Queen Letizia appears to have become a frequent visitor to the Apennine Peninsula in 2025. Her current trip to Rome marks the third visit in less than a year, drawing keen interest from both the Spanish and Italian public. Each of her arrivals has been tied to significant events, and this latest journey is no exception. The Spanish queen comes to the Eternal City with a clearly defined mission that once again underscores her active role on the international stage and her commitment to humanitarian values.
The purpose of this brief yet eventful trip is to take part in the main ceremony for World Food Day. The event, organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is particularly significant this year as the organization celebrates its 80th anniversary. For Doña Letizia, this is more than just a formal visit. Since 2015, she has held the honorary title of FAO Special Ambassador for Nutrition, and her participation in the forum is a natural continuation of her longstanding efforts in this field.
Her interest in proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle has long ceased to be a secret. Circles close to the royal court say it was her arrival at the Zarzuela Palace that sparked significant changes in the royal family’s eating habits. The daily menu now features much more vegetables, legumes, and fresh salads. This personal conviction is also reflected in her public work, where she consistently promotes the ideas of sustainable diets and the fight against global hunger.
The forum in Rome is expected to gather a highly distinguished audience. Spain’s queen will share the stage with newly crowned Pope Leo XIV, who will make his debut at the FAO headquarters, as well as Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi Martínez and King Letsie III of Lesotho. The agenda includes not only the issue of undernutrition but also the impact of climate change on agriculture and strategies for creating environmentally sustainable food systems.
It is worth recalling that the queen has already participated in a similar event in 2020, during the 75th anniversary of FAO. At that time, however, due to a scheduling conflict with the Princess of Asturias Awards—one of the royal family’s key events—her address to the participants was pre-recorded and broadcast online. In that speech, she firmly stated that access to healthy food is an inalienable right of every person and called for collective action to achieve this goal.
The current visit to Italy concludes a kind of trilogy of trips in 2025, which began with memorial events following the death of Pope Francis and continued with attendance at the mass marking the beginning of his successor’s pontificate. Each of these journeys demonstrates that Queen Letizia’s activities go far beyond ceremonial duties, making her a prominent figure in addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues.
