Spain’s Royal Family could be “in crisis” thanks to an accusation made against Queen Letizia by her former brother-in-law Jaime del Burgo, who was married to her sister Telma Ortiz from 2012 until 2014.
Mr del Burgo has claimed he was in a relationship with Letizia at the time she met her husband, King Felipe, and that they had an affair in the early days of her marriage.
The allegations were first made in the book “Letizia & I” by journalist Jaime Peñafiel, with the 53-year-old later backing up the author’s account.
He shared a photo on X, formerly Twitter, as ‘evidence’ of their relationship, which shows the Spanish Queen draped in a black pashmina taking a bathroom selfie while she was pregnant.
Mr del Burgo claims the pashmina was his, and also shared a message supposedly sent to him by Letizia, which read: “Love. I wear your pashmina. It’s like feeling you by my side. It takes care of me. It protects me. I count the hours until we see each other again. Love you. Get out of here. Yours.” The image has since been deleted.
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The entrepreneur claims he met Letizia Ortiz when she was still working as a journalist and they dated for some time before she met King Felipe, whom she married in May 2004.
Mr del Burgo said he had been about to propose to Letizia when she told him she had met someone else, although she would not say who, only describing him as a “diplomat”.
However he claims their romantic relationship continued, as Letizia reportedly dined with him the night before her wedding and told him “never leave me”, with them according to him not breaking up until 2011.
He then married her sister Telma in 2012 and they lived together in New York until their divorce two years later, with Letizia and Felipe having their daughters Leonor and Sofia in October 2005 and April 2007 respectively.
Mr del Burgo has faced a fierce backlash for his allegations, including death threats, but he posted on his social media in both Spanish and English: “I don’t change a comma of my deleted posts.
“I appreciate the messages from those who have understood that I would have my reasons. I hold no grudge against those who have threatened to kill me.
“I don’t feel proud. But the truth is what it is. I recognise only one king in heaven, and his name is Jesus of Nazareth. He will judge me.”
