seven feet four inches by five feet five inches with the intention that they will always be displayed together.

The Bank of Spain has acquired Leibovitz’s work for its collection of royal portraits, paying around $145,000 for the portraits, according to Vanity Fair. The photos were taken in February during the course of a five-hour session. The Gasparini Hall is an elaborate 18th-century Rococo chinoiserie salon where the royals host dignitaries.

Queen Letizia is wearing a black, strapless ballgown designed by Spanish couture designer Cristòbal Balenciaga. King Felipe VI wears his military uniform and blue sash which represents the highest-ranking civilian order in Spain known as Grand Cross.

King Felipe VI.

Queen Letizia.

The portraits will be shown at the Bank of Spain’s gallery in an exhibition titled The Tyranny of Chronos. It marks the first time the bank has exhibited photography.

“Leibovitz’s approach represents a turning point in a tradition dating back to the institution’s origins, echoing the artistic intent seen in works by historical figures such as Goya, also featured in the exhibition,” reads a press release from the Bank.

The exhibition is running from November 27, 2024, to March 29, 2025, at the Cibeles headquarters at the Bank of Spain in Madrid.

Iconic Photographer

Leibovitz is arguably the world’s most famous photographer having more Rolling Stone covers than any other photographer and snapping dozens of iconic photos over the course of her career including a famous picture of John Lennon and Yoko Ono just hours before the former Beatle’s death.

Her experience in photographing monarchs no doubt came in handy for her shoot in Madrid. A famous clip of Leibovitz being scolded by Queen Elizabeth II continues to go viral every so often.

Back in 2007, Leibovitz was hired to shoot a set of portraits of the Queen at Buckingham Palace in preparation for a state visit to the United States. The photographer and her 11 assistants spent three weeks preparing for the 30-minute photo shoot.

The Queen was to start things off wearing the full regalia of the ancient Order of the Garter, complete with tiara, and the “complicated” and “cumbersome” outfit took longer than expected to put on, delaying the start time by 15 minutes.

Queen Elizabeth was not amused by Leibovitz’s request.

After Leibovitz finally got the Queen seated at the first portrait location, she had an idea for a last-minute change.

“I think it will look better without the crown,” the photographer told the Queen. “[…] Could we try without the crown? It will look better… less dressy. Because the garter robe is so…”

But before Leibovitz could finish her sentence, the Queen cut her off.

“Less dressy?” the Queen replied with annoyance in her voice and on her face. “What do you think this is?…”

Image credits: Bank of Spain