The explosive claims from bombshell book that’s rocked the Spanish royals: Queen Letizia is accused of ‘cheating on her first husband with a newsroom colleague’ while author alleges King Juan Carlos ‘urged his son to get a divorce’
The Spanish Royal Family have been no stranger to controversy in recent years – and now Queen Letizia has found herself in the centre of an uncomfortable media storm.
The royal, 51, is the topic of a new bombshell book called ‘Letizia & I: What Secrets is Queen Letizia hiding?’ by 91-year-old journalist Jaime Penafiel.
On Sunday night, Jaime del Burgo – who was a main contributor to the book and the Queen’s ex-brother-in-law – tweeted an old photo of the royal as ‘proof’ that he did have a romantic relationship with the royal, as he claims in the biography.
In a series of explosive allegations, the businessman claimed Letizia suggested they use a LA-based surrogate so they could have their own biological child and insisted the pair were looking into relocating to the US before she called time on the relationship.
However, Letizia’s alleged affair with Jaime – who would later go on to marry her younger sister Telma – isn’t the only bombshell claim in the book, which hit shelves in Spain last month.
Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia in Madrid last month. The Queen’s ex-brother-in-law alleges in a new book that the royal suggested they have a baby together via a US surrogate
Elsewhere, author Jaime Penafiel claims that disgraced King Juan Carlos – who abdicated in June 2014 – never approved of the newsreader and urged his son to get a divorce.
On top of this, the book alleges that the Queen cheated on her first husband on several occasions and was unsure about dating King Felipe at first.
Here FEMAIL delves inside all the intimate details and extraordinary allegations in the book – from rumoured romances to familial tensions.
Failed first marriage and ‘dating colleagues’
Before marrying King Felipe in 2004, Queen Letizia – who was a popular newsreader – was briefly married to her high school English Literature teacher Alonso Guerrero Perez.
Letizia’s ex-husband was nine years her senior and the couple wed in 1998 following their 10 year romance, with the pair meeting when Letizia was just 16. However, the pair divorced the following year.
In the bombshell book, Jaime Penafiel sensationally claims that Letizia cheated on her first husband with a trainee reporter at Efe, the largest Spanish news agency in the world.
The author makes the outlandish claim that Letizia slept with the colleague while she was in Mexico and later went on to visit him on assignments in Houston and La Vegas.
In his bombshell book ‘Letizia & I: What Secrets Is Queen Letizia Hiding?’, author Jaime Penafiel alleges that Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos (pictured on their granddaughter’s baptism day) never approved of Letizia
What’s more, the author also alleges that the future Queen was also dating another journalist around this time too.
‘Letizia’s lukewarm first impression of Felipe’
In 2002, King Felipe is said to have been introduced to his future wife at a dinner party. However, reports also claim that the pair first met at an oil rig where Letizia was broadcasting from.
According to the new book, Letizia was dating Jaime del Burgo at the time – and he was so ‘serious’ about the relationship that he’d even bought an engagement ring.
Author Jaime Penafiel alleges that Letizia wasn’t sure about dating the future King at first.
The Queen is reported to have told her best friend in Mexico that Felipe was ‘very handsome but I don’t like men with curly hair’.
Pictured: Queen Letizia during her time as a newsreader for Television Espanola before her wedding to King Felipe
King Felipe pictured in 2002 – the year he is believed to have met Queen Letizia at a dinner party
Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia in November 2003 when their engagement was announced
Letizia first told Jaime del Burgo about the relationship over dinner at the Ritz hotel in Madrid – on the night where the book claims he was going to propose.
Describing how ‘serious and significant’ their relationship was to him, the author made the unlikely claim that Jaime was ‘carrying an engagement ring his his pocket’.
Letizia reportedly told him that she had ‘met someone who would oblige her to quit her profession’, which Jaime said led him to deduce her mystery partner was Felipe.
After the pair reportedly decided to just be friends, Jaime is said to have advised Letizia: ‘Don’t announce the romance, just the wedding.’
