Queen Letizia rewears black velvet for Finland state banquet
Queen Letizia of Spain walked into dinner in Helsinki on 6 October 2026 in recycled black velvet and no tiara.
She joined King Felipe VI of Spain at a state banquet, a formal dinner hosted by a head of state for visiting dignitaries, at the Presidential Palace. Their hosts were President of Finland Alexander Stubb and First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb, who held the dinner in honour of the Spanish visit, according to Hello! Magazine.
It is their first state visit to Finland as a royal couple. A state visit is the highest level of official visit between countries, carried out on behalf of the state. The latest account puts the trip at two days, with the banquet on 6 October at its centre.
The Spanish Royal Household said the visit served to “highlight and strengthen bilateral ties and relations between Spain and Finland.” The palace listed the Presidential Palace in Helsinki as the venue for the state visit activity.
Letizia’s dress did the talking. She wore a figure-hugging black velvet gown with long sleeves. The design was by Felipe Varela, a Spanish couturier she has worn for years.
The dress was not new. She first wore it in 2017 during the state visit to Spain by the then President of Argentina.
No tiara. That choice stood out on a night when tiaras, the jewelled headpieces worn by royal women for white-tie occasions, are often expected.
Instead she wore diamonds in other places. A diamond flower brooch sat at her neckline, paired with diamond stud earrings and twin diamond bracelets.
The bracelets carry history. They once belonged to Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain and were bequeathed, or left by will, to the Queens of Spain.
The evening followed strict form. The King and Queen of Spain were received by the Finnish presidential couple in the Dining Hall before proceeding to the State Hall for the banquet.
The wider trip took in Helsinki and Rovaniemi, according to Town & Country. Felipe and Letizia had attended a departure ceremony in Madrid on 5 October before travelling north, Reuters Connect reported.
What makes this stand out is the restraint. Just days earlier, Letizia had worn a diamond tiara for a Spanish state banquet for the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron. In Helsinki she let a nine-year-old velvet gown and heirloom diamonds do the work.