‘Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia’s disapproval of Letizia’
According to the author, Juan Carlos (pictured in 2004) told his son: ‘You are going to destroy the monarchy’
According to the author, Felipe’s parents King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia weren’t thrilled by the prospect of their son marrying Letizia.
When told of his son’s intentions to marry the newsreader, Juan Carlos is quoted as saying: ‘You’re going to destroy the monarchy.’
On top of this, Jaime Penafiel alleges that Queen Sofia couldn’t stop crying and told her son that ‘marriage is for life’.
This comment is then said to have prompted Felipe to offer his parents an ultimatum. He is alleged to have said: ‘I marry her or I renounce my right to the throne.’
Juan Carlos is said to only have accepted his son’s choice when Felipe failed to attend a Bank Holiday military parade – choosing to stay in New York to attend a dinner party organised by Woody Allen.
Later in the book, Jaime del Burgo alleges that Juan Carlos ‘refused’ to pay any of Letizia’s family’s expenses in the lead-up to the wedding.
‘Letizia initially refused to sign a pre-nup’
According to the book, the Queen originally refused to sign a pre-nuptial agreement over the issue of any future children
After their engagement was announced, Jaime del Burgo claims he helped navigate Letizia with her pre-nuptial agreement.
The author wrote: ‘Although it was clear from the first moment that Felipe and Letizia’s marriage was one of love, no loose ends could be left in the event of a possible divorce.’
However, Jaime alleges that Letizia refused to sign the first draft which had been written by Palace advisors and was concerned what would happen to any future children if they separated.
As a result, Jaime claims he phoned Felipe – a man who he says has a ‘good heart’ – and told him that the pre-nuptial agreement risked Letizia ending up like Princess Diana if they were to divorce.
The author writes: ‘Felipe promised Letizia that in case the marriage folded, he would take care of her and respect her rights as a mother if they had descendants. The prince said “I swear it.”’
‘Letizia met another man the night before the wedding’
Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia on their wedding day in Madrid in May 2004. Jaime Del Burgo claims he was going to propose to the newsreader until she announced she had met King Felipe
Pictured: Jaime Del Burgo and his ex-wife Telma Ortiz seen in 2012 before their wedding. The couple divorced in 2014
As well as claiming to have ‘dealt’ with the pre-nup, Jaime also makes the unlikely claim that Letizia asked to meet him in private the night before her 2004 wedding.
The pair are said to have met at the El Latigazo restaurant in Madrid.
He is quoted as saying: ‘When we met, she took hold of my hand and asked me why I had never asked her to marry me.
‘Obviously I didn’t reply. I encouraged her as best I could. The last thing she said to me before we said goodbye to each other in that restaurant was a request: “Never leave me.”‘
The next day, Jaime served as a witness at the couple’s ceremony.
‘Letizia’s confession of love and relationship with Jaime’
On Sunday night, businessman Jaime Del Burgo shared this unseen selfie of Queen Letizia with his X followers. He claimed that the royal was wearing his pashmina and said it ‘took care of her’
After the wedding, Jaime del Burgo moved to London – but claims he was invited to stay at Letizia and Felipe’s Madrid home following the birth of their daughter Princess Leonor.
While lying in hammocks by the pool, Jaime makes the explosive claim that the Queen confessed her love for him.
At this point, the businessman says Letizia and Felipe had a ‘difficult relationship’ as the King ‘feels incapable of calming her down’.
Following this, Jaime claims he struck up his romance with Letizia again – and shared a previously unseen picture of the royal on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday night to try and back up his claims.
In the selfie, the royal, who was pregnant, can be seen wearing a black pashmina – which Jaime claims belonged to him – and he also typed out a message, supposedly sent to him by the Spanish Queen.
Telma Ortiz is seen leaving the EDP Gran Via Theater after attending the ‘We Choose Earth Tour’ on June 22, 2023 in Madrid
Pictured: Telma Ortiz and Jaime del Burgo seen in December 2014, before their split was announced
It 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.’
After sharing the image, other X users questioned the validity of Jaime’s claims – given there is no evidence that Letizia sent him the photo or accompanying message. The businessman has since deleted his X account.
A spokesperson for the Spanish Royal Family told FEMAIL: ‘We have no comment to make about this.’
Following their confession of love, Jaime alleges they ‘took steps forward with the goal of being free’ – which involved seeking legal advice and looking at properties in the US.
One of the most damaging claims Jaime reportedly makes is that Queen Letizia suggested they have a child together using a surrogate in Los Angeles.
He told the author: ‘The idea that we would have our child through a surrogate in Los Angeles was proposed to me while I was in The White Earth.’
Jaime Penafiel goes on to write that when Sofia was born, Jaime del Burgo became uncle to both of the girls.
It then quotes him as saying: ‘It was a beautiful period. I didn’t have children, and those girls made me so happy. I was working in Brazil and suffered a pulmonary embolism.
‘I was in intensive care for a fortnight. I managed to get the Albert Einstein Hospital to give me a telephone Letizia and I spoke to each other every day on [the phone].
‘During my visits to Madrid I would often go to the cinema with Felipe, Letizia and some friends. Letizia and I would always sit together, holding hands. They were moments of happiness.’
However in August 2011, Jaime alleges Letizia abruptly ended their relationship when she called him and said: ‘We can’t continue seeing each other.’
‘Letizia banned her sister and Jaime from speaking’
After this, Jaime says he was encouraged to get in touch with Letizia’s sister by a female friend.
In 2012, the pair – who had met when he was first dating Letizia – got engaged after just two months of dating. The Queen’s sister already had her daughter Amanda from her relationship with ex-partner Enrique Martin Llop.
At this time, Jaime claims he was still close to Letizia and Felipe and he claimed he bonded with his future wife after the four of them went to the cinema in Madrid one day.
He told the author: ‘When we left it was pouring down and instead of returning in the car with Letizia and Felipe, I got a lift with Telma. When we arrived at the Pabellon del Principe where Felipe lived, it was raining so hard we couldn’t leave the car.
Queen Letizia (far right) pictured in Rome in July 2012 ahead of her sister Telma’s (centre) wedding to Jaime del Burgo (left)
‘And we spent nearly an hour talking. Telma asked me to go to visit her one day in Barcelona where she was living at the time. And that’s what I did. I rang her and went.’
Author Jaime Peñafiel wrote: ‘When [Jaime del Burgo] is going to marry Telma, it is Felipe who advises him on the marriage agreements and, over the years, they have maintained a great friendship.’
After tying the knot in an intimate ceremony, the couple celebrated their marriage with a larger reception in Italy – which was attended by their family.
Jaime del Burgo is quoted in the book as saying: ‘When the guests congratulated us, Letizia’s turn came and kissing me on the cheek, she whispered into my ear, “We’ll be together again.”‘
‘Letizia and Felipe told to get a divorce by Juan Carlos’
Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia pictured with their daughters Leonor and Sofia and Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia in 2018
In 2013, the Spanish Royal Family was in crisis mode – as rumours of Juan Carlos’ infidelity and embezzling of millions began to swirl.
In August 2013, Jaime Penafiel says Juan Carlos told his son to ‘get divorced then’ when Letizia left a family holiday at Maravent Palace early.
Jaime Penafiel says Juan Carlos wanted his son to stay on a few days longer at the palace so he could spend more time with his granddaughters.
Letizia claimed she had a prior commitment and ended up leaving alone. The former King is quoted as saying: ‘Who did she phone so he picked her up at the airport in Madrid? Jaime del Burgo?’
The author wrote: ‘As a result of that unjustified affront, I’m told the argument between father and son was so tense and dramatic that at a certain moment, Juan Carlos was heard shouting at Felipe, “Get divorced.”‘